The art of welding versus welding art

I love talking about welding. Every aspect of the trade, from the different processes to techniques to philosophy; it’s a topic I never tire of. At car shows, during work, on social media, at birthday parties, whenever and wherever, you’ll find me more than willing to engage in the subject of melting metal with fire.

I soak up all the knowledge I can from those with more experience, and I really enjoy sharing my skills and the tips and tricks I’ve learned with anyone who asks. But ask me a question about art, or how I made a certain piece, or if I could show you how to create a sculpture, and you'll probably get a blank stare or a “nonanswer” response. It's not something I've always been conscious of; it just is what it is.

While oftentimes my lives as an artist and a tradesman intersect, I think it’s important to keep some separation between the two. Art is pure and personal creativity shaped by technique, and being a tradesman is, at its core, technique (which can be applied creatively by the best tradesmen).

Mary Chase Stratton, a Michigan native and the founder of Pewabic Pottery, often is asked why she refuses to document the recipes for her glazes. Here are a few of her responses on different occasions:

“Let them discover their own. I had to do it that way and it is the only way.”

“Each artist owes it to himself to develop his own formulae. Only in this way will ceramics continue to grow as an art form.”

“Once you discover something on your own, it really belongs to you. You can’t discover anything important by copying.”

I think that's it. While welding a butt joint or fabricating to a print is a matter of skill, method, procedure, and then perhaps creativity at some point, sculpting is a matter of cleverness first, with applied skill, technique, and experience putting on the finishing touches.

I believe the imagination has to be personal to be legitimate. It's your creativity, your solution, your vision. There may be “nothing new under the sun,” but there are infinite ways to take an old theme and make it your own.

It's not a matter of being selfish with my imagination, but if you're going to create, you need to put your spin on it. Your work will evolve to its potential when you put energy into it. Art isn’t built from a blueprint or set of directions; it comes from your soul.

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