“If it makes your heart happy, go for it! You didn’t fail if you’re still trying.” - Barbie the Welder
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Listen to the podcast or watch the interview videos on the Founders and Startups YouTube Channel.
Barbie the Welder: Artist, Speaker, Groundbreaker (Full discussion)
Surreal Opportunities Following Years of Fear (Highlight video)
Future Vision: Action Figures, a TV Show, Masterpieces and Passive Income (Highlight video)
Barbie the Welder is a self-taught artist who designs and creates metal sculptures for individuals, companies like Harley Davidson, and communities, such as her hometown of Elmira, NY.
At one point in her life, Barbie was living in government subsidized housing and supporting her family of five on the $10,000 she earned working multiple jobs.
Barbie was inspired to become a welder by the opening scene in Castaway when a FedEx package is delivered to a woman who is creating a large-scale, welded set of wings. Barbie says that welding helped her to rise from the ashes.
Barbie loves to teach as much as she likes to create. Her Barbie the Welder YouTube Channel, viewed by subscribers in 51 countries, is a wealth of information for artists & entrepreneurs. And she’s created four books on how to create metal art.
After saving $1,200 over nine months to invest in a welding course, she landed a full-time job at Cameron Manufacturing and Design where she gained confidence and stability, fixed her credit and bought a home with a garage that is now her studio.
Barbie left her job in Sept. 2014 to pursue metal sculpture full-time. After four years of steadily working on her craft and building her following, she’s now positioned to create sculpture from her heart and work with clients who inspire her.
Key takeaways:
Barbie’s currently creating a masterpiece sculpture that is half woman/half phoenix. The finished piece will be 9 ½ ft wide and 6 ft tall. Welding helped Barbie to rise from the ashes, and this sculpture is a form of self-portrait. To inquire about purchasing this piece, or others, contact Barbie at barbiethewelder@yahoo.com
Recent clients include Harley Davidson; Wyler Abrasives; Elmira, NY; Carolina Shoe Company; Chicago Pneumatic; Prime Compliance Solutions and Southwestern Scale where Barbie created a sculpture on the premises.
Barbie was born in Elmira, NY and currently lives in Erin, NY – 22 minutes from the Corning Museum of Glass, where she goes for inspiration.
To be an astronaut, auto mechanic or Harlem Globetrotter were Barbie’s first career goals. She wasn’t interested in art as a child.
Barbie learned to be an auto mechanic through BOCES adult-education. While employed as an auto mechanic she experienced harassment that drove her from the job.
She cobbled together a living through selling auto parts, hauling scrap metal, and buying items at retail stories and selling them for a higher price on eBay. She worked seven days a week and lived in subsidized housing.
Wings are a recurring element in Barbie’s art. She was inspired by a scene in the movie, Castaway, and has always loved to fly.
While working for Cameron Manufacturing and Design, Barbie bought a welder and plasma cutter and began working nights and weekends on her own art.
A three-tier chandelier was Barbie’s first creation! It hung in her home for a year and a half until she sold it at a show along with other items to a store owner for $600.
From idea that she wanted to be a welder, to creating her first artwork, was a five year journey.
After struggling through three and a half years of fear and depression, creating sculptures for Harley Davidson was a significant turning point.
Social media has been critical to sharing her artwork and connecting with customers.
Jesse James Dupree, lead singer for Jackyl, connected Barbie with the Harley Owner’s Group (HOG) and hired her to create sculptures for Harley Davidson’s 150th anniversary.
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Learn more about Barbie the Welder on her website.
You can find Barbie’s work on Etsy and her books on Amazon
Follow Barbie the Welder: YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook