Karen at Work
Ah ha, so you would like to know how hot glass working is done? I am going to walk you through a pictorial process using photos to show Karen creating a torso.
Let us look at the process from start to finish. You will first see the hot working process, which includes the gather, the marver, and the use of tools. Keep in mind that the piece must be reheated in the glory hole (reheat furnace) every few minutes in order to keep the glass at a malleable temperature. We will then see the cold working process and, finally, the finished product.
A few notes of caution about hot glass working. The furnace is at approximately 2100 degrees Fahrenheit when the molten glass is gathered from it. Karen wears arm protectors (socks with the ends cut out), safety glasses, and gloves when necessary. Some artists utilize pipe coolers to cool the pipe after the gather. It is a very HOT job to accomplish, and one must use many precautions.
The other caution (that I feel obligated to warn you of) is that glass working is a very addictive art form. Edward T. Schmid defines glass as "A seductive and unforgiving mistress who will corrupt your world view and cause you to focus all of your energy into her little world." (Schmid - Advanced Glassworking Techniques - 304) Creating glass art is very exciting! I have found it great fun to sell, too. The process is also quite interesting to watch. If any of you have the opportunity to try it, I did give you fair warning!
I have included a glossary to define many of the words utilized in the glass-working environment, so that you may have a better understanding of the whole process.
Karen is shown with a large gather of moltenmolten glass on the end of her punty. The punty must continually be turned to prevent the glass from dripping off as she walks to the marver. Note the socks she is wearing to protect her arms from the radiant heat emitting from the furnace and the glass.
The glass is rolled and shaped on the marver. These flat tables were made of marble many years ago, but they are usually made of steel, today. Color can be added to the glass at this point by rolling the piece in powdered, colored glass on the marver.
Our proud mom looks on as Karen forms the glass at the bench using a paper marver. The bench is set up to support the punty while working the glass. Notice how Karen uses her left arm to continually rotate the pipe, in order to keep the piece centered.
The jacks are being used here to form the glass. Karen uses many tools to change the shape of the glass during the sculpting process. It is important to have her tools organized for easy access and cleanliness. Any dirt on the tools could be transferred into the glass causing blemishes and possible stress locations leading to cracks.
Karen is using a machete to carve lines into the sculpture. She uses different knives, paddles, jacks, shears, and other tools to sculpt her creations.
The piece is being transferred from one pipe to another in order to work on the opposite end of the sculpture. When Karen is satisfied with the hot working process, the piece will be boxed in the annealer to slowly reduce its temperature.
Karen is seen here in her studio at her polishing wheel. This is where she grinds and polishes the bottoms and other areas. Cold working includes; grinding, polishing, sandblasting, acid etching, and more.