So thanks to my the man in my life, DH, I got to make another dream come true this past week. I have fulfilled many ambitions thus far, such as becoming a mother and a teacher. However, I have trying to complete as many items on my life wish list as possible (a 'bucket list' if you will). I'm not just talking about traveling to exotic locales, but actually doing all kinds of stuff. Back in college, I went white water rafting, rock climbing, and even conquered my fear of karaoke (now I love it). Last summer, my best friend helped me cross off one at the top by swimming with dolphins. Now I'm slowing working my way through this list and am so grateful to DH for this granting this wish.
I have always been fascinated by the art of blowing glass. I love to watch the whole process from start to finish. That's one of my favorite parts of the movie Sweet Home Alabama, the fact that the romantic leads are drawn together by glass art (by lighting too I suppose)...but I digress. Anyway, we discovered this little place at the coast called The Glass Foundry that does demos and even lets everday joes blow their own glass with the guidance of an instructor.
The hardest part for me was trying to decide what to make and which colors to use. Since I like clean lines and simple colors, I opted for the glass float with aquatic swirls to represent our love of the Oregon Coast. For the fashionistas out there, you also get to wear nifty shop glasses. I lucked out with clear-colored ones, so I didn't look too goofy.
The whole experience was awesome, but really hard work. I have nothing but respect for the artists who create this stuff everyday. They certainly make it look effortless. The trick is to learn how to tolerate the heat of the furnace and develop the stamina and strength to keep your glass turning. If you stop turning your piece for even a moment when it's hot, it will drip down like thick honey and come out looking wierd. Think of a pottery wheel, if you don't keep a smooth action going while it's spinning, it will look sloppy and uneven. The coolest part of the whole process was watching the colored glass meld together into a swirl. At times, I did all the work as my instructor coached me and sometimes I just listened and learned as he made sure the piece all the little details were attended to. My instructor was very easygoing and fun to work with too.
When all was said and done, my float came out really nice. I was impressed that I didn't screw it up and the colors complimented each other. It kind of reminded me of a crystal ball. Here are some pictures that DH took and even a video to see the actual blowing of the glass. If you enjoy art at all, I highly recommend giving this a try! You'll have a lot of fun.
Trying to figure out what to make
Preparing the colored glass pieces
Getting a chunk of molten glass
Churning the glass like butter - hot stuff!
Shearing the glass
Rounding out the glass
Back and forth to the furnace
Voila!
Sideview of my glass float
Topview of my glass floatJust like blowing up a balloon
1 comment:
Oh, SO fun! I think there is a place like that in Vermont. I'll have to look into it. Your piece came out beautifully.
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