Explorations in metal in 2026 and meditation

A new year is here, and a new way of operating feels necessary in 2026.  Material prices (silver) have significantly affected how I have to operate in the future as someone who creates jewelry as my main source of income. I will reacquaint myself with bronze casting for the foreseeable future and make most of my designs out of bronze rather than silver.  I will also return to soldering copper, which was my entry point into working with metal at the very beginning of my metalwork explorations in 2008. 

Steel will be a central metal to my practice in 2026. I am working on a series of sculptures to be included in a show later this year. The series is still in its infancy, but I am enjoying the cadence of welding voluminous structures and seeing them come to life. ​

Staying out of a depressive slump has proven to be a real challenge over the last several months. Structural explorations in welding that are loosely based on my sketches seem to act as somewhat of a reprieve. A singular point of focus, like when I am welding a junction between two pieces of metal, isn't exactly like meditation, but it definitely doesn't allow for a lot of mind wandering or negative rumination. I'll count it as meditation adjacent. ​