Metallic beauty

(Above) Blacksmith Don Kemper humorously invites one of the spectators at the Clark County Fair’s Fort Vancouver Antique Equipment Association display to smell a “rose” created by hand from metal. Kemper, 80, has been a blacksmith for more than 25 years. He currently teaches classes out of his Ridgefield home.

(Right) Through the delicate process of heating and hammering the metal, Kemper works to create an eagle’s head in front of a crowd of curious onlookers of all ages at the Clark County Fair blacksmith display on Friday. Thousands of people attended the 145th annual fair, which ended its 10-day run in Ridgefield on Sunday.