2022 International Year of Glass
From Furnace to Flame: A Journey In Glass
This was another year of tool and equipment expansion. New safety equipment, shop heater, mini furnace, glass warmer, bench ergonomics, hand cut markers, new torch, built a gaffer bench, optic mold, and mid sized kiln.
Over the course of the year, we continued to refine our flameworking skills. I made over 400 beads from Ribe, made several reproduction strands of Norse beads, Frankish beads and some Norse/Irish glass. I continued to work on the last few Silk Road beads and ultimately presented my Furnace to Flame project at Gulf Wars.
My partner/assistant and I spent some time working in our hot shop. We made lots of glass rods and even a few smoothing stones.
I also began to make a few items with my near flawless beads as well as from the beads that I made from hand pulled cane.
The first necklace item I made from beads that I colored myself was this Ribe inspired necklace that was part of my Gulf Wars display.
With the war in Ukraine in our thoughts all year, I have used my art to help raise funds for the soldiers and citizens of Ukraine. For every Ukraine themed item I sold this year, I donated 33% of the sale price to either the soldiers or the citizens of Ukraine through vetted non-profit organizations. Those donations were then given an additional 100% match for a total donation of $680! Your help allowed us to help supply body armor to soldiers and food to the people. The special campaign to support soldiers with body armor has ended but we continue to help feed the people by donating to World Central Kitchen’s Ukraine Project. Thank you for your help in this endeavor.
Glory to Ukraine, Glory to the Heroes.
I set out at the beginning of 2021 to make a Viking Chess Board. Well, 2022 saw the completion of that task.
I introduced some new holiday items, pumpkin glow bracelets, pumpkin stakes and ornaments.
We made a trip to Mobile, Alabama to see the Vikings Begin Exhibit this year. There were some good examples of glass beads and tableware on display. This visit just reminded me that I wanted to make some of my own tableware.
I finished up the year working on making bowls, some based on those on display in the Corning Museum of Glass. I began by practicing working with the circle cutter to make plates and I played around with some other ideas, too.
Then, it was time to try and make some bowls. Not every thing came out like I would have liked. My first bowl came out as a plate, and this big one came out asymmetrical.
The end of the year saw a few of these bowls brought to completion. The ones I made were inspired by Roman mosaic, Roman amber bowls, and early medieval reticulation work.
Besides doing reasonably well at Gulf War’s A&S competition, this was also my first year as an apprentice in the SCA under Ximena Yannez de Talavera. I was recognized in the SCA for my art, research, and teaching by being asked to join the Order of the Velvet Owl.
