To honor our 20 Year Anniversary, we have an exciting year planned.
We will continue to roll out the Crayon Colors, with the re-release of Red Crayon right around the corner!!!
There are also a number of new First-Gen Transparents in the works. You are going to see the return of some old favorites like Atomic Kumquat, along with some First-Gen versions of some very popular Next-Gen Transparents!!
We are also going to dust off the formula book and release special 20th Anniversary Heritage Batches of colors that have been retired. When you call or email asking for an old favorite, Jodi takes note.
Throughout 2020, we will be releasing limited edition Heritage Batches of some of these missed colors. We will be releasing these batches throughout the year in celebration of our 20 years in business. Be sure to keep your eye on our Instagram, or make sure you are signed up to receive our Product Update Newsletters, so you know when the Heritage Batches are available.
And last, but not least, our 20th Anniversary Sale begins on February 1st at Noon (Pacific Time zone). Save the Date and stay tuned for more info.
Wishing you all the best this New Year!
Peace,
Thomas
I am so happy to let you all know that our Crayon Colors are back!!!!!
It has been a long journey since we were thrown a curve ball a few years ago and had to install the State mandated emission control system. I will get into some of the details below for those of you who are interested. But really want to stick to the point, which is Crayons are back!!
We are starting the re-release with Yellow Crayon, 304 and Chartreuse Crayon, 403. Resellers are stocking up and they are available now in the Neo-Cad section of GlassAlchemy.com.
Over the next few months, we will be re-releasing all your old favorite Crayon Colors, with some new color options joining the mix! All with the workability, saturation and vibrancy you know, love and remember!!
So what took so long?
In order to correctly install the emission control system, we had to rebuild the entire inside of the factory. This was a major undertaking, absolutely everything in the factory was moved and reconfigured. The upside is that this process gave us the opportunity to overhaul our factory, but over the years, we had developed a specialized approach to making our Crayon colors. Parts of this infrastructure had to be dismantled for the emission control system to work.
The system and resulting process changes had a huge impact on our color palette. We had to adjust all our formulas, but the opaque colors were hit the hardest. Ketchup, OJ and Banana are actually our old Red Crayon, Orange Crayon and Yellow Crayon formulas in our new environment once the emission control system was installed, crazy huh!
Our new Crayon Colors have been reformulated from the ground up. We have spent the last few years working to emulate our old environment in the new filtered set-up and reformulating these colors. It took a long time and a lot of investment, but we are really really happy with the quality of our new New-Cad Crayon Colors. They are dense, more vibrant and highly workable.
Happy melting!
Thomas
I'm having a great time working on this new line of colors; digging into the old GA recipe book and going back to some of our original furnace designs. For those of you who don't know, we build our own kilns from scratch, wind our elements and cut our own bricks in-house at Glass Alchemy. To make these First-Gen Trasparents we are going back to an older furnace design that doesn't run as hot as the furnaces we use for the Next-Gen Transparents.
How many of you remember this older version of the color? I think the formulas for both Kryptonite and the Kryptonite 2002 we made way back in the day add something special to the palette. Rather than choosing just one, we are bringing them both back!
We'll have more exciting news to share throughout the year. For now, I hope you find the First-Gen Transparents to be a great value, allowing you to add some great color to your palette at a great price.
Peace – Thomas
In my last blog post I told you big things were in store for 2019 and Phase 2 of our Artist Direct program was coming soon!! Well, today is the day I get to tell you all about our new product line, First-Gen Transparents!!
So what are First-Gen Transparents? They are colors made the Old School way. They are all awesome colors and they cost us less to make, which means we can pass the cost saving on to our customers!! These colors are now available via GlassAlchemy.com.
We are kicking things off with 3 colors – Kryptonite, Elixir and Aquamarine. Our initial testers are stoked...The rods are incredibly workable, vibrant and compatible. We are really excited about this product line and the opportunity to bring back some old school colors like Kryptonite. The best part is all three of these colors only cost $45 per pound.
The First-Gen Transparents are a great way to stock up on cheap color and grow your point balance with Glass Alchemy.
In the coming months we will be adding new colors to the First-Gen Transparent line, so you have a full palette to choose from. Be on the lookout for the return of more of your favorite old school GA colors, along with some modern fresh flavors.
We hope you enjoy this new product line!
Peace - Thomas
]]>I hope you all had festive celebrations as 2018 came to a close.
As we ring in the New Year, I am extra grateful as 2019 marks my 20 year anniversary with glass. I am in my mid-thirties, so it's really hard to believe that almost 2/3rds of my life have been dominated by the medium I love. 20 years ago, I had the incredible opportunity of learning how to pull glass out of a furnace from my dad and was able to attend my first lampworking class.
I have been working at Glass Alchemy in some capacity since the company started 19 years ago and have been the Production Manager and in charge of color development for the past decade.
This past year I was excited to bring you our new Pastel Palette with the introduction of Ether, Mystique, Glue Stick, Pastel Serum, Pastel Potion and a variety of other Pastel colors in the Test Lab.
Keep your eyes open because two new colors - Glow Stick and Zen - will be coming your way soon, with more pastel colors being released throughout 2019!!
Last January we also kicked things off with Phase 1 of our Artist Direct Program, lowering retail prices on our Next-Gen Transparent and Neo-Cad color lines.
Stay tuned for some exciting news in the coming months! I can’t wait to tell you about Phase 2 of our Artist Direct Program.
Wishing you a happy, healthy and successful 2019!
Thomas
The new colors include the Next-Gen Transparents and Neo-Cads, including all the CFL activated colors. A few Classics have had reformulations over the last ten years and needed a fresh goblin to illustrate what they look like today.
As always, you can find my working tips and tricks included on the website for each color.
Glass Alchemy has the entire collection of goblins that have been printed on the posters since 2009. Some of the goblins on the new poster are solid, but the majority remain hollow.
I am really pleased with this new edition of the color palette poster and can't wait for you to get your copy soon! They will be included in every order until we run out, which will be right about the time we add a few more colors to the permanent collection.
- Mike Shelbo
]]>I would like to send a big thanks to everyone who came out to our annual Open House last week. We had record attendance at our event and we hope all of you who attended had a great time!
If you weren't able to make the event, I want to update you on all the pastel colors we previewed at the Open House. In my last blog post, I let you know that we are continuing to expand our Pastel Palette, with the Small Batch release of Pastel Serum. At our Open House, we previewed FIVE more pastel colors!!!
These new colors will be rolled out on GlassAlchemy.com throughout this summer! Here is a quick overview, so you know what is coming to Test Lab and Small Batch over the next few months.
Mystique
Darker than Ether, Mystique offers the same great working properties with a richer blue base.
