Leftovers progression thread

[leftovers]

Sometime in the Spring of 2013 I realized I needed to learn how to blow glass. Not sure how else to say it really.
June 9th
I followed an impulse and I called up Maya. To highlight the important part of the conversation- Me: "I don't really know how to say this man, but there is nothing more that I want right now than to be your next apprentice." Maya: "Hell yea man!" Well that was easy.
June 10th
In between shifts at the restaurant, I went on the greyhound bus website and bought a ticket from Savannah to Denver. I called up my friend for a ride to the station. Less than two hours later we were taking the 45 minute drive to Savannah.
June 12th
I arrived in Denver, jumped on the lightrail, and got off at the station Maya had told me to. I walked down the street, backpack on my back, and got lost for a minute. I called up Maya. I just walked past his place. I turned around and a moment later I saw a long haired bearded hippy walking out of the house smiling. "What's up?! I'm Jeremiah!" We shook hands then went inside.
And that's how I got to Hand of Man. I was there from June 12th to November 16th. Here's what I learned, not in any specific chronological order.
29d35706414311e39a1a22000ae80024_7.jpg It's been three weeks too long since I've been behind a torch. Maybe that's what brought me to post this?

[silicabello]

You are doing incredibly well for your first year, keep it up! I moved from georgia to denver also, but years ago.

[itssteve]

Nice looking stuff man, I enjoyed the story you included

I really like your implosions and honeycombs

[funksizzle]

You wear fingernail polish? Okay fingernail polish aside, fuggin fantastic bud. Push it, Push it, Push it!

[Joseph Crawford]

Wow that is some nice work for your first year. Looks like you have a very good apprentice. Congrats... Hopefully I can get that good within my first few years

[leftovers]

I appreciate the love. I have to say, if I tried to learn part time or on my own, none of this would be the way it is. I had a dream situation- wake up, watch, work, watch, work, work, work- surrounded by glassblowers always dropping their knowledge like 'try this...', 'i heard if you...', 'wanna see how I was shown that?".

funksizzle- That's spray paint on the nails from holding down stencils haha

I'm setting up my Bullet next to a soft glass lampworker here in SC on Monday. We'll see how my hands do!

I have a year and a half left for a physics degree up in Richmond, VA. That's where I hope to get behind the torch a couple times a month. If anyone knows the studio scene up there, I'd be more than thankful for some insight!

[timberjake]

Nice piece of work, truely inspiring

[leftovers]

Its been over 6 months since I've been on the torch. I've spent the past couple weeks setting up a shop in the garage for the summer, here's my set up.

first day back
first spoon on the second day
(made this one last fall but recently kiln struck the amber purple)

[leftovers]

tried out cobalt blue tubing for the first time yesterday

[leftovers]

and a sea turtle pendant

[leftovers]

Been playing with dots, tungsten raking, and some coiling

[IDoesGlass]

Sweet stuff man, I love it. I can't wait to see what else you make. Keep it up!

[leftovers]

I loved making the poor man's encalmo sherlocks with sample colors. I had difficulty pulling the blue one, the thickness is uneven throughout. The mouthpiece on the ruby and AP actually broke off so I had to improvise. The wig wags are my first attempts, the terminations are an abomination and I have a lot of cracks in my lines. I liked making the sea turtle pendy and moose antlers (or are they wings? It's a mystery). I love drawing with the glass in the beach scenes but have difficulty finding a balance between contrast and realism that pleases me. I made the goblet after the ball slipped out of my hand and fell to the ground, breaking the handle. I picked it up with tweezers, puntied up, removed the handle, and said gee you look like a cup. So I opened it up and was pleased with the shape and roundness. The foot is wonky, the stem-cup seal is abysmal, and the base of the cup is attached at about 5 degrees off center from cups vertical axis. HOWEVER- it stands up straight, doesn't wobble, and most importantly it doesn't leak- functional enough for me.

[leftovers]

Was able to get behind the torch a couple days last semester. Ornament and rig made great gifts. I converted the 10 mm domes that didn't have appendages into slides after coil potting an extra bit of clear them. The wrap n rake prep section was exciting so I thought I'd share it, its the mouthpiece of the (soon to be) bub. The termination on that section got a little funky but I dig it. I'll post pics of the finished project which will have some latti and implosion(s?) made by shopmate.

[leftovers]

Still learning, still struggling, still loving every minute. Here's some kinky sherly's, an asymmetrical dyno, and mish mash.

[leftovers]

highlights of the past year