Pipemakers, what is your background in art?

[kbinkster]

For the pipemaker expanding your art into other areas of glass or making artistic pipes, what type of art background do you have?

Would you describe yourself as creative, but with no formal training?

Completely self taught? Mostly self taught, but with some glass classes?

Middle/High School Art class and maybe a few classes in college?

Magnet High School emphasis in fine arts or college study in fine arts? Degree in Fine Arts?

Other?

I do not know how to post a poll, but I think that these questions would be good to discuss.

[yinzer]

Would you describe yourself as creative, but with no formal training?
creative with some training

Completely self taught? Mostly self taught, but with some glass classes?
no glass class (well, i did go to agi a couple of days)

Middle/High School Art class and maybe a few classes in college?
classes all through middle/high school, art honors society (high school), some art classes throughout the 400 times i attempted to stick it out through college (first major animation, then art ed, then general, then psych...hehe never finished an of it)

Magnet High School emphasis in fine arts or college study in fine arts? Degree in Fine Arts?
Did not attend a magnet school, but by request by my art teacher(in high school), was allowed extra art classes instead of other elctives (u know, i got to skip all the home-ec, family and similar crap for art --and creative writing--classes).

Other?
i dont really consider myself a pipe maker, but i answered anyways. im more of a prodo monkey



now you.....

[Cosmo]

I don't consider myself a "pipe maker" either. I have made plenty, but these days I seldom make any.

I always took art classes in school. Drew and painted a lot growing up. Some friends of mine and I even had our own comic book series in high school.

Took commercial art and graphic design in college. Never finished college because I got a job doing layout and paste-ups in a print shop. Then when computers hit, I started doing graphic design. Been doing that ever since.

[Meerkat]

Ever since as long back as I can remember, my dream was always to work creating that which didn't exist, particularly in fantasy and sci-fi. I grew up as a huge fan of Industrial Light and Magic and Jim Henson and his company and wanted to work for either of them as my dream job.

As a kid, I feel I was always creative, but mostly it was tinkering and building things like lasers and jacob's ladders. In my senior year of high school, 1990, we got a television production class, which was really cool, the teacher didn't know much, so I started teaching myself how to do camera tricks using things like green screen and whatever else I could figure out. I really enjoyed doing things like this and saved up to buy my own VHS camcorder (damn those things were huge), and with my Amiga 500 and a video toaster I was making some pretty cool shit....

After graduating high school, I went to a local college and got a degree in computer graphics and computer aided design. This wasn't really what I wanted to do though. I wanted to do more hands on stuff, like model making, special fx, creature creation, etc...

So I moved to Vancouver and got a degree in film making and at the same time went to another school in Vancouver and got a degree in advanced makeup techniques and special fx makeup. I really enjoyed this and was actually very good at it and felt this was my foot in the door to getting into ILM or Henson or just doing creatures and FX for the film industry in general.

Unfortunetly none of that panned out, I worked hard for many many years, trying to make my way in, but everything was a closed shop or family run and the film union is very hard to get into, it keeps people out to keep the jobs safe of those already in it. I did get to work on a number of independant films and some tv shows. My happiest moment, is I actually did get to work on Sesame Street when they shot some of it in Vancouver.

I then went back to being a geek, moved down to california and worked as a system administrator at SGI, which is a company I always wanted to work for, as at the time, the SGI computers were the computers used in the film industry for computer graphics. Being a sys admin never worked out to me actually getting to use them in the special FX industry though.

I then moved back to Vancouver and got heavily into cannabis activism and was the computer geek for www.pot-tv.net and through that I bought my first glass pipe and became a big fan and that began the process that eventually led me to meeting local blowers like Slinger, Hippo and Rat Dog and hanging out with them and then buying my torch and tools and here I am today.... (minus a lot of stuff left out, particularly that of how I ended up in Australia).

[Chris Carlson]

pipe maker. photography major--never finished...

[slinger]

Bachelor of Science in Film Production.
Minor in Philosophy and Religion.