Pastel Potion
Just like it sounds, this is a pastel version of Potion! The feedback on this Test Lab color has been fantastic. We can't wait to make more and get this one to you as soon as possible!!
Pastel Yellow
With the release of Citron and the development of this Pastel version, our goal is to give you two consistent options to replace our old, inconsistent Lemon Drop. Citron will always be transparent and the pastel version will always be pastel. This color will be available as Pastel Yellow in the Test Lab as we work on finalizing the Pastel Citron formula.
Glue Stick
Glue Stick is a semi-transparent white. It is the base color for both Ether and Mystique and will have a similar working experience. This color will be coming to Test Lab soon!
Wood Glue
Another Test Lab color on the horizon is Wood Glue. This color is on the Glue Stick base and well, it looks like wood glue. It yields a color similar to Silver Strike-5, but without the fumey silver finish.
If you scooped some of these colors at the Open House, don't forget to #GlassAlchemy on your posts, so we can see how you used these colors. If you have any feedback, please send it our way.
Peace - Thomas
]]>
Before we welcome everyone to Portland next week, I wanted to talk about our Pastel Palette. I had been wanting to make pastel colors for quite a long time, but the release of our Next-Gen Transparents, including our CFL reactive colors like Serum and Potion, kept me and our furnaces more than busy. Not long ago, we kicked off our Pastel Palette with the release of Antidote. It was an exciting milestone for Glass Alchemy!
The semi-transparent Pastel colors are really something special. They have similar alluring optical qualities as the transparents, but they are even more enhanced. With the pastel base, you can really see the detail and edges in sculptural work that can get lost in completely transparent colors. This is great stuff to work and best of all, they are compatible!!
We have a number of new pastel colors in the works and I am excited to grow this palette, similar to how we have developed the Next-Gen Transparents over the past few years. A few weeks ago, we released Ether, our second color in the pastel line. This pastel blue is already extremely popular and we are stoked that so many of you are working with it and enjoying it.
Last week, we added a third pastel color to our line up with the introduction of Pastel Serum!! Many of you had a chance to try this color when it was in the Test Lab. Based on your feedback, we have finalized the formula and moved this color into Small Batch. If you tried Pastel Serum when it was in the Test Lab and you got a batch that you felt was too thin, never fear, the final formula is on the more saturated side of our test batches.
With our Open House right around the corner, we are gearing up to preview even more new pastel colors that we have in the works!! We love hosting our annual Open House. If you are in the area, please plan on dropping by. It is a free event, there will be demos going on, work on display and a whole lot of fresh new colors available from Glass Alchemy and PDX Tubing!
The Open House is a great way to meet other artists, watch some top artists blow glass in real-time, shop for glass, or just have a beer and hang out. We hope to see everyone here at GA on June 8th!
Peace, Thomas
]]>
Unless you are working on a Hothead there is a fuel and an air or oxygen supply. These gasses pass through orifices and valves in the regulators, then through supply lines to more valves at the torch and then through burner tubes (orifices) and hopefully burn in a smooth laminar flow.
The fuel gas is often propane or natural gas but can also be butane or mapp gas among others. For the purpose of this article, the focus will be on propane gas. References to oxygen also apply to the use of air.
The setup of your supply line hoses is of extreme importance. In an attempt to save money, one may choose a smaller diameter hose/pipe thinking that 20 pounds of pressure is 20 pounds of pressure, not considering the pressure drops associated with the various diameters of supply lines, or the volumes that can actually be transported through these long tunnels.
Another common problem is selecting the proper diameter but the wrong material and as a result suffering with glass blowing torch performance issues due to the side walls of the hose/pipe sloughing off material that plugs the valves and burner tubes of the torch from the gas supply side.
Selection of the valves and regulators is also of great importance because they are the primary controls of the gas flow from the source to the torch. Should they be single or two-staged, low pressure or high pressure? When using a manifold for several torches where should the regulators go in the setup?
First, if there are employees involved then there are many additional legal responsibilities involved. It is important to have documented training programs and written testing on how to properly use propane and propane tanks, how to handle oxygen tanks and regulators and how to inspect supply lines for wear and tear. Either the trainer has to be trained by attending seminars or an outside consultant needs to be brought in to provide the training. Consider contacting your vendors and asking them if they have a program that will meet your needs.
If operating multiple glass blowing torch hard-lines, such as copper or stainless steel, tubing should be plumbed in. Never use PVC, especially for the fuel gas. (Note that a poorly installed propane system may cause a potentially dangerous or life-threatening situation and all building codes should be followed. If you install the hard line system rather than using the services of a professional then be familiar with National Fuel Gas Code, ANSI Z 223.1and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 58.) Some of the basics include: always use flare fittings, isolate copper tubing from contact with other metals (to prevent electrolytic corrosion), separate gas lines from electrical conduit by a minimum of four inches and consider additional shut off valves for the fuel gas, especially if the tank and regulator are outside.
When using flexible supply line such as welding hose or reinforced clear polyurethane tubing such as Tygothane® it is important to verify that the material can be used with propane under pressure. If the hose material is purchased from a hose supplier, rather than a nationwide discount store, obtaining the brand name, part-number and specification sheet is generally very simple. Sometimes a call to the manufacturer is necessary to answer a very specific question. At GA we selected a 1/2 inch I.D. reinforced Teflon tubing with braided stainless steel cover for flexibility, heat and abrasion resistance and very high pressure ratings.
To achieve laminar flow, the basic goals when setting up the glass blowing torch are to know that enough volume of gas is being delivered and to be able to stabilize the flow. By utilizing a regulator or flow-valve at the tank and an in-line regulator mounted at the bench you can ensure adequate volume and control. From the first stage to the second choose a supply line bore based on the number of torches, for example 1/4 inch would support one larger glass blowing torch or two smaller glass blowing torches while 3/8 inch might support three larger glass blowing torches. From the in-line regulator to the torch use a bore size that will slip onto the fitting supplied with the torch keeping the length to a maximum of about four feet. If only the first stage regulator is being used and the desire is to improve color results use the shortest supply line lengths possible. In the case of a propane tank that is stored outside consider using a larger bore size and a protective shelter to minimize temperature fluctuations.
To summarize, it is important to know the demand of the glass blowing torch for gas and air in an all-out situation. The regulators need to be capable of supplying this demand. Due to pressure drop issues, supply lines should be short and of significant enough bore to deliver the demand volumes. Simply increasing the pressure to get more juice is very similar to over pumping the beer keg. The same thing happens in the torch, the laminar flow becomes turbulent and the flame consists of hot and cold spots. It takes longer to pull points, build sculpture and the colors become dull.
When the glass blowing torch is set up properly and the correct propane and oxygen settings are chosen the colors are no longer dull, rather they remain bright.
Safety first.
