In my next life I hope I return to be a glass lampworker. I have had a love affair with glass blowing and all manner of glass art for a long time, and I've collected many wonderful pieces. None are so valuable to me, however, than this little misshapen marble. When I was in Seattle I took lampworking classes at Pratt Institute, and this was my very first attempt at making a marble. Now, it is seriously harder than it looks, making molten glass behave. It takes a lot of practice to master the skills needed, I even had to have special pink tinted glasses to protect my eyes from the torch tip and certain intense light blindness. I actually made several marbles that worked better than this, but this was the first one. It's place on my alter is to remind me that even with as much as I know about my craft and art, that in certain ways I will always be a beginner.
This multicolored glass lampworked ornament I purchased at World Market about two years ago for $4.99. Probably blown by a thirteen year old boy in China who didn't have the opportunity and expensive equipment I had during my lessons. No artist in America would master this as well as he did and sell it for so little, but that doesn't make the skill any less valuable. It is placed on my alter to remind me what is possible with determination and practice, and as proof positive there will always be someone farther along than I am. I find it is what you do with what you know that really counts in life, how you make it your own statement. So this is what my little marble looks up to and hopes to be when it grows up.
No comments:
Post a Comment