This is the next installment of a monthly Welding Resources series. In this series, we’ll be covering key topics relevant to welding and welders. Rather than providing one narrative article detailing a specific tip, procedure, or issue, these Welding Resources posts are meant to serve as a consolidated list of the top online resources for the given topic.
Introduction
As the popularity of social media and online consumption of ideas grows, so does the creative expression of artists and craftsmen. The Internet makes it possible for any “maker” to share his or her goods and ideas with the world at large, offering a wealth of creative inspiration for professionals, hobbyists, and would-be creatives alike. Creative metalworking has been in existence for as long as metalworking has been, but now anyone can access metalworkers’ shops from around the globe with a few clicks and the right keystrokes.
Generally speaking, the best way to unearth creative welding inspiration online is to perform search engine and image searches (see below for a list of keywords). Doing so will provide thousands of “hits” for project ideas, pieces of art, and even tutorials and how-tos. And if you’ve never branched into this type of welding, you may be interested in learning the basics from a book (see below for a link to a list of recommended art welding books).
What follows is a collection of links and online resources for the creative metalworker, as well as the creatively curious.
Blogs
These are some blogs maintained by creative welders and metalworkers. Some are now defunct, but the archives offer a lot of good content.
Metal Musings
Metal Garden Art Blog
Recycled Metal Sculptures
Steve Shelby’s Metal Art
Metal Sculpture Blog
Stephanie Dwyer
Metal Wall Art Blog
Judith Hoffman
Inside Metal Art
Online Forums for Art Welding
Art Metal Forums
Gardenweb Metal Forums
Keyword Searches for Metal Arts
Here’s a list of search terms you can use to find pictures and ideas for creative metalworking:
- art welding
- creative welding
- creative metalwork
- art metalworking
- ornamental welding
- decorative welding
- metal sculpture
- metal art
- artistic metalwork