We get a lot of phone calls here at Glass Alchemy asking about glass blowing classes. I thought I would take a minute to provide some information for those interested in learning more.
If you are new to glass blowing and more specifically lampworking, there are a few things you need to consider before deciding what type of glass blowing classes you want to take. You need to think about your skill level – beginner, intermediate or advanced. There are also different options out there depending on what you are looking to learn – do you want to make wearables, or functional pieces?
Around the US, there are a lot of community-based glass schools that are great resources to get started. If you are looking for glass blowing classes and want to lampwork glass, you will need to make sure your local glass school offers lampworking classes. If you are reading this blog, then I am going to assume you specifically want to learn how to lampwork with borosilicate glass, so you need to make sure your lampworking classes is focused on boro, not soft glass.
If you want to learn more about lampworking in general, you can check out one of my previous posts here.
I think taking an intro glass blowing class at a school or community craft center is a great place to get started. These classes will provide you with a basic overview of skills, introduce you to health and safety best practices and you generally get to walk away with a completed project, like a pendant.
If you have already developed some basic skills and you want to learn more, then it is a good idea to determine which skill set you want to learn next – do you want to make wearables or functional pieces. Now’s a good time to take some one-on-one glass blowing classes with a reputable teacher or you can watch tutorials on YouTube. You will learn a lot from both approaches, but I think hands on classes are always the best. This way someone can help you fine tune your technique and help eliminate bad habits before they start.
You can also check out the Glass Alchemy YouTube Channel for some color specific tips and tricks.
If you started taking glass blowing classes so you could become a pipe maker, it is a good idea to make sure your basic techniques are solid, before you move on the more complicated work.
Once you feel comfortable with glass blowing basics, and you are racking up torch time, now is the time when you may want to take a class from one of your favorite artists. Here at Glass Alchemy, we host glass blowing classes at Studio Alchemy, which is our 2,500 square foot facility dedicated to demo style classes.
The glass blowing classes at Studio Alchemy offer students the opportunity to watch some of the best artists out there work and collab in an intimate setting.
We have hosted some stellar glass blowing classes over the years. We have had some students take every class we have offered. It has been great watching these artists develop their skill based and define their voice.
]]>You will notice that each Glass Alchemy color has a number, in addition to a name. We have created a color numbering system based on the chemical properties of the glass. By understanding what the numbers mean, you will be able to choose colors based on their chemical properties and know how to work them.
The First Number is based on the ROY G BIV spectrum and represents the primary color of the glass. For Example 100 = Red, 200 = Orange, etc…
The Second & Third Number (the 3rd number in a color with four numbers) indicates the primary chemical(s), so that the artist knows what properties they are dealing with.
The Last Number (in all colors) generally indicates the color’s saturation level. For example, Cobalt-6, 516 has a higher saturation than Cobalt-1, 511.
]]>I will then explain the difference between soft glass and boro. Once someone understands the difference between the types of glasses, I then get to explain the difference between the off-hand approach to glass blowing and the lampworking approach.
If you are new to glass, this is a lot of information to take in and most people find it fascinating – because it is! So, while glass blowing and lampworking have both been around for a long time, lampworking borosilicate glass, or what I like to call Modern Lampworking, is relatively new.
As borosilicate lampworkers, we can trace our roots back to the development of clear borosilicate glass by Otto Schott in the late 19th century. The scientific glass blowing techniques that developed since then, combined with the artistic approach from the soft glass world, helped create a whole new approach to glass blowing, using a high temperature torch.
Since the creation of the Glass Alchemy color palette, we have seen an explosion in modern lampworking over the past 20 years. Today’s color selection by Glass Alchemy, tools and artistic talent have led to the creation of amazing museum quality art work.
If you want to get started in glass blowing, you will need a few key pieces of equipment.
Now that you have a bench space set up, ventilation in place and a nice stock of GA color, you are ready to start blowing glass!! Now, don’t let people tell you that lampworking isn’t glass blowing. It is!! I have seriously had people try and argue with me about this. I have even see articles on the internet about glass blowing that say lampworking is not technically the same things as glass blowing, since you don’t blow air in to the glass. What?! While lampworking doesn’t always require air to manipulate the hot glass, we regularly use blow tubes, do blow ins and use air in a variety of other ways.
When you first get started, I strongly suggest you take a class or get some torch time at a local studio where someone can help give you pointers. But beware, there is a lot of misinformation out there
There is an incredible amount of information out there to help you learn the ins-and-outs of glass blowing. As I mentioned, there is also a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to working colors. Since each color is made with a different chemical composition, each color behaves slightly differently, and each colorant has rules written by mother nature that we must follow for the glass to keep the COE of 33.
I have a series on our YouTube channel which addresses some of the most frequently asked questions we get here at Glass Alchemy.
Once you get your torch fired up, I recommend you learn more about a neutral flame. By learning how to set a neutral flame, you will save yourself a lot of frustration and will set yourself up for achieving color success. You can check out my Neutral Flame video here.
Be sure to subscribe to the Glass Alchemy YouTube channel so you can catch all our tutorials.
Peace - Thomas
]]>It's hard to believe the Vegas trade shows are behind us and it is almost the end of February!! Jodi and I attended AGE and Glass Vegas this time around. It was great catching up with customers and friends we haven't seen in a while. We also got to meet a lot of customers for the first time!!
Last month we attended the American Glass Expo, which took place at the Tropicana. It was great seeing everyone and all the GA color in use. While at AGE, we also attended the AGE Industry Awards.
We want to send a big shout out to the winners:
Earlier this month, we headed back to Vegas to attended Glass Vegas. This was our first time attending this event and we had a blast!!
The Evergreen State Project brought their annual fundraising event to Glass Vegas with the epic Derby in the Desert. We were an official sponsor of this event, which had 65 contestants racing glass derby cars!!
We also got the chance to sponsor the World Series of Glass. This annual competition is judged by event attendees, crowning a winner in the Functional, Millie, Collab and Shot Glass categories.
We are busy throughout the year making glass, but it is so important to get out there and see what you are up to. The level of work on display was amazing. It is always inspiring to see how you put our glass to work.
Till next time.
Peace - Thomas
]]>Neo-Cads | Next-Gen Transparents |
Ketchup | Serum |
OJ | Tonic |
Banana | Crippy |
Chartreuse Crayon | Brozay |
Chocolate Crayon | Nightshade |
Terps |
Our kilns are the soul of our shop. They might not be what some would call pretty, but there are few things more beautiful to me than peeking into the opening of a kiln and seeing that beautiful glow, knowing that the magic happening inside will result in new glass.
Glass Alchemy is an outlier in that we design and build our kilns, which is important in making glass the GA way. We have been at the forefront of kiln innovation since the early days and we continue to invest in the design and performance of GA's custom made furnaces.