Have taken university studio art classes, art history classes, and a few photography classes.

In high school i started taking alot of safety breaks. My GF in high school used to make collages out of polaroids she took, she would rub the polaroid against the pavement in her driveway while it was developing to get a weird effect. I liked to stage dive at punk and hardcore shoes. I knew then that i would never live a "normal" life.

[mer]

pipe maker. photography major--never finished...
no shit? small world. i have 6 credits (french) left to finish my degree in photography from university of oregon. i have no intention of going back.

[lava flow]

I have a BA in theatre, studied design, lighting and directing as well as acting,

only ever took one art class in college and one in high school,

been painting graff since 97,

informally apprenticed in lampworking 6 years ago on a National by Dan Garduño, plateaued until I met Water a year ago, who got his skills from the eugene glass school. not only the sickest glass blower i've yet met, pretty good with a can as well...

any other graff head glassblowers out there?

[Dom]

I am a very artistic person, no matter what form.

No training. Mostly self taught, Petey taught me most of the tricks.

I never paid attention in school so no art education for me.

[Mac Maestro]

Bachelor's degree in Rebellion.
Going for my Master's in Manifestation.

Haven't wrapped my head around ART yet, but I'm getting glimpses of where it comes from and what it takes to make it...

[matte eskuche]

university would have wasted a lot of my parents cash-ola since i did partake back in the day.

designed my own metalsmithing program, in exchange for actually going, in high school. associate degree in metalsmithing from Worcester Center for Crafts, Mass. eight years pretending that making peoples wedding rings was really creative. except that time i put the little diamond on the inside of my friends ring and then told him several weeks after the wedding, he'd never noticed.

got three days worth of over the shoulder fume and rake from a kid named scooter in Nederland, CO since he owed me $50 bucks. made spoons off and on for ten months, then took Emilio Santini's class for two months at Penland. yeah, every day for two months. Bandhu and parramore came through, shane Fero lives there.

took Cesare Toffolo in 2002 for two weeks, Andre Gutgesel (he learned from Kurt Walstabb (sp?) De La Torre bros, Loren Stump, Judith Scheachter, Boyd sugiki, assisted for Paul Stankard and Emilio, taught at Penland, Corning 2x, Eugene, Revere 2x, Pittsburgh 3x.

demoed at GAS 2x, Kobe festa Japan 2007, AGI 3 straight (this one coming up, yo), Salem 2005.

and fred burkhill stole my tweezers.

currently starting to read books.

[Robert Mickelsen]

Graduated from high school in 1970. One year of college at my parent's expense spent chasing girls, surfing, and partying. No degrees. 34 years (and counting) learning about life, art, and business the hard way... by trial and error... lots of error. I currently have a master's degree level of knowledge in business and art attained the hard way. Took a long time. I don't recommend it.

One way or the other you have to get the education you need to survive. You can get it the easy way (school) or the hard way (life), but you have to get it no matter what.

Read books. Build a library. Learn from your mistakes.

All of life is for learning.

- RAM

[misticglass]

I went to a small urban "magnet" high school, where I excelled at art and decided to go to art school for college.

Attending a 4 year art school definatelly trained my eye and my sense of design. I did a lot of figure drawing, ceramics, and jewelry/metals. On the weekends, I was blowing glass with some good friends back home and ended up getting many "independant study" credits in glass through the metals department. I was lucky enough to have some people show me the ropes of the glass game, and was selling a lot of glass at concerts ect.

I also went abroad on Semester At Sea, and got to travel around the world on a ship, which was pretty amazing and continues to be a big influence on my art subconciously.

After student teaching high school ceramics for 3 months, I graduated with a degree in Art Education.

Since then I have gotten my full k-12 art teacher certification (which I have not found much use for yet), taken a Cesare class at corning, a Mickelsen class in Eugene, blown glass in Maui, taken some classes towards a masters in art education, and had many adventures along the way. Glass is a lifesaver for me and a lot of creative but otherwise lost souls.

Art is the perfect means to guide children through the twists and turns of life and that is really why I want to teach.

