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ME: What first inspired you to begin welding and eventually turn it into an art form?
Barbie: The art of welding sculpture found me through the movie Castaway starring Tom Hanks. When I sat down to watch the movie with my neighbor in 2006, I had no idea how drastic my life was about to change. A 15 second scene at the beginning of the movie featured a woman welding angel wings and I knew it was for me. It made no sense because I’d never welded before or had any artistic ability to speak of, but I knew it was me.
At the time I was working seven days a week hauling scrap metal and selling on eBay to support my family, however it was not enough and we were on welfare, government subsidize housing, and food stamps to make ends meet. I didn’t even have enough money to pay my bills let alone extra to gain the skills necessary to create the art like I had seen in the movie, however, I spent the entire movie dreaming about sculpting. I was immediately obsessed.
I worked double time and saved everything I could, put myself through BOCES, a 6-month welding program in Elmira, NY, and was then hired at a custom fabrication shop. I knew before I got the job, I would leave it to become a full time artist. I was there to get what I needed, the welding and fabrication skills necessary to create art and the money to support my obsession.
On September 1, 2014, I walked away from that job and coworkers I loved and became a full-time artist.
ME: When did you realize that welding was not just a craft for you, but your true artistic voice?
Barbie: Before I ever picked up a welding torch, I knew it sitting on the couch watching the movie. It makes no sense, but I knew.
ME: Your work carries a powerful message of strength. What fuels that message in your art?
Barbie: I’ve been feral and independent from birth; a lone wolf whose song is for the moon. It made it almost impossible for me to navigate a world filled with rules made up by people who forgot who they were. Unable to live free I turned to alcohol and drugs to numb my pain.
For years I lived in a Hell whose depths I cannot describe. The darkness of the movie scene, the upturned wings, the sparks of welding, all resonated with me; it felt familiar, so I moved towards it. Welding brought me back to life. It became my magnificent obsession, my moon to sing to. I never had a choice in the matter really. I needed to create like I needed to breathe so I had to work out the how.
ME: How do your ideas typically come to life when you begin a new piece?
Barbie: Wildly, I have found that what I create is a mirror of me. My expression in metal is a reflection of how I feel. I can’t express it in human words, but I can in metal. I didn’t see or understand this until last year, and it’s changed how I approach art and business.
ME: What emotions or themes do you hope people feel when they experience your sculptures?
Barbie: When it comes to sculpting, I have no expectation of how others feel, I only desire to express my truth, anything that happens after that is beyond me. What I do find profoundly wild is when I express my truth in metal others feel it.
When it comes to teaching, it is my greatest desire to give others the support and know how to be able express their truth. I understand the peace and healing that has brought to my life, and I want that for others.
ME: What has been the most transformative moment in your journey as an artist?
Barbie: My most profound moment as an artist was understanding my process. After a few years of welding metal together to create sculptures, I discovered a process to sculpt metal by taking quarter inch round bar, laying it side-by-side, and welding in between each piece to create my own metal. It’s a slow process that creates the most fluid and organic shapes and brings me the deepest joy. People have often questioned why I do this instead of using sheet steel and I didn’t understand it myself until late last year when I’ve recognized that I’m savoring. It lets me spend the most time with what I’m creating. It allows me to resonate with the metal, to have hands-on, to connect with it, to truly imbue it with my essence. Understanding this profoundly changed everything for me and removed the weight of my judgment. Previous to understanding, and like those online, I had been judging myself for “being slow” & “wasting time” instead of seeing the love I was putting into what I had been creating.
ME: What challenges have shaped you the most, either personally or creatively?
Barbie: Building a business that allows me the freedom to create what I want, when I want, and choose clients who honor my process has been the greatest and most rewarding challenge.
ME: Is there a particular piece that holds special meaning for you, and why?
Barbie: Patience, an angel I sculpted in 2024 holds the most special meaning. I designed and created her after my best friend died in a motorcycle accident in October 2023. It broke me to lose him, and if that weight wasn’t enough, within 4 months I lost 3 more people close to me. I was devastated. You can’t go over it, you can’t go under it, you can’t go around it, you have to go through it, so I sculpted my way through it. Patience was my way through.
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ME: What advice would you give to women entering male‑dominated trades or creative fields?
Barbie: I would ask them to discover what they want to be known for and keep that as their true north; dedicate their lives to honoring their trade, craftsmanship, and themselves.
ME: How can readers follow your work, support your art, or purchase your pieces?
Barbie: You can find me at
Website BarbieTheWelder.com
YouTube YouTube.com/c/BarbieTheWelder
Facebook https://m.facebook.com/BarbieTheWelder/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/barbiethewelder/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/theogbarbie
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@barbiethewelder