Last week I mentioned that the kilns are a point of no return for our glass batches. Once we put the batch in the kiln, there is no going back. While it’s true that we can pull some glass halfway through the melt for a status check, we never really know what the final product will look like until it’s finished. I tell people that glassmaking reminds me of cooking pasta: you can’t take it out too soon, no matter how eager you are!
On any given day we are melting thousands of pounds of glass, all at different stages of the cooking process. When the color is ready to be extruded from the pot, our skilled team of draw technicians are able to do what they do best. Our lead technician has been pulling your glass since 2001!!
It is our dedicated team of employees who are responsible for ensuring the high quality of our product, from start to finish.
After reading this three part blog series, I hope you have a better understanding of how we make your glass here at Glass Alchemy!
Peace - Thomas
Check out Part One here.
Check out Part Two here.
]]>Hey guys. I’m Thomas Grimmett from Glass Alchemy.
It’s always been a long-term goal of mine to develop a pastel palette, somewhere between transparent and not quite fully opaque. I talk to a lot of artists and it sounds like there’s a big need out there for reliable, workable pastel colors.
Antidote is the first color in our new line. It is available now and I want to demonstrate its compatibility, so you can see why I am so excited.
When you make a color, you are adding colorants and chemicals with different viscosities and Co-efficient of Thermal Expansion. My end goal as a glassmaker is to make a compatible, highly workable color.
I’m going to show you how I test our glass for compatibility, using a trident seal. Developed by an engineer at Corning in the 70s, it is a glass-to-glass seal that is used to measure the expansion differential between two different glasses.
I have a rod of 4mm in my hands that we are looking at under the polarimeter. You can see when it’s nice and straight and I’m not adding any tension or compression to it, the rod looks pretty much clear. Im going to start to flex the rod a little bit to get an idea of what glass looks like under stress. You can start to see that dark band developing.
Pay close attention to how it looks right before the snapping point. It is going to snap.
I made a trident seal that is all clear, basically it is clear welded to clear. And that’s what will serve as our control group.
Both trident seals will go in the oven for a proper anneal cycle. When they are cool, we will take them out and look at them under the polarimeter.
By looking at a trident seal under a polarimeter, it will show us the residual stress remaining after annealing. At GA, we strive for the compatibility to be as close to clear as possible.
Let’s take a look.
What this test shows me is that working Antidote is very close to working clear from a Co-efficient of Thermal Expansion standpoint.
Now, for comparison sake, I want to show you some glass from different manufacturer. As you can see, this color responds much differently to clear under the polarimeter.
This trident seal here is the Antidote, with Simax down the middle, this seal here is all Simax, Simax down the middle, Simax on both sides.
This other glass over here is Simax down the middle and let’s call it a mystery green for the sake of this video.
Now, if you remember the example I showed you earlier of what stressed out glass looked like right before it breaks, you will notice some similarities between that and what we are looking at here.
The bottom line is that all glassmakers have the ability to check their glass for compatibility. Here at GA, we check every batch of glass that we make.
We are excited about Antidote and we hope you are too.
Stay tuned for more great pastel colors coming from Glass Alchemy…
As I mentioned, we are spending a few posts explaining and illustrating our glassmaking process here at GA. In last week's blog, I talked about how and why we choose our colors. Today, I’d like to pull back the curtain on our actual glassmaking process. I hope you enjoy learning a bit about how we spend the days at GA.
THE START
Once we finalize a color and we move it to regular production, I closely follow our formulas. These formulas take what we want as an artistic final product and break things down into the steps that ensure our science is right.
If you took high school chemistry, chances are you or one of your classmates broke a beaker or test tube at some point. You might not have known that those vessels are made of the same material we use to make our glass. We start our batches here with crushed glass that is up-cycled from the scientific industry. We think it is pretty cool that we are up-cycling a product and using 100% renewable energy to do it.
We carefully measure out the crushed glass and add our own formula that includes metal oxides. It’s the formula and TLC throughout the batching process that determines everything about the color and quality of our glass. Why spend $100 a pound and invest hours on a piece if the glass is going to turn around and crack? It is all about the formula and we make sure our glass has the correct COE before it leaves our door.
It is so important to the GA crew that we make the best glass we possibly can. We know our customers trust our product and many depend on us to pay their bills, so we do our very best to make a consistent, reliable high quality product.
Once we have our formula completely mixed, it’s now ready to enter the furnace, the point of no return! This is one of the most exciting and stressful parts of the process for me, and it’s one that I will take you through next week.
Peace - Thomas
Check out Part One here.
You can move on to Part Three here.
]]>Hey guys. I’m Thomas Grimmett and I make the color here at Glass Alchemy.
Today I want to talk to you about a neutral flame
A neutral flame will keep your colors nice and poppin, it will also help your greens and sparkles from cracking.
We get a lot of questions here about working with color on a daily basis. To us here at GA, a neutral flame refers to a balanced mixture of propane and oxygen and it is the flame we recommend you work in.
Alright, we,re all ready to go. I’m going to show you how to set a neutral flame using Amazon Night, 987. This is a good color to use for this test because of its high metal content.
If the flame is reducing, Amazon Night will show us almost instantly.
Alright, I’ve got my torch on, and what looks to be a nice working flame. I am going to stick the rod into the torch and just heat it up to an orange glow, not fully melted. If the flame is neutral, the rod will not change color, but as we can see, I have some reduction, which means I am not working neutral.
Now I am going to turn my propane down a quarter turn and try the test again.
The rod stayed black, which means I have found the neutral zone.
It’s important to realize that no flame will ever be neutral from base to tip and each torch has a different neutral zone. The area closest to the torch face tends to be reducing so don’t work too close. When properly set, the middle section is neutral and is the ideal flame for working color.
]]>I’m often asked about the glass making process—how I choose or make colors, how long we “cook” our glass, how we turn a pot of melted glass into the rods our customers buy, what my background is, etc. So, I decided to walk you through the process and hopefully shed some light on how we do things at Glass Alchemy. I'll break down the process into three posts; I hope you like what follows, and if you have any questions about what you read and see here, please send us a note!
Color - The GA Way
If you ask me what makes GA stand out in our industry, I would say it’s the overall quality of our glass and our trendsetting colors. Our colors are born from many different inspirations, including ideas from our customers. I nerd out on color every day, pouring through color books, revisiting my dad’s notes from his decades of glass making, studying ideas around optics and refraction, eyeing natural objects for inspiration, and leaning on my interest in geology and chemistry to figure out what is possible and how we might make something new and brilliant come to life. It’s a true marriage of art and science, and the science is really important.
