A Hollow Victory

Way back, before I started doing glass work, I wanted to learn how to do hand blown glass work.  How to make things hollow and airy inside.  It's been a skill I have never been able to master.  It started way back in a trip to the Oregon Coast.  Heb and I made a round float at a glass house (like the one below).

I was fascinated with the idea that you could take glass, mix things into it and then actually breathe life into it.  I, having done jewelry pretty much all my life, wanted to implement this idea into my work.  Heber found a flameworking class (you can see the post about it here).  I never looked back but creating hollow work has eluded me.

I can't deny that it's been difficult moving across the country and leaving everything behind.  It's been a challenge.  What has been the silver lining in all of this has been the Workhouse.  Every week, I'm able to go down and work at the glass studio with other flame workers.  I watch the glass melt and things come to life.  I also get to interact with a great group of glassworkers who share their skills. 

This is what the workhouse looks like.  It used to be part of a prison.

 Me with Leo inside.

 The studio where the magic happens.

Last night, it happened.  I created my first successful hollow beads.  This is a big step for me.  I can see how I have grown and improved over the past while.  This has been a skill I have worked on for quite a while.     

You can see how the process has progressed:  (This is after I learned the disk technique - you don't even want to see the ones before this.)

The not hollow in any way bead because the glass has just collapsed in making it a very heavy bead.

 The "I'm so close to almost mastering this and then blow one breath too many and blow a hole in the side" bead.

 The "collapsed on one side so there's just  a bubble" bead.

 And then sweet success:

 Well, they still aren't perfect but I'm getting the hang of it.   I'll continue working on it but I have to celebrate these little victories.