A Creative Legacy: Medieval Armour, From Mordor With Love

Sam Bloomfield is a metal artist and medieval armourer, creatively working under the title of Lord Bloomfield. 

Originally from New Zealand, Sam and I have very parallel backgrounds and he was also deeply influenced by the Lord of Rings films at the start of his career.

Inspired by the aesthetics of the film trilogy he pursued armouring and trained in Wellington under Stu Johnson, the former head armourer of Wētā Workshop who is responsible for many famous pieces including the Nazgul, hero suits for the Chronicles of Narnia and most memorably, the iconic battle armour worn by Sauron, lord of Mordor and primary villain of the Lord of the Rings.

Sam has made his own creative interpretation of Sauron’s armour, an extraordinary master work that has taken him ten years to construct. 

In our conversation Sam and I share our enthusiasm for the Lord of the Rings and other fantasy films. We discuss what inspires him as an artist, and the process of making a custom suit of armour from design to completion.
We also talk about the concept of heirlooms and the importance of making work that has personal meaning to you which can become a legacy, something that still carries a part of you long beyond your own lifetime. 

Sam shared his passion for collecting new crafting skills, and some stories of a few times when he learned things the hard way, but also how some of those mistakes had surprising positive consequences.