As a scientific process, creating new colors often requires trial-and-error. There is never a guarantee that a color, no matter how carefully we plan, calculate and measure, will turn out as we expect. The time it takes to develop a new color depends on a number of factors. When I start working on a new concept color like Serum, I start with an idea and a vision of how the color could be used by our customers.
When I start working on something that is new to the boro palette, the development process is time consuming. I usually spend a few months in the R&D process. I take this time to learn as much as I can about a new colorant and how it influences the glass. Once I start to get a solid formula in the works, I send glass out to Mike Shelbo for his feedback on the workability and color characteristics. Once Mike has had a chance to use a few batches and we make the desired changes, I send glass to the GAMA Board of Directors for the final round of feedback on the formulation.
Once we land a color, we still have to make sure that the recipe is consistent and repeatable. If you have ever used our Test Lab glass, you’ve seen some of the colors that are in the stage of building repeatable results. Once we know we can get it right over and over again, then it is time to move the color into the Small Batch section of GlassAlchemy.com.
You would be surprised to see how many batches we make of any given color, before it ever makes its way to the Test Lab. When we finally nail a color formula, it makes my day. Sometimes the development process moves as fast as a few months, and sometimes the cycle can take as long as a year, or more. From start to finish, it’s all with the goal of getting you, our customer, something truly exciting and reliable. I could always make glass faster, but then it wouldn't be the Glass Alchemy quality you depend on. I really pride myself on making glass that works.
In my next couple of posts, I will give you an inside look into the actual glassmaking process.
Peace - Thomas
Check out Part Two here.
]]>What’s up guys, Thomas here. I make the color at Glass Alchemy.
Today we’re going to be talking about your kiln and how to make sure it’s working for you.
I’ve got a couple kilns going right now and I want to show you how different a kiln can be from another kiln depending on the manufacturer and model number.
Some kilns have their elements in the side walls, some kilns have their elements in the roof. Some thermocouples, which is what reads the temperature in the kiln, are located closer to the floor, as is the case here. There is a thermocouple all the way in the left there towards the bottom. And in this kiln here, you will notice the thermocouple is closer to the roof.
What I want to show you is how the different models work, but also do a demonstration to show you how you can do your own calibration of your kiln and get the best results with your annealing schedules.
For this example, I have a rod of un-struck Half Blood, 1933. I am going to place the four different sections of the rod into four different places in the kiln. Then we will check on it after 20 minutes at 1075 and we are going to see if the rods are all striking red the way they are supposed to.
I’ve got the four different section of the rod in four different locations. One is over to the left by the thermocouple sensor. Another one is on the right wall, furthest from the thermocouple sensor. There is a rod laying down in the back of the kiln, and there is a rod laying down in the front of the kiln.
We are going to let these go for about 20 minutes at 1075, then we will check in on them.
Here we are after about 20 minutes. You can see the glass leaning on the side wall towards the top has stuck a nice and deep red, but towards the floor we haven’t seen much color change. At the back of the kiln, we have a rod laying flat that struck all the same color and the rod towards the front is only partially struck.
So, if you are leaving your work towards the door in the kiln, you can see what’s happening with your heat base. Typically, stuff that’s on the ground versus higher up tends to not be at the same temperature as the rest of the kiln.
]]>This is a very special update. This summer, we announced the first ever, Glass Alchemy Artist Grant Program and I am excited to let you know that we have a winner!!! This new program is a way for GA to support artists who want to really push the limits of borosilicate, awarding one artist with up to $2,500 in color, to help their vision come to life!
Before the big reveal, I want to thank each and every artist who applied. Jodi and I were blown away by both the quantity and quality of the entries. Your creativity is a big part of what fuels the commitment of the entire GA crew and we appreciate you taking the time to share your ideas and inspiration with us.
All entries were reviewed by Jodi and myself based on their level of innovation, development opportunity and project viability. Each candidate was reviewed anonymously and the top 20 candidates were reviewed twice. Once we narrowed it down to 10 applications, the Glass Alchemy Makers Alliance Board of Directors made the final selection. Once the final selection was made, we got to see the winner's name for the first time!!
We are excited to let you know that Jason Gordon of Gordon's Glassware is the winner of the 2017 Artist Grant Program!!
Together in collaboration with Christopher Rice Metal Works, Jason's winning entry is a large scale "living chandelier " that will have GA color, metal and living foliage in a hydroponic style growing system.
Suspended from the ceiling with a fully functional lowering system for cleaning and upkeep, the chandelier will consist of a multitude of glass flares ranging from small (12 inch across) to large (24 inch across ) replicating flowers. The metal work will make up the foliage, adding depth to the piece and will be the overall frame. The longer the foliage is up-kept the more amazing the piece becomes.
Jason will begin working on this project after the New Year. We look forward to learning from Jason's experience and will be sure to keep you updated along the way!!
Peace - Thomas
]]>
Back in 2014, I started working on our first CFL colors. At the time, the term "CFL" was not used by anyone in our industry to describe a color or its characteristics. No one asked me to make a color that intentionally shifted based on the light source, but I had an idea for a new line of colors that I felt everyone needed to see.
In a future blog post I will talk more about my R&D and new color development process, but for the sake of this post, I can tell you that when working on a brand new color, the process takes time. A new color family is not born overnight. There is a lot of trial and error and a lot of exploration that needs to be done.
From the time I started working on Serum in 2014 to the time we released Serum in the Summer of 2015, I went through well over one hundred R&D tests on a handful of new colors. We managed to keep these colors under wraps for months as I was working through different formulations.
By the time we released Serum, I had developed formulas for Purple Potion, Blurple, Terps and Voodoo.
When Serum hit the streets your enthusiasm exploded. Do you remember the @elboglass iG post "It Changes Color!!"?? This was the first CFL activated color on the market and it made waves. At first people weren't quite sure what to make of it and some actually made fun of it, but before long Serum became one of the most widely copied colors on the market.
It took a long time for the intense demand for Serum to loosen up. Once it did, we had our filtration system in place, and I was able to focus on Terps, the first cadmium based CFL color.
We released Terps this Spring and followed it up with the recent release of Potion!!
In addition to these CFL colors, we also have a Serum / Terps hybrid, code named "Serps" available in the Test Lab section for a limited time.
The best news of all is that all four colors are current available and in stock on GlassAlchemy.com!!! Check out Serum, Terps, Potion and the new Test Lab "Serps" here and stay tuned for more exciting CFL action from Glass Alchemy, the pioneers in color development.
Peace - Thomas
]]>What you might not know, is that when we made that first batch of Serum back in 2015, we made a small batch of a color called Purple Potion. Purple Potion shifted from purple to a more intense purple, but Serum was in such high demand, we put Purple Potion on the back burner. I loved the color purple that Purple Potion could achieve, but wanted more of a pop, so I went back and reworked the formulation and created a color that shifts between purple and blue.
