What item got you into glass

[Meerkat]

Easily it was all the pussy I was supposed to get, girls go wet for creative guys, or so I am told.

But honestly, I was working a job that although it was extremely cool job, I was the top level guy who managed every aspect of 3 businesses all within one job, so even though I was the guy running the whole show, I was also working at least 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. So even though my extremely cool job made me a pimping guy in the safety break community, I wasn't able to enjoy it. I pretty much worked, went home, had supper and collapsed on the couch then slept and started it all over.

Long story short, I met many glass blowers through my job, I started hanging out at their studio, I looked at their lifestyle, which to me *SEEMED* at the time to be the cool and easy life, as they just hung out in their studio all day, shooting the shit, working on the torch, friends dropping by, having safety breaks, listening to good music, making art, etc.... and then I compared it to my lifestyle of work and sleep and not really anything to show for it and I had a background of an artist and wanted that to be my career (although in special effects, not in glass), but anything artistic had to be better than killing myself for a boss, who I forgot to mention treated me like shit and yelled and screamed at me even though I kept his whole scene running and then when he felt bad about doing that, he would toss me down safety break material and extra money.

So I guess this isn't so short, but to skip a lot and to really try to sum up and answer the original question, I have been involved in safety break activism for a long time, so it was a real passion of mine, very important to me and I felt that making pipes was a way of paying homage and honour to the safety break material, to create a proper vessel of art for it to be consumed of, so I saw becoming a pipe maker as a way of becoming more involved in my activist passion for the stuff that does so much good and actually creating something to show for my work.

Mods, if you feel that the last paragraph violates TOC, feel free to delete it, I seriously tried my best to follow rules, I am under the assumption that the word safety break is fine, but maybe my allusions were too obvious, I dunno... anyway if its an issue, just delete it, let me know polietly, no need to flame me. Sorry in advance.

[David Sandidge]

Pianos and wishing wells, but not before I first learned piano stools and wishing well buckets. The one I always wanted to learn back then and to this day have never gotten the chance to make was the sewing machine.

[vetropod]

I bought a little dot-stack bead from someone on Telegraph Ave in Berkeley, CA back in 1999 and wanted to learn how it was made. About a year later, my wife (then fiance!) talked my fam into buying me a glassblowing class for xmas.

Quit my day job shortly after the class to intern for a glassblower and worked at the furnace part- to full-time for two+ years in a number of different shops around MA. While working for Josh Simpson, got interested in flameworking by this Japanese girl who was hanging out at Josh's for a couple weeks. Met Sally Prasch (good friend of Josh), who showed me her studio, lent me Bandhu's book(s), and gave me some rods of boro.

I took a survey of beadmaking at Worcester Center for Crafts ( to Tom) and quit working at the furnace. Traded coldworking (picked up some good skills while working for Josh!) for torch time in Boston and TA'ed a lot at same studio.

The rest is scattered around this forum (and the old one too.)

[The Glass Fish]

My wife. I found her at her family's glass shop and it was love ever after. I started with sculpture, btw. Little turtles and shrooms were first. Pipes only came years later.

[themoch]

Pianos and wishing wells, but not before I first learned piano stools and wishing well buckets. The one I always wanted to learn back then and to this day have never gotten the chance to make was the sewing machine.

I assume you're talking about spun/stitched glass. I have major respect for you and the other artists who started out making production items like that.

This weekend in Mexico I met a lampworker who was making these crazy spinning carousels and other objects all out of spun glass. extremely impressive.

[David Sandidge]

I assume you're talking about spun/stitched glass. I have major respect for you and the other artists who started out making production items like that.

A lot of people it seems are a bit curious about that type of work. Not many people doing it amymore. I wonder if there would be enough interest in it for me to do a workshop.

[Jimi The Don]

cleans up easy, just a couple of licks, prostate flavored...

seriously though, i saw lampworking at Epcot Center in Disney World before i even had my first erection, fell in love and always wanted to do it. now i do, and i love it, oh, and i function properly now, puberty was amazing..

[Jimi The Don]

My wife. I found her at her family's glass shop and it was love ever after. I started with sculpture, btw. Little turtles and shrooms were first. Pipes only came years later.

wow! me and my girl met over an apple pie, if she made me a glass fork to eat it with i'd already be married to her..

[PyroChixRock]

dondi, your post is fine. we all know that safety breaks are just the moments we take praying before we light our torch, and resting in between so we don't get hurt. it's all about the safety!

[vetropod]

we all know that safety breaks are just the moments we take praying before we light our torch, and resting in between so we don't get hurt.

Oh crap, is this forum going religious now?

[mark206nj]

I was fortunate enough to meet Paul Stankard in 1976. My father became very good friends with him and after many trips to his studio I developed a love for the medium and mostly for floral paperweights. I was amazed that the flowers and insects looked sooooo real.

[JLF]

I saw a three neck flask and was told it was made by hand... Boom, life changed, learning glassblowing.

[Ro's Glass World]

for me it was animal sculptures at disney when i was 8, then later making jewelry and thinking the beads were expensive and i could make them myself.
ro

[GlassFreak]

the first artistic pipe i ever bought or held for that matter was a FREEEK piece. the second i saw it i wanted it, then i really looked at it, it left me breathless.

ever since i have been obsessed with glass. learning everything i could about it, without actually ever messing with it. after 2 or so years i saved up enough to actually buy my torch and supplies. i have been on the torch for 3 weeks now and i just cant put it down. if only oxygen wasnt so expensive... i wouldnt put it down.

[gotglass?]

Once i thought about it the first glass pipe i made was in Chemistry class in 11th grade.... around 1983.... My lab partner ran the experiment and our lab station was by the cabinet with all the glass. I found a funnel blank bent the stem and fire polished the mouth piece.... a far cry from the stuff i make now but a pipe none the less

[xlconch]

Senior in high school saw an itinerant glass spinner make a large lace ship. Said to myself I can do that! Such is the arrogance of teens! Got hold of laboratory glass kit and made a lot of messes. Got a job at the local college fixing their broken equipment. Decided lab work not for me. Lots of craft shows with lace and solid small sculptures. STILL LEARNING!!!!

[yinzer]

my option isnt here. it was nothing in my posession but i got into it because i wanted to do lighting/lighted sculpture and plasma stuff. none of which i have come even close to attempting yet

[gypsea]

candlesticks, birdbaths & unicorns were my first items (LOTS of 'em...)
i learned "on the job" in a warehouse with no ventilation.

[BlueLilyStudio]

it was this thing that got me hooked...And I've been working toward hoping to be this good someday. When I drew the design I had never worked glass; when I got the piece in my hands I knew what I was meant to do. i gotta big up Shane for giving me the tricks of the trade, and getting me hooked for good.

[donaldo]

Boyd Art Glass animals; I still have some and might make them into marbles someday.