Glass Blowing

slyglass by Steve and Léona Lindars

1. Molten glass at one thousand degrees or more is rolled in crushed, coloured glass.	2. An open ended furnace called a "gloryhole" is used to melt the colour into the glass.	3. The soft glass can now be shaped using little more than a pad made of wet newspaper.
4. Air is blown into the bowl in a very gentle and controlled way so as not to blow out the bubble unevenly.	5. A cherry wood board is used to shape the base of the bowl.	Glass Blowing Although glass as an art form has been around for thousands of years the modern studio glass movement is little more than forty five years old. Studio glass-making [the artistic pursuit of glass-making in a creative studio environment] allows an expression not possible in a more commercial setting. With ancient techniques and contemporary design, makers can produce beautifully crafted works of art to be treasured and valued as the antiques of the future. Return to Blown Glass [N.B. The punty or pontil mark is often found on the base of handmade glass.]
6. A short "punty" iron is stuck to the centre of the base, and the bowl is cracked off the blowing iron.	7. Metal tools are used to open out the rim of the bowl.
8. Hot glass is cut off the open end with a special pair of shears to give the finished bowl an even rim.	9. In the gloryhole the edges of the bowl slowly soften and begin to flair out as the iron is turned.	10. The finished bowl can now be taken off the iron and gently cooled.