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Glassblowing: The Basics

    Clear glass is melted in a furnace heated to 2000 ° F. The artist inserts the tip of a steel rod, known as the "blowpipe", into the opening of the furnace. The blowpipe, approximately four feet long, collects a "gather" of melted clear glass about the size of an egg and the consistency of honey. After a very small amount of shaping, the artist begins blowing into the opposite end of the blowpipe to create an initial bubble in the glass, thus forming the hollow interior of the object. The artist must constantly turn and shape the glass to ensure even thickness during the blowing process. The blowpipe will then be inserted back in the furnace to obtain an additional amount of clear glass to proceed to make the piece ("second gather").

     To produce the swirling colorful patterns in Gary's glass, once the proper amount of clear glass is gathered, the piece is rolled in colored glass fragments called "frit." Each color is applied separately and melted into the piece in the reheating oven, termed the "glory hole". The swirling effect is produce with twisting the molten glass with shears, or pinching with the tweezers, or rolling it on the steel table ("marver"). To smooth and shape the piece the artist uses a "block", which is a wooden bowl with a handle, or wet newspaper which is held in the hand. This is the closest the glassblower can get to actually touching the piece he is working on manually. When the artist achieves the desired effect of color, one more layer of clear glass is added ("third gather") on the outside.

     Then the main blowing phase of the piece begins. This stage is a continuing process of reheating, shaping with newspaper and marver, and blowing until the final size and form is achieved. In order to facilitate severing the finished piece from the blowpipe, the artist creates an indentation at the top of the piece with the "jacks" (glassblowers pincers). At this point, another metal rod ("punty") with a bit of molten glass at the tip is attached to the bottom and the piece is broken off at the neck. Holding the piece by the punty, the glassblower can reheat the neck of the piece and achieve any desired shaping at the top. Finally the piece is broken off the punty rod and placed in the annealing oven overnight to cool gradually. Although it sounds laborious, a piece may take only 30 to 45 minutes to create.