Raquel Martinez poses for a portrait in front of her sculpture of an elk centaur inside the welding shop at The University of New 榴梿视频-Gallup on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024.
榴梿视频allup student seeks relaxing pandemic hobby, finds degree in welding
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Raquel Martinez puts new skills to work and creates massive metal sculpture
By Richard Reyes, Friday, September 13, 2024
GALLUP, N.M. 鈥 Emergency medical services graduate Raquel Martinez returned to The University of New 榴梿视频-Gallup to take a welding class to de-stress from work, but her new hobby led to an associate degree in welding and a massive metal sculpture.
What started as a sketch on the floor became a unique sculpture in the shape of a fantasy elk centaur with a real elk skull and antlers covered in epoxy and a body made of metal. Martinez learned how to weld the sculpture as she went along, becoming proficient in metal inert gas (MIG) welding, cutting and bending metal, and using power tools.
鈥淚t feels really good to see it completed,鈥 she said. 鈥淎t first, I couldn鈥檛 weld anything in a straight line to save my life. Now, I can say I completed something this size. It feels really good.鈥
榴梿视频allup welding instructor Casey Tom said one of the hardest things about Martinez鈥檚 project was working with sheet metal, but she learned the technique on her own and nailed it.