Finally getting my feet wet!

[HoneyCombOver]

Hey there everybody!

My name's TJ and I've been lurking these and other glass forums for a while but just recently started becoming active. I've had an interest in glass art for a long time now but never got a chance to experience it firsthand until today.

Thanks to TheGanjaKru (member here) I was able to dive right into this wonderful art form today. He was more than accommodating and busted out a beautiful hammer bub explaining the process along the way. He even let me MELT SOME GLASS OF MY OWN!

Needless to say I'm still dazed from the awesomeness i witnessed. He's a great teacher and he throws down some serious sickness that i was lucky enough to get to see. I hope to try and get on the torch as much as possible in the future and see what this medium is really all about.

Other than that I'm a huge golden age hip hop head and I love ultimate frisbee, disc golf, and skimboarding. I look forward to seeing the constantly growing body of work that you talented folks on this site create.

Peace,
TJ

[Mellowman164]

Awesome man you should buy Contemperary Lampworking Volumes 1&2 by Bandhu Scott Dunham. I am about 6 months in to the trade and this book alone will help you more than anything.

Get on that torch as much as you can and start saving up some money to get yourself a minor or something.

Practice Practice Practice

[Bo Diddles]

Welcome! I also like the Native Tongues, ultimate and disc golf.
Read everything you can on this forum, the amount of information in these pages is staggering.

[HoneyCombOver]

Got to get on the torch again today and got a chance to melt a little more this time. Big respect to GanjaKru for putting up with my newbness and being an awesome teacher. I'm learning so much about how glass melts and reacts to various stimuli and fascinating doesn't even do the process justice. He showed me how to make a basic mushroom pendant and this is the final product. I must admit though the loop on top was all him :D I know it's shit but it has sentimental value to me being my first and all.

[leatherneck8541]

yes those books are awesome, i deff wanna take classes or practice with other artists, but the books are sweet. A lot of stuff makes "sense" when you read it, just try everything as explained and you get those "ah ha!" moments where you feel your hands finally did something right hah. Welcome and best of luck

[HoneyCombOver]

I definitely plan on buying those books but a torch is first and foremost. Tax return should be here within a week or so! Alex was nice enough to offer to let me setup with him if i can grab a torch so I'm saving the pennies now. I've been watching his badass-ery and taking notes and gathering as much as I possibly can. Here's my first shot at an implosion.

[AdamCotter]

get a rod and start spinning it, an 8 mm and a piece ofr 1/2" or 9.5 tubing is good too. build up those hand mus-kles. Marble looks good. Later when you are trying to flare a foot or something you will be glad you did.

[HoneyCombOver]

^^ sounds like a fantastic idea.

ORDERED MY FIRST TORCH LAST NIGHT! Phyllis at Trev's was nice enough to hook me up with a Lynx. Hopefully it will be here next week and I can really get started. Also getting Contemporary Lampworking due to the huge amount of praise it receives on here.

I'm all tingly inside:bouncy:

[smolder holder]

Sounds like you are off to a great start. The lynx will treat you nice and those books are loaded with great info. Worth reading and re-reading.

[Alvin Olmos]

Great marb for your first try. Welcome to the forums even tho you probably been around for awhile :)