This new and improved version of Potion was originally called Potion 2.0. After a few more tweaks to the formula, we nailed it, finalized the formula and officially named the color Potion.
We are thrilled to release Potion to Small Batch!!
So many talented artists have made amazing pieces with our CFL colors. Who knows what you might be able to create with your imagination, the right color and the right light!?
Peace - Thomas
]]>The attendance from the public and demonstrating artists this year was massive! Each day more and more people showed up to contribute in one way or another, knowing it was all for charity. Bringing art classes back to the public schools of Detroit through the help of Art Road is a great cause that we can all see a direct impact in being involved with.
As the master of ceremonies it was my duty to keep things moving on the mic while everyone was moving and shaking on the ground. A positive energy was flowing through the air and it kept getting stronger as we moved up toward the height of the event. The Silent Auction nearly doubled in size compared to last year and had beautiful work to offer to our patrons. I overheard and was told many tales of happiness from those who obtained their new treasures. Objects ranging from pendants and marbles, to pipes, goblets, tools and sculpture were available to bid on all 3 days of the event closing out at 6 on Sunday.
The Silent Auction led us into the Live Auction where I had the job of auctioneer. This part has become one of my favorite ways to contribute to our glass charity community and this year was the best yet. We had 14 items go up for auction and raised almost $35,000 in an hour at the event on the Live Music Stage outside. With day 3 coming to a close, we joined Germ at this year's Sip and Whip for a celebratory drink and raised more money to put art classes back into the schools of Detroit.
With the finest pieces of the event being completed and put into the kilns at the end of the event, there is much more work to show and sell for the benefit of Art Road. Artists worked for days on some of the collaborations and we cheered as each extensive project was placed into the kiln for annealing.
Salt would not stop working and while juggling the completion of the largest functional collaboration at the event, he unleashed an hours long session of the Dabber Extravaganza which raised even more money on the spot for the Project!! We ended staying up until 6 or 7 in the morning on Monday until he turned off the torch.
Now, in the aftermath of the event, we are seeing beautiful photographs of all the work going up for auction on Instagram from Alex Reyna. There are tons of great photos of the event from Pyroscopic and everyone that attended.
I know it is early to say this, but do not miss the next Michigan Glass Project!! Save the dates when they announce them and make this event a must do for 2018. No other glass related event has ever made me feel the way this one does. It was art classes that saved me as a troubled youth, so the cause hits close to home. The ability to show the power of the people in our community and industry makes me so proud of all of you and what we accomplished.
To the future, and the children who are our future, we believe in you! To all the artists who help make this wonderful event happen, I thank and commend you. Stay tuned to @themichiganglassproject on Instagram to see the total impact from this year's contribution to Art Road Detroit.
See you in a year!
Mike Shelbo
]]>While we were in Detroit we asked co-founder Allison Key to provide an inside look into the event. Check out what Allison has to say!
GA: Why did you decide to start The Michigan Glass Project?
Allison: Thinking back to 2012, when the idea came up to start a project, I believe we simply thought the concept sounded fun. We have always been great at throwing parties and uniting our artist friends. I think based on our background of being so in love with our city, it seemed like a great idea to throw a party that centered around glass and it also allowed us to do something more for Detroit.
We had a shop of I think 7 people back then, none of whom were connected to the glass industry in any big way. We had never attended a trade show and I think Drew was the only one who had ever really traveled to other shops and had been to the Colorado Project once. Blade was really the catalyst for connecting the fact that we were starting a Project to those in the industry who could help us.
At that time, I didn't understand how sponsorship worked or knew anything about the top players or glassworkers in our industry; I was so out of touch. I made production glass in my shop and I sold it locally; we all did. Blade was able to give us a very simple framework based on his experience with the Colorado Project and starting a nonprofit of this type; mission statement, team roles, a name, bylaws etc.
The hardest part was picking a charity. Not because we couldn't find a worthy one, but because there were so many options. At that time, and in some ways still today, we still live in a run down, playground, do-what-you-want Detroit. We thrived on that connection to our city. Ultimately we decided on The Belle Isle Aquarium, a 100+ year-old aquarium that had been shut down and disregarded due to funding cuts in our bankrupt city. When we met the folks there, who were all amazing volunteers, it really ignited the desire to start a Project. Choosing the aquarium allowed us to reach so many demographics at once and it really kick-started us because we then had local backers who loved the idea.
We started to see that on the city level the funds may not be there, but on the ground level you had a ton of people willing to work for changes they wanted to see in the city. We also have a very strong-knit group of artist friends, of all mediums, who joined with us to tag team our first event. I honestly don't know if the size of the event could have gotten so massive any place but here because we were already all so used to working tirelessly for peanuts, that no one cared about setting aside other work to devote time to the Project. It was a 'this is what we're doing; who's on board?' mentality. Thinking on why it was started is multi-faceted because it has morphed so much over the years. As time went on, and more and more people got involved, we really got to see what it means to create community for the community.
When we started it was about throwing a fun party with a charitable twist; now we do it because it unites hundreds of people to a level playing field, and that unification allows us to give back to kids in a way that will most definitely shape the world we live in - even after we are gone.
GA: How would you describe The Michigan Glass Project to someone not familiar with our industry?
Allison: The Michigan Glass Project is a charitable live art music festival that raises funds for Art Road Nonprofit. Art Road's Nonprofit is an organization that returns art curriculum to elementary and middle school students at public schools, where art programs were lost due to budget cuts. Glass artists from across the nation create one-of-a-kind works live and on- site, that are then sold in silent, live, and online auctions. The event includes live street art and painting, 70 vendor booths of all artistic mediums, 2 stages with live music and DJs, food, drink, and really outlandish extracurricular art activities. All profits, beyond costs associated with holding and promoting the event, are donated to Art Road and in turn art programs for public schools in Detroit.
GA: Why do you think it’s important for our industry to give back to the community?
Allison: Our industry is comprised of so many good-hearted, loving people. We are all very connected and care deeply about one another. When we unite for a worthy cause, we get the opportunity to come together as one team, and it lets us step outside of our personal profit and competitive boundaries.
Taking part in an event like MGP or AAGI really puts the deepest of meanings into collaborations. Not only are artists who may not otherwise get the chance to work together collaborating on pieces, but those pieces are changing hands, getting seen, getting appreciated, getting sold, and in turn becoming art class for a child or a meal for a hungry person. It allows one piece to expand its reach far beyond its initial intent. Also, we all know how much the pipe scene can be frowned upon by those not in it, but I think by giving back we show just what we are capable of. It's so important to give back, to give in general. It is only through giving that we receive. I don't know that any other industry is united like we all are, or that any industry can drop differences like we can, or that any industry shares knowledge with each other like we do. It is a very special thing.
