Barbie The Welder is an American sculptor, author, educator, and philanthropist known for creating one-of-a-kind sculptures from raw and reclaimed metal. Working independently from her studio in Ormond Beach, Florida, she designs, welds, shapes, and finishes each sculpture by hand.

Her journey in metal fabrication began in 2007, when she enrolled in welding school after being inspired by a scene in the film Cast Away depicting a woman welding angel wings. She went on to work in custom fabrication, earning her Journeyman certification in iron plate and sheet metal and developing the skills and discipline that would become the foundation of her career as an artist.

While working in the trade, Barbie began teaching herself how to create art. Her approach to creating developed through the same principles that shaped her as a tradesperson: patience, precision, repetition, problem solving, and respect for the material. On September 1, 2014, she left her career in fabrication and became a full-time artist.

In 2015, she began teaching welding and metal art through YouTube, sharing the techniques and lessons she had learned through her own practice. Her educational work expanded into writing, with six books focused on craftsmanship, creativity, self-development, and the practice of making art.
Over the course of her career, Barbie has created work for organizations and companies including Harley-Davidson, Beam Suntory, Miller Welders, the American Welding Society, Burger King, and DreamWorks. Her sculptures and books have reached collectors and audiences in 15 countries.

No two sculptures are alike. Each begins with an idea and develops through a hands-on process of cutting, welding, shaping, grinding, finishing, and refinement. Rather than producing editions, she creates individual works whose form, material, and detail are developed specifically for each piece.

Her sculptures explore themes of human experience, resilience, identity, freedom, and the stories carried by the people and places for which they are created. She approaches each work as both a sculptor and a craftsman, allowing the physical properties of metal and the emotional character of the subject to inform one another.

Her work as an educator extends that same philosophy beyond the studio. Through her books, videos, and teaching, she shares the practical skills and mindset behind making, with an emphasis on learning through practice and developing the person alongside the craft.

As a philanthropist, Barbie gifts her craftsmanship in service of causes that are meaningful to her. Her philanthropic work brings the same one-of-one approach to sculpture while directing her time, materials, and skill toward creating works intended to honor, support, and bring meaning to the communities they serve.

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Today, Barbie continues to work independently, exploring what can be made when traditional craftsmanship and fine art are treated as one practice.