We were lucky to catch up with Pamela Webb recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Pamela, thanks for joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

In high school, I drew a large scale, realistic graphite portrait of my grandparents from an Olin Mills Studio photograph. It was an assignment to enlarge a photo reference with a grid, by hand. People in my class freaked out and suddenly everyone wanted a giant graphite version of their prom photos! This cracked me up, but I sold a few pieces and bought my first car with it. My first jewelry sale as an adult was an original ring I had made while student teaching and was wearing. It fit this person and they bought it on the spot.

Pamela, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was lucky enough to have jewelry/metal smithing and auto shop in my public high school. This began my relationship with metals and mechanical concepts. I also got to design and build my own creations in the context of art. Then after years in the service industry, making my art whenever I could, I ran away to the San Fransisco Bay Area to learn more about welding and larger metal smithing. I joined the atelier of Charles Splady in Oakland. At this point, I had done a little stick welding for a sculpture I had built in 1996 and was hungry for more skills. Doing architectural metalwork and sculpture for Chuck, I learned blacksmithing, machining, custom metals fabrication and finishes for steel, bronze and stainless. I also met my future husband and business partner here. I even tried a little teaching at Studio One as part of Oakland parks and recreation. They had a great little metals studio and I taught a class of my own creation making boxes and books from copper, brass and mixed materials. I discovered that I really enjoyed empowering people of all ages with skills and the confidence to make something they didn’t think they could ever accomplish.

Upon my return to Denver, I finished my degree and became certified to teach Kindergarten through grade 12 Visual Art and have now been teaching public high school for 18 years at the high school level. I have taught Jewelry, Sculpture, Ceramics, Graphic Design and Darkroom Photography, always being pushed to learn things about all of these disciplines, along with sharpening my skills as a metalsmith. In this way, I kept myself just outside my comfort zone, which is how I learn best. This job allows me to be more free in my art making. I can be more discerning in the projects and clients that I work with as well as to make some of the more experimental pieces than I would not be able to if I depended on art sales to survive. Having a day job helps to keep my work fresh and unique.

I essentially have two businesses. Phryne Metal is jewelry and wearable metal sculpture in Sterling, gold, copper, bronze and stone. I make limited runs of some designs and many one of a kind and custom pieces, all hand fabricated. I sell these works currently at Balefire Goods in Olde Town Arvada. I always sell at the Arvada Center’s Fine Art Market in November with new one of a kind work.
WSFllc or Webb-Shafer Fabrication offers custom architectural metalwork for interior or exterior use. We have work in many homes and businesses around Denver. I love designing custom projects, whether large or small with clients and having that creative exchange to make something I would not have come up with on my own as well as making someone’s home or business look more unique and reflective of their personality. The design challenge of making functional metal work fit a space and serve a purpose while looking great drives our creative practice.

Some recent notable pieces we have created include Meow Wolf Denver and Denver Botanic Gardens. I built 6 sculptures for Meow Wolf’s permanent exhibit with a 3 person team outside of my business partner. We had an idea man and project manager Andrew Novick, Graphic Designer Rob Ayala and I was the builder of the pieces. These were made of mostly steel, but also had lamp work glass, plastic, wood and LEDs. Our permanent part of the exhibit is titled Old Denver and is an homage to 6 now defunct business that were part of our collective childhoods growing up here. They are scattered around 2 floors of Meow Wolf and create an Easter egg hunt of sorts for Generation X Coloradans.
WSF designed, built and installed some large Victorian inspired arches at the York Street Denver Botanical Gardens. It was so much fun to design these pieces with their lead horticulturalist Julia Pearson, starting with her vision of a Victorian era orangery and bring in visual elements from the architectural features already at the York street gardens. What an honor to contribute permanent pieces to a space I’ve spent many happy hours in.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Falling in love with creating art as a young person has kept me healthy, happy and young. Getting into the studio daily relieves anxiety, allows me to process my feelings and express myself. I want to help others find their creative outlet too. For young people especially, adding a creative practice to their day can keep them away from less healthy habits. It doesn’t hurt that art supplies are expensive, I certainly couldn’t afford to drink or do drugs! It’s nice to have a focus thats adds to my lifespan and brain health. I just want to have that time in the studio as well and be able to support myself and my family by using skills I enjoy and can keep learning about, as there is no end to the things I don’t know about metal work. I’d really love to be able to work into my old age, so safety, exercise and a healthy lifestyle are always a goal. The plan is to train an atelier of young people of my own, like our mentor Charles Splady who is still building cool things and inspiring the next generation in Oakland.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I honestly think that business classes should be part of a Fine Arts degree. As an artist, you’re working for yourself from your first sale. It doesn’t pay off in the long run to not understand some basic economics and tricks that businesses use, like getting small business grants. Just learning how to price your work can seem daunting, as it’s so personal. Colorado SBCD or Small Business Development Center Network helped me catch up on this learning and provided further resources and networking opportunities. I’m also a member of the Colorado Metalsmith’s Association or COMA and they have some really great workshops and opportunities for all levels. Their annual summer conference is one of my favorite gatherings of smiths from all over the world, making large and small work. ABANA or the North American Blacksmithing Association is a great place to find some great mentors also.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pamelawebbart.com
• Instagram: @phrynemetal
• Facebook: Pamela Webb

Image Credits
All photos by Hali Webb-Shafer except for Denver Drumstick, taken by myself