Am I an Artist or a Welder?

Am I an artist or a welder.

I’m not sure. I asked myself that recently and the answer is confusing and counter intuitive. It seems like if you say you’re an artist, well, you are. I think that while that may be a loose definition, I would like to hold myself to a little higher baseline. I see real artists who paint or sculpt or draw and I am amazed with the skill and talent they have. I have always been creative, but I can barely draw a stick person. I am not an artist.

I’ve been in a manufacturing setting my whole life. Estimating, running numbers has been my life forever. Fabrication of steel and metal has been the center of all I do every day. I understand lean manufacturing and I even find myself following some of those methods while I am “metal-arting”. (I just made up that term and I’m keeping it.) If I have a piece of pipe at the saw and I am cutting pig legs and there is some left, I can’t stop myself from cutting the rest for some future animal. I mean it's in my hand, why put it back in the rack and have to start over again next time? That’s a part of my manufacturing background I can’t escape. I am not an artist.

I am a welder though, right? I take two pieces of metal and using electricity, wire and gas I weld them together. That’s the definition. (I’m definitely a fabricator, I started out many years ago in a sheet metal shop, that may be the one true reflection of my skills.) While I’ve been welding all of my life I work with some real welders. Welders who must have their welds certified. Welders who have to weld in all positions, conditions, and many different materials. It’s one thing to weld on a bench in the shop but if you can ride up a lift, weld a vertical 7018 on a beam in the wind and rain or snow while you lean out and contort your body to reach it, that makes things more interesting. They know when they have to pre-heat material, what rod to use, or wire speed and gas. They cope with the material moving when heated so when it cools it is in the proper dimensional position. They can set their machines by listening to it, they can smell if the weld prep is correct when they run into some rust. They know if a weld is undercut or built up, they know if there is enough penetration or if porosity is a problem. They catch themselves on fire occasionally, they breath fumes and smoke that comes out as black snot when they blow their noses. If one of their welds breaks someone could get hurt. They are welders. While I do weld, I am not a welder.

So, it seems like I am none of these things so where do I fit? The funny thing is that when I ask a welder, they say I’m an artist. When I ask an artist, they say I am a welder. So that’s no help.

For now, I’m calling myself a Metal Artist. I’m reaching deep for my natural art ability, and I can see it improving. I’m hungry for that part of myself that was never let out before and it’s exciting. I’m also improving my welding skills by leaning on my co-workers, friends and family who are professional welders. I’m improving my process and prep while working on laying down welds that don’t need to be ground smooth to look good. I want my welds to be a piece of the art, not just a cursory component of my work. I want real welders to look at them and appreciate the art but more so, appreciate the welds.

I’m going to head back to my shop, weld some pig ears on, maybe make them a little crooked to offer some life to it but I’ll make sure to make some good welds.