Glassblowing

I have been blowing glass for about seven years off and on. This is one way to see my use of color and astethic sense.

What challenges me with glass is that it has many components. There is the drawing out of the design; deciding how to execute; figuring out the color combinations and potential issues (colors do not all play well together); and finally the skill/technique to finish. If one part fails, the whole piece will.

Color is interesting because the chemistry make up is different for each one. For example, reds and black are softer while white is more stiff. This means that when they are heated, they respond differently. If you are making a red and white piece, it is possible to get the red so hot it burns the color into a brownish red while trying to get the white soft enough to shape.

Most glassblowers work with a team or a partner. So, all these design challeges need to be comminicated clearly. You have to work as a team. One person might have the idea but the whole team contributes to the final piece. My team would rotate the Gaffer role, the piece's lead. This means you have to be able to go from leading to following and back again without having control issues.

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