By taking part in these kinds of events, we set an example to anyone that crosses our path. We spread light on our craft and our livelihoods as pipe makers. We aren't necessarily doing it to prove anything to anyone, but it is inevitable that we do. As we unite and give together, our hearts grow and we become more and more connected to one another, and to affecting positive change in the world because of the gifts we are giving.
GA: What made you decide to benefit Art Road?
Allison: Since the beginning, we had talked about raising money for something that benefits kids, but we were hesitant with the majority of money coming from pipe sales. After the first three years, with the aquarium back up on its feet and running, we knew we needed somewhat of a fresh start, or purpose. I googled something along the lines of "art programs for kids" and stumbled upon the Art Road website. I instantly felt good about what they were doing, in that they are putting art right back into the regular curriculum that currently lack it. I sent a general email to their site and Carol, the founder, replied. We met for coffee a couple days later. She is absolutely amazing. When you look in this woman's eyes, you can feel love and tenderness and warmth and genuine understanding. She is a true hero for starting the organization, and she's been running it with her husband and their small team for 16 years. Carol and Steven have worked tirelessly and have some good backers, but were kind of on what seemed like a plateau as far as funding and expansion. I believe our meeting was mutually beneficial in that it gave new fire to both of our organizations. They got very involved in our event, which was very new for us and absolutely incredible.
We loved the idea of using the art generated at the event to give art back to kids. I don't think we realized until we announced the event just how much it would hit home with everyone in our industry as well. It extends far past our industry, and touches anyone who has any kind of involvement with art. We went from raising $36K for the Aquarium in three years to raising $40K for Art Road in just one. Then in 2016, that $40K doubled to $80K. The proof was right there in the numbers. It garnered more support than we ever imagined possible. That support and the help of every person who has anything to do with the Project is what really carries us now. I mean it when I say it belongs to no one person. It belongs to thousands of people - truly the biggest team effort I have ever experienced.
GA: What are your future plans for The Michigan Glass Project?
Allison: Charity-wise, we want to stick with Art Road. This year we really got down to the nitty-gritty with the numbers. Approximately 24,000 kids in Detroit proper, in 51 out of 83 public schools, lack art. And that's just Detroit. This problem holds true all across our state and the nation. Ten years ago, before they closed and merged schools, those 83 Detroit schools numbered over 100. So, that equates to more students in less schools, the majority of which have no artistic curriculum. We are really starting to grasp the fact that we can make a real difference here.
Our goal is to donate at least $100K this year, and we believe it's going to happen. That means the addition of one more school to Art Roads roster, and additional funding for all of the others. The bigger those donation checks get, the bigger we want to see them become in the future. Shelbo told me I am in a snowball, and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. I can definitely feel that. With the support and backing we have now, we are confident it will just keep growing, and I feel blessed that we have so much help to make it all a reality.
The artists that come out and work are truly remarkable. They all really give it everything they've got. I don't know what it is, maybe part Detroit hustle mentality, part this amazing industry of workhorses, and part their connection to the cause but I've never seen so many people in one room working so hard for three days straight. The energy everyone puts out carries everyone else in the room throughout the entire event.
Event-wise, we have plans to add live neon demos in a big way next year. Our music lineup will expand, now that we know what it means to have and run a full stage. In addition, we are always tweaking the event and building upon critiques and suggestions. I like to let others have ideas about what they want to see at the event and then help put it into action. Our torch count will remain the same, 40 is plenty, although the guys love to mess with me and tell me it will be 100 some day!
GA: How can people get involved?
Allison: The easiest way to get involved and to become the most connected is to simply attend. The Project carries an energy all its own and you have to really be there to experience it. It will move you! And that's what we want most - to inspire people to get creative and find their own way to be a part of the mission.
If artists are unable to attend, we also accept shipped donations all year long and then sell them, mainly on Instagram. Any additional monetary donations that help us with event costs, means we get to donate that much more to Art Road. We take applications for torch time and choose artists on a juried basis, simply because we have such an overwhelming amount of requests each year. We also take applications for live painters.
The event is massive and we always need volunteers. And volunteering is a great way to get in the mix, meet people, and see the event from its inner-workings.
On the higher end, a good deal of our funding for the event is provided by our incredibly generous sponsors. So people or businesses who want to get involved on that level are much appreciated.
We hope to see everyone at the 2018 event!
*photo by @pyroscopic
]]>INTRODUCING… The Glass Alchemy Artist Grant Program! This is a new way for GA to support artists who want to really push the limits of borosilicate. We are going to award one artist with up to $2,500 in color, to help their vision come to life!
Are you eligible? Well, are you an artist? Then, yes! No idea is too big or small; if you are dreaming of a massive, public art installation or a technical project to push the boundaries of boro, this is your chance to tell us about it. Apply here by September 9, 2017. All applications will be reviewed anonymously by Glass Alchemy and the final selection will be made by the Makers Alliance Board of Directors in early October.
Let’s go big, together. Your dream project might be the one that gets thousands of dollars in color. Get your application in today!
]]>We are blown away by how much artists love working with Neo-Cads™. Between the popularity of these colors and the fact that Neo-Cads™ allow for fearless sculpting, they have flown off our shelves. It has been a dream of mine to make a cadmium palette that is sculpt-able. The fact that our customers are now making an entire piece out of cad colors is awesome – just a few years ago, this wasn’t a possibility. I love it when you guys help make our dreams a reality.
I also love opening new avenues in color. Glass Alchemy would not be able to push boro boundaries without our customers! Now that you are using cads like never before, the demand on these colors is like never before. Since we are a small operation, we can’t make every cadmium color at once. We only have so many pots here, and quality is too important to us to rush product out the door.
We want to make as many colors as we can, while making sure you have the chance to get your hands on what you need. As we begin what will be an ongoing color rotation, we have started making a new Yellow variant called Banana, and soon we will add Chartreuse to the Neo-Cad™ line up. We’ll make as much as we can before moving to the next colors in rotation. I’m excited about the opportunity to continually provide new, vibrant, exciting cads to our friends across the country and around the world. This is glass that artists will be stoked to have in their palette and collectors will be stoked to add to their collections.
We are sold out of ketchup and our OJ stock is now dwindling down, so be sure to grab some - since it might be a while before it is back in rotation. In the meantime, get ready for some new Neo-Cads™!!
Thanks for giving all of us at Glass Alchemy a daily dose of inspiration to make glass that is worthy of your talent and passion.
]]>GA: Why did you decide to start the AAGI?
Craig: I decided to start AAGI based on what I experienced with Sean Mueller and The Colorado Project giving back to their local food bank. I saw great potential for something like that here in Texas. With the help of Nick at the Glassroots Arts Show giving me a push, I realized that with our large number of glassblowers, it would be awesome to see what the Texas glass scene could do to give back to our local community - while helping to bridge the gap between the community as a whole and glass pipe makers.
