shotzy's photostream  

It's Friday - yeah!!!!!!!
Image is of a wooden foot massage tool. Before you think its odd - I'll tell you that is really, really does relax you.

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Really? LOL LOL LOL
A sign left over from the summer sits on the edge of a farmer's field ... covered with snow in the winter.

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I know it looks like the glass is on fire. Let me explain. This is a paper weight. In order to get the glass off the rod, a pinched line is created at the point you wish to break it off which is at the rod. The line is made by very large tweezers (16" long) that have been lightly waxed. Sometimes the wax is a bit too much and gets too hot, flaring up on the glass. It lasts only a second, so I got lucky in this shot. The flare causes no harm to the piece ... but it gives a really cool picture. The artist ALWAYS keeps the glass moving (rolling the rod) or it slumps off balance, so there is some blur in the image. I think that's OK - it represents the constant dance between artist and molten glass that creates a peice.

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Most people are surprised to find out that the hot, hot, hot glass is shaped by a wad of wet newspaper held in the craftperson's hand. The glass, moving in a thick liquid state from the glory hole (furnace to bring glass up to malable temperature) can only be shaped in its hotest form ... once it starts to cool, it goes back to the glory hole before being shaped some more.

© All Rights Reserved - No Usage Allowed in Any Form Without the Written Consent of Gail Shotlander (aka shotzy)

A glass paper weight in development is being brought up in heat in the "glory hole" in order to continue to form the glass. The glory hole usually is around 2200 degrees fareneight. The craftsperson stands behind a metal sheild for protection, and extends the rod into the furnace. You will notice that the rod itself is red hot right at the end where the glass gather starts.

I'm currently taking another glass blowing course, and will have from time to time some images to share from the glass studio.

© All Rights Reserved - No Usage Allowed in Any Form Without the Written Consent of Gail Shotlander (aka shotzy)