Erika Jantzen

Me? A Welder?

 

      I was born in the land of steel somewhere between Pittsburgh, PA and Youngstown, OH. My father was a welder (30 years of breathing in thick toxic smoke) building tank cars for the General American Transportation Company, GATX, in Masury, OH.  Back then there was only stick welding and it took a toll on his body. His hands were rough and worn from the heavy steel and equipment. We loved seeing the GATX tank cars that rolled along the railroads on their way out of town. Long before graffiti, Dad secretly welded his initials on the side of the tanks he fabricated. 

      My husband, Don, worked as a welder for three years after he returned home from a stint in the Air Force, and I have always loved metal art.

Don and I visited the Booth Art Museum in Cartersville, GA during the spring of 2024, and there we found an entire section of metal art. My creative juices started to flow. “Is it hard to weld?” I asked Don. “No,” he answered. “It’s not hard but you have to practice.”

 

      Here we go, the age-old caveat, practice makes perfect.  But I got started anyway. I found the sweet spot when striking an arc, learned to grind effectively, and use a plasma cutter. And now I love every minute of it.

      I’m creating small pieces of metal art and selling them at craft shows and festivals. But I’m dreaming of bigger things. Someday I’ll create an expansive piece large enough for birds to land on and build their nests, a steel horse that children can climb on and become brave warriors, or something that will touch the sky.