Glass blowing is not for the faint of heart...
Take Thomas Long for example...
The furnace is hot ~ 2100 to 2400 degrees...
Yikes!
The construction meticulous or else....
From his website I gleamed this information ~The Work: During the last few years I have been focusing on large architectural, sculptural installations out of blown glass. The process starts out with a sketch which I do on site if possible. Once the design is finished, I hand blow each piece and lay out each part of the sculpture into the evolving work. I then template the piece and fabricate my framework to secure the sculpture. The usual turn around for a custom wall sculpture is about 2 months or less depending on location. I have work in homes and commercial spaces throughout the US, and have my work in collections in Hong Kong, the UK, and traveling the seas on a luxury cruise ship. Please visit my video page to see the process of blowing glass in the studio.
About the Glass: In the studio we have an electric furnace that maintains the temperature of the glass between 2100-2400 degrees. The clear glass that we use is from the Phillips company and is shipped from Holland. It contains pure refined quartz with virtually no impurities. In my work I utilize the highest quality glass colors available internationally today, which enables the rich colors to come through in my glass and patterning.
Green info: We strive to limit any waste in our studio. Waste glass is reduced through our streamlined process in our hotshop and any leftover glass is recycled and used by a glass artist in North Carolina to make seaglass candles.
The results are spectacular...
Want more? Watch this video of Thomas and assistant creating ONE piece for a wall sculpture.Gorgeous, just gorgeous!
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