Birgit

Making large cast glass work to commission for Ivan : at Glow Glass Studio – teamwork

Watching the casting process for a large glass art piece for Ivan Mora, another inspired and talented glass artist who works internationally! Today we had the opportunity to catch up with him a bit and I learnt that he was artist in residence for an extended period of time at the glass studio Berengo in Murano, Venice, Italy.

In Spring – summer 2013 Jason spent some time at Berengo Glass Studio before moving on to getting more hands on involved at Zanetti (practically around the corner from Berengo).

These are some of the world’s utmost renowned glassmakers and it was really exciting to hear personal stories of Ivan’s time there as well as to get to know him a bit better over a cup of coffee.

Casting at Glow Glass Studio with Alex Abajian, Ivan and Jason

Happening in the Glass Studio the other day

Jason Stropko: The start of another glass piece — Jason Stropko: The start of another glass chestnut

September 10, 2015 by Birgit Categories: glass, glass studio, nuts and seeds in glassTags: California craft, California glass, chestnut, craft, glass artist, glass seed, Glow Glass Studio Oakland, italian roasting chestnut, Jason Stropko glassmaker, nuts and seeds, own art Leave a comment

A flash from the past when Jason was full time employed making glass…

Being employed full time... — Being employed full time…

A flash from the past when Jason was full time employed making glass for somebody else than himself. He used to make ornamental pumpkins, apples and pears, some vessels, some special projects. In the 6 years with his previous employers Jason quickly rose to head gaffer (aka: head maker) which means that he was the one holding the highest responsibility for that each glass product is finished exactly as designed.

The high pressure work environment left a couple of physical injuries but also gave Jason complete confidence in his skills as a technically competent maker.

September 9, 2015 by Birgit Categories: glass, glass studioTags: employment, Jason Stropko Leave a comment

working with Glass Artist Jess Wainer at Glow Glass Studio…

Yesterday Jason assisted Jess Wainer creating her beautiful luminescent large glass lampshades for a client commission. In the light these shades virtually glow and diffract colour into these gorgeous washes of green, yellow, red.. When not hit by direct sunlight the shades are a warm golden honey yellow with a whitish fog over towards the rim.

The picture shows Jess’s work straight from out of the annealer after their overnight controlled cooling process; before the items are cold worked and finished, hopefully we can show her final pieces, too.

Each lampshade will sell for $1000, 3 were ordered.

Lampshade designed by Jess Wainer, created with assistance from J.Stropko

September 8, 2015 by Birgit Categories: blog, glassTags: assisting, colour, commissions, glass artist, glassartist, Glow Glass Studio Oakland, Jason Stropko assisted, Jess Wainer, lampshade, made to order Leave a comment

glassmaker’s tools in the glass studio

Here are a selection of tools made especially for working with hot molten glass as well as some more familiar ones that you will recognise from home diy projects.

On the far left is a cork yoga block that Jason cut into half, glued to a sheet of plywood and turned into a tool that can shape molten glass. He often uses this one when he is making blown glass chestnuts for example. Keep an eye on other studio photographs and you might spot him using it. He calls this a cork paddle.

September 7, 2015 by Birgit Categories: glass, glass studio, toolsTags: Glow Glass Studio Oakland, Jason Stropko Leave a comment

Jason adds a very special new product to his collection of handblown glass! #3

pattuto drinking glass — Battuto drinking glass, made by Jason Stropko

A very special drinking glass, a style of which not many exist anywhere (because it requires time consuming multiple work steps to great and there is no other way of creating it..)

The process is called battuto. The glass is first blown into a mould to create ripple lines, blown a little thicker than usual. Then annealed overnight. Then the glass is ground with special glass grinding wheels, a process that in total take around 2 hours in the hands on making + the annealing time. THEN the glass is hot torched to soften the ground glass edges and sandy appearance. Then the glass is once more annealed and finally examined to check if the desired affect was achieved.

The total time worked and equipment used accounts for the uniqueness and price of this luxury, special occasion item! We are thinking about developing a full table set of these battuto glasses to offer at gallery price to the right person.

September 4, 2015 by Birgit Categories: blog, glassTags: Glow Glass Studio Oakland, Jason Stropko Leave a comment

What it looks like when Alex creates glass bubbles #2

A day at the Glass Studio, Alex throw kerosene into the furnace to create fine bubbles in the glass for a glass commission project.

The Glass Studio : throwing kerosene into the furnace..

September 3, 2015 by Birgit Categories: blog, glassTags: Glow Glass Studio Oakland Leave a comment

Today in the studio

spending the day developing project ideas and making more of the blown glass table set items.. drinking glasses, bowls and functional vessels will be ready soon!

The process benefits tremendously from teamwork. Good communication, a sense of humour a steady hand and years of skill are all requires from both the gaffer (Jason) and his assistant; today Evan Kolker who is an incredible glassmaker, on other days Jason assist him in the making of his intricate and highly technical skill requiring glass art objects! It is a real stroke of luck that Jason found this glassmakers community. Where many colleagues also have very high skills levels. There is also Alex Abajian, the studio owner and another outstanding glassmaker. A series of glassmakers rent the studio and there are a lot of fantastic projects happening here. You wouldn’t know what you are missing until you see what these people make out of molten glass..