About
Joel R Washing is an award-winning sculptor and welder based in Toledo, Ohio. After a career in filmmaking, Joel discovered a new creative path in 2010 through the transformative process of welding. What began as curiosity quickly ignited into passion, leading him to study sculptural welding at the Toledo Museum of Art and earn an associate degree in welding from Owens Community College.
Joel's work blends industrial precision with artistic vision, often exploring geometry, pattern, and the poetic possibilities of steel. He is a proud member of both the Toledo Area Sculptors Guild and the American Welding Society.
In addition to his own practice, Joel leads an annual sculpture program through QSI Fabrication, Inc., mentoring students from the Toledo School for the Arts. The program guides young artists through the full creative arc—from concept to large-scale steel sculpture—while instilling skills in welding, industrial design, time management, and aesthetic judgment.
Connect
email: hello@joelwashing.com
Joel can be found on all social media under the name @sculpturebyjrw
“I have a need to create physical, tangible objects. I’m attracted to working with steel because of its physical qualities and characteristics. Steel is all at once tactile, solid, smooth, rigid, flexible, permanent, and malleable. I’m drawn to geometrical shapes and patterns. Linear planes and crisp angles impose a certain order in a world filled with chaos.”
Joel R Washing creating Csmicum Ovum.
