The reception & winter's practice

yay <3 <3 <3

The reception

Thursday night had a great turn out for the opening reception of Till Wave Gallery’s Winter Showcase 2026 exhibit.

It meant so much all the friends and family who came out to support me and see the art.

I often finish my work, photograph it and don’t look back. The pieces end up on loan at a gallery, or scattered around my studio and home. It was a privilege to step back and see seven of my sculptures displayed as a body of work. It makes me excited for what the next seven could be.

I made a cheesy little collage to highlight some photos from the event.

The art is up for another 2 months (until April 19) if you want to check it out. Gallery hours are Wednesdays & Saturdays 10am-6pm. 264 Arlington St. Watertown, MA.

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Winter’s practice

I have taken nearly a month off from time in my studio (driven by freezing temperatures and a desire to follow winter’s sludgy rhythm).

This might actually be the longest stretch away from sculpting since I built the space in 2021.

(Back when I had a Patreon, which some of you lovely humans will remember, the studio build was a couple years worth of posts. I consolidated it into about two when I made the switch to Substack).

The garage refinish project

Anyhow…

I think in the past, I’ve had some fear about stepping away from my practice. It took six years before I found a way to return to my medium of choice, and once the studio was built, I wanted to prove the cost and effort were worthwhile. It took a while to re-establish my relationship with this artform and figure out how to be consistent with my practice.

This time away has been easier than anticipated. Life has quietly filled in the space I’ve so intentionally carved out for metalworking. (I think part of me knew it would, and that’s where my fear originated.)

But today I got back in the shop. And, man, I tell you, the entire rest of my day was brighter for it.

One thing I’m constantly contending with is social media, technology in general, distraction, other people’s thoughts and opinions, and how to ensure my creative voice stays true to me without too much external influence.

Time in my studio is the polar opposite of spending time online; and any strife I feel when flooded with overstimulating images, news, and opinions is wiped clean in my sacred art space.

Carving out time to make art delineates space that is mine alone. I’m able to hone in, think thoughts with no interruption, be in my body, in my creativity, in the moment. It’s pure and I get to bathe in my own energy, unadulterated by our fast-paced, overflowing modernity.

When I catch myself singing in the studio, I realize it’s my body’s way of recognizing the joy artmaking brings me, and thanking me for prioritizing it (well, that is if I can hear it over ear protection and power tools).

<3 stay curious

jj