My dad, who has been doing ceramics since the 60s, is my biggest influence. It really helps to have supportive parents when you plan on devoting your life to the arts...

-m

[harpentuan]

grade school: one art class for every semester
college: drawing, painting, 2-D, 3-D,film study, ceramics I and II.

[Micah Evans]

dropped out of art school 1 week before graduation with a 3.6 GPA just so I would have a cool art school story.

started blowing glass in 1999 in Seattle, paid a bunch of money for about three 2 hour classes in basic pipemaking.

2001 moved to Florida with good friends and started LVGA (still going and kicking asss) took every mickelsen class I could, probably about 5 or 6. studied with Thomas Mueller Litz (sp?)

2005ish moved to Miami as a resident artist and guest instructor at the university of Miami for two years. i was studio Assistant for 2 years to William Carlson, endowed chair of the art department at UM and one of the pioneers of the studio glass movement, founding member of Pillchuck. not to mention a bad ass glass casting mofo.

2006 started collaborative work with Bonnie Seeman ceramics professor at UM, working in miniature..which was, and is an education in problem solving and patience.

2007 moved to Austin Texas and help organise a nonprofit art complex with 40 plus artists and a glass blowing studio....

thats about it.

[CripSkillz]

I remember school took lots of computer stuff got a AS network admin, cisco all that crap i never used it, photoshop classes where i helped the teacher out more than she helped me it was lame, and art ahhh i was so pissed when that bizzo gave me a B and my buddy got an A and his shit was wack,, i actually spent time on my stuff, oh well never took another art class again, never really liked to paint unless it was sprayed on metal flake or ghost flamed ride,

other than that im life learned , I was building custom hot rods for 7 yrs b4 i broke my back, that was pertty creative , complete custom fabrication, from welding to lathe work to make special parts, lots of one off stuff, now 1 wheelchair scuff on a fender and paints screwed so thats not goood, and i cant get around like i used to climbin in the cars n stuff, so i do arty stuff on the web and trying to get good at this glass stuff it my fav... now.

[BlueDevil]

I worked in the tattoo industry for 3 1/2 years but hated the ammt of production work so I quit (hahahaha if I only knew) Self taught pipe making for the most part. After the first 3-4 years I had folks coming by the shop on occasion and i was able to work with some great folks. I also did alot of krylon wall art as a youth. Did art in school but that was high school and i don't remember much of that.

Lee

[The Glass Fish]

No art in high school, but I did music. I play trumpet. AA in Fine Art, paid for with a music scholarship. Went to university for my BA in graphic art design. Didn't finish, but what a year that was. Studio art courses made me feel alive. Left school and bounced around AZ for a year and finally started working for my wife's family's glass business. Started lamping in late 96.

Slow learning for me cause I wasn't given much torch time and was kinda left to feel it out for my self. That made me very intuitive about the glass. Lots of trial and error and a willingness to learn from mistakes. (did a lot of both). I have always been artistic. I drew a lot in high school. As far a art school, comercial art was taught way differently and I was attracted to the limitations of production work for customers. In reterospect, though, I feel that business courses would have paid off more in the long run.

After doing only clear boro for what seemed like forever, I moved to color, watching as color companies started to increase thier pallets. I am hooked. a lifer for sure.

Never taken a class. Would like to but no money. And what class? I have enough experience to teach some subjects well, and others that I am a total noob. My education is woefully incomplete, yet satisfyingly colorful.