GA: How would you describe the AAGI to someone not familiar with our industry?
Craig: AAGI is a non-profit event in Austin, Texas consisting of music, food, and art. Over 70 glassblowers, both locally and nationally recognized, along with graffiti artists, participate in live demonstrations. The focus is to create one-of-a-kind works of art to be auctioned off with all the proceeds benefiting Meals on Wheels Central Texas (MOWCTX).
GA: Why do you think it’s important for our industry to give back to the community?
Craig: I feel giving back to the community is a vital to keeping it healthy and creative. If the glass blowing community can give back and have a direct impact on our local communities, I see it as a great bridge - to better understand, appreciate and respect each other. It’s also a reminder to us as artists to create collaboratively for a greater purpose rather than competitively for ourselves as individuals.
GA: What made you decide to benefit Meals on Wheels Central Texas?
Craig: Choosing a beneficiary is a bit difficult in that you want a group that not only has a positive impact on the community, but has also has great respect and integrity with financial clarity. We chose Meals On Wheels Central Texas as our beneficiary based on their actions and impact over time in our local area. MOWCTX seeks to nourish and enrich the lives of the home-bound and others in need through programs that promote dignity and independent living. They distribute over 3,000 meals per day. Every $25 donated is equal to 10 meals, plus other vital services. MOWCTX has a holistic approach to case management and offers a variety of services and programs for their clients. These programs are provided free of charge and are designed to enrich the lives of those they serve.
GA: What are your future plans for the Armadillo Art Glass Initiative?
Craig: In the future we would like to grow the event to include more artist demonstrations as well as more vending opportunities for artists of various mediums. We are also looking to bring back some live music to the stages for more of a festival feel to the event. Be sure to check out our website for developing details on the 2018 AAGI Main Event: ArmadilloArtGlassInitaitive.com
GA: How can people get involved?
Craig: If someone wants to participate, we have a few ways to get involved. Attendance at the Main Event is always a sure bet since the door donation also goes directly to MOWCTX. If you can attend, applying for a demonstration or volunteer time slot is also a great way to plug in. If you are looking to go that extra mile, sponsorship of AAGI is what makes the event happen. Our sponsors fund the AAGI event budget so that all of the art and money donated can go directly to MOWCTX. If you are not able to attend the main event, you can still get involved - by making a direct donation to MOWCTX via our secure web link, or by mailing a donated piece of art for the silent auction, where the proceeds benefit MOWCTX.
Event season is in full swing, and we are excited to host another summer Open House at Studio Alchemy! This year's event on Thursday, July 6th will be the biggest yet. We will have a pop-up show featuring work created by Eusheen during the two weeks he will be teaching at Pilchuck. We will also have plenty of demos, new colors available and Shelbo on the mic.
Our space will stay busy after the Open House, as we continue to offer classes. When we opened Studio Alchemy in May of 2014, we had the idea of providing a creative space dedicated to bringing borosilicate artists and glass together for new creative adventures.
I have attended several glass classes in the past with hard stop times, whether a piece was done or not. I always felt students were missing some of the most important aspects of the learning process. What happens when a piece is 98% done, and then cracks? Studio Alchemy was the first classroom setting to allow teachers to set their own hours. This means, if class needs to go until 3am, then class can go until 3am.
In the past year, we’ve continued our commitment to artists-helping-artists. Check out the highlights from the Phil Siegel and Banjo class here. We have also hosted the Neo-Cad show, a Salt & Voorhees class, and a Punty & Dosh class. Be sure to keep your eyes open for some upcoming class announcements!
If you’ve never been to a Studio Alchemy class, know that they are worth it! We strive to make every class the best in the industry, modeling our classes after what I experienced at The Ultimate Class in 2013. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Ultimate Class, it really was the ultimate. Joe Peters, Elbo, Mike Shelbo, Coyle, WJC & Snic all made epic pieces in front of 20 students at Peter Muller's studio in Vermont. The experience I had at this class really raised the bar and helped set the foundation for the approach we have taken at Studio Alchemy.
We think hosting classes and events at our Studio provides great opportunities for artists to feel at home at Glass Alchemy. And we really mean the “at home” part. So much so, that we give students the opportunity to hand pick color straight from our shelves. We also think the long hours require real nourishment, so our class participants enjoy home cooked meals & snacks. The food is great, and is courtesy of Susan and Henry, who love the opportunity to stay connected to the glass community, post-retirement.
In the end, it really is all about family. We are all part of a great community of artists. Whether you come to a class or to our Open House, we hope to welcome you to our home soon!
Peace - Thomas
]]>When I took over color development at Glass Alchemy in 2009, it was important for me to find my own voice as a color maker. Not only did I want to make my dad’s formulas even better, I wanted to forge my own path and explore colorants in a whole new way. I started by reworking our existing colors and really got to spread my wings when I introduced our new line of transparent colors, starting with Purple Rain in 2012. At a time when Slyme by TAG was king, artists literally begged me to make a GA equivalent. Instead of participating in the “color war” I wanted to bring something new to the table – color that looks good and can hold up in a 40 hour piece. Rather than jumping on the hype train, and knocking off a top color, we decided to forge a new direction for Glass Alchemy and for the industry.
Doing what we do sometimes means making tough choices. Because we treat glass as an art form rather than as a commodity, quality takes priority over quantity. Which means we may never make enough glass to keep every artist happy all the time. Our innovation often “inspires” other producers with their color-making. While frustrating, it doesn’t stop us from continuing to face forward and lead the industry through hand-making glass like only GA can. We believe we are different in the most important ways.
I have made the choice to invest a big chunk of my life to expand the color palette available to our customers. The time and commitment invested by myself and the GA crew is evident in the glass we produce. The innovative colors we make here at Glass Alchemy are a direct result of this commitment and our desire to provide our customers with the best color we can. I am blessed to work with a team who shows up to work every day wanting to make the best glass possible. Their passion fuels me to continue to push the industry’s boundaries and I am excited for the future and color possibilities that exist.
We will likely never make the most glass in the industry. Much more important to us is leading the way in developing glass that’s never been seen before and making the highest quality glass in the industry. Some examples of these colors are: Purple Rain, Rozay, Brozay, Rain Drop, Blue Dream, Blue Dreamingo, Tonic, Serum, Haterade, Crippy, Terps, Lemon Drop, Tangie, Hot Sauce, Potion, Blurple, Neo-Cads and many more to come!!!
We don’t have any control over who emulates us, so we focus on where we are and where we are going. That’s something that keeps us excited, motivated and ready to ship your next order.
Thanks for your support of Glass Alchemy!
Thomas
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