WAA!! (Welding Art Adventure)
Everybody loves to create. Only a blessed few know how to create with steel. I love to connect people’s creative drive with some easy-to-learn welding skills. First, we go to my metal scrap pile, a collection of car parts, tanks, stainless utensils, pipes, sheet metal, washers, bearings, saw blades, chains and more. Then you mix, match, compare and visualize something uniquely, creatively you. Next we cut, bend and shape, followed by removing rust, paint and dirt for a clean, strong weld. Finally, it’s time to weld it all together. I give pointers on welding technique and safety. We don welding masks and gloves and it’s your turn. The whole process is satisfyingly explosive.
Since I began offering Maker Sessions in Steel to our vacationing guests, I’ve been astounded at the scope of people who want to learn to weld. It’s not just men. Surprisingly, women and children make up the majority. Perhaps it’s the appeal of artistic creation that’s the bridge. Maybe it’s the confidence that comes from learning something that seemed outside of what children and women normally do. I don’t know.
Here at the falls, in a relaxed state with nature, unexpected things happen. They say nature connects us with God. God creates. For us mortals, there’s nothing quite like taking some random pieces of steel and fusing them together to create something new and interesting. And so, people leave, a bit renewed, with their own creation. Is it an overstatement to say, it’s a connection with the divine? Take a look at this young boy’s face, observing his creation. to him, it’s his “battle axe”, but it may as well have been a whole new world. . .
On the seventh day, God rested and called it good.
The choice of what to build, what to make it from and the design is up to the learner.
Sometimes, especially with a more complex project, the whole family gets involved. We try to have everyone experience all the important steps - visioning, selecting parts from the scrap pile, cutting, cleaning and preparing, shaping and finally welding a piece of art. There’s plenty of work and fun for everybody.
This family decided to make a pig from a freon tank, some pipe, parts of mower blades (ears) and saw blades (eyelashes), nuts (nostrils), washers, etc.
Behold the creators, not to mention their creation - the pink pig. In this case, everyone pictured is male. But the driving force behind it all was Mom (also behind the camera).
Two families (mostly girls) all participated in making a small project from stainless utensils
Then, there were two young (20-something) women who undertook separate, parallel projects. One is an acknowledged artist. The other said she had never made anything artistic or otherwise, but privately gloated to me that her project, for the first time ever, was better than her artist friend’s. One project is abstract (including parts from a propane tank and a horse shoe). The other, Ms. PAC-Man (also from a propane tank, circular saw blade (eyelashes), bed frame feet (eyes) and misc. scraps).
Artists
Guess which one is the artist.
Here are a few more things our guests have made.
Each project was an expression of joy. Each guest left with a sense of accomplishment, pride in their creation, self-confidence, a memory and a memento to take home
Contact Information:
Phone: (931) 450-2426 | (931) 450-2426(931)
Email: Grant@TNwaterfallGetaway.com
Location: Browns Hollow Rd, Tracy City, TN 37387, United States of America