[glass_noob]

Im 19 myself and a couple of friends started blowing glass a couple of years ago. I had absolutely no experience. I still have not taken any classes apart from looking at videos on youtube... Been practicing implosions and vortexes lately.. started out making pipes and bubblers... umm no art ever just love glass blowing its a total passion... started on a carlisle mini cc now on a nortel midrange plus

[Blacksheep]

(just started with glass) i have made pipes many times before carved from wood and antler , pipes with a bamboo shaft leather covered and lots of danglys with bone MP and Bowl or soapstone i have done lots of wood carving and soapstone and before that i spent about 5 years airbrushing
bikes, cars ,ceramics, art board etc i took a few night classes in ceramics airbrushing and oil painting and have always sketched stuff since i was a kid
currently i have taken an intro glass class form rattydog and have hung out and gotten lots of tips/critique from redbeard .ive also just been offered an aprenticship kinda with redbead helping him to keep up with his prodo and me getting lots of practice ,and makin a few bucks to boot! it will have to work kinda differently as im about to move here within a couple months but hopefully im able to nail down the product/s he needs well enough that ill be able to mail them in to him then just make time to hook up every month or so for more lessons or different items to work with.
im just starting with that i have the directions so im making up a few then will go over for a lesson and keep on goin
i hope i can do ok with it should be awesome for learning control and being able to be consistant ,but i know it will drive me nuts to only make tiny little pnuts for too long lol
**havnt made one quite right though either so obviously i need to learn to make them small items too. Back at it !!

[CCody]

Very interesting people!

I went to magnet schools and was a "gifted" student. I finished high school 1 year early.I was making complicated beadworks by age 16 and started a little business that payed for my travels with the Dead.
I took a stained glass class in 1992 and loved it!

My first hot glass experience was 1999 in Humbolt,CA. My boyfriends roommates both blew glass and I got to watch :)
bythe next year,I was part owner of GreenHouse. I was lucky to learn from 40+ glass artists (it was kinda overwhelming!)
I made glass part-time
I gave up the stores in 2004 in favor of glass working full time
I have taken 3 classes; Dichroic Alchemy taught a class in my shop in 2001, Chris Rice and Jackie Koba in N.Y. 2004, and John Kobuki in Seattle, WA in 2005
I support my family of 4 on my glass.
my man/partner of 9 years is my distributor
christina cody

[lucky]

I am a business major with a focus on accounting with a minor in anthropology(study of mankind). I never viewed myself as an artistic person with the predispositions of colorblindness, but that has all changed. My attention to detail and love for geometric patterns along with some high school graffiti training, I am self taught for the most part. bought my own torch and eight months later hereI am. One day I showed some interest in one of my friends pieces after a well deserved break between classes, and he said he knew somebody who could get me started. I never really intended to lampwork, it was really coincidental

[Breed]

Man i wish i had art classes in high school. Our school canceled all art, music, and psychology classes for the sports teams to stay in new uniforms.

I'm still resentful.

[tilman]

i took every art, photography and drafting classes i could in high school. got accepted to go to college for architectural engineering, then i got an offer to become a machinist so i scrapped college and started on my apprenticeship. worked as a custom (one off) machinist for about 10 years. learned from an old german and an old hungarian. learned lots of lost stuff that you dont learn in school at all. never any cnc. got sick of that and started to teach myself glass. been doing it self taught for the last 5 years. i am also a dj. not the wedding kind but the big electronic music party kind. been doing that also for about the last 5 years.

[gypsea]

art was the only class in hs that i never cut...even went to great lengths to sneak back onto the school grounds to get to art class. took art every summer school for fun. took college pottery classes while in hs.

needed a job after hs. saw an ad in the classifieds: "glassblower wanted, will train" went there, told them i wanted the job, they said well it gets real hot, i said, "i don't care." they said, "can you start tomorrow?" i said," sure what do i wear?" they said," anything you want, but just don't wear those pantyhose. " sort of apprenticed/on the job training 2 years full time.

then ended up taking a glass break for 20 years.... became a registered nurse, worked hard/supported my family, critical care ccu/icu for 20 years, blew my back out and got really burnt out on the medical scene.

back to glass part time 2001. started reading everything i could find, the forum, have attended the past 6 agi's. spent a week with rex trimm learning about graal. took a 3 day john kobuki class.

kept working part time in hospital til 2 years ago, quit cause i needed time off to go to agi & some festivals.

gotta have your priorities ya kno.......

[Chris Carlson]

so... matte eskuche and RAM are pipemakers..!!! yes.