antique glass – Jason Stropko Glass

It is time to begin thinking about Christmas / Season ornaments…

We agree, it feels like it is just a little bit too soon to say those words, but knowing how time can fly and how making glass to meet orders can take a little time we decided to join the and shops that already play Christmas Music, except we aren’t playing the music (just yet), we will wait until December before we do that!

Jason blowing a huge clear glass bubble... — Jason blowing a huge clear glass bubble…

Just playing around making a large clear glass bauble, thinking about larger than life christmas ornaments made in glass! These will only be made by special order and cost from around $95 for a clear/transparent colour and around $125 for an optic mould blown one.. Orders should ideally be received during the month of November. It will be possible to make some in December, too. But the sooner you dream up your christmas ornaments colour choices and designs the sooner they can be in production!

more possible Christmas ornament designs.. — an idea for possible Christmas ornament designs..

But here an early offering of: place your order early and be guaranteed a timely delivery (in good time to send gifts as ornaments to friends around the world even!)

October 10, 2015 by Birgit Categories: antique glass, blog, christmasTags: 2015, decoration, glass, glass bubble, Glassblowing Studio, home decor, Jason Stropko glassmaker, ornaments, sample Leave a comment

Jason’s colour samples for a blown & sculpted glass project…

To get ready to make additional seeds for the ongoing nut and seed project it is necessary to try out different glass colour batches, blow them out and see how different colours react with each other. It takes trial and error and educated judgments to find those glass colours that work best to make life like blown glass seeds and glass nuts.

Glass colour samples in Jason's studio, getting ready for a range of seeds and nuts to be made soon. — Glass colour samples in Jason’s studio, getting ready for a range of seeds and nuts to be made soon.

September 28, 2015 by Birgit Categories: antique glass, blog, glass, nuts and seeds in glassTags: colour, corn, glass seed, heirloom, Jason Stropko, Jason Stropko Glass, Jason Stropko glassmaker, maize, nuts and seeds, sculpted glass Leave a comment

then there was the day when everybody was at the Glass studio…

… there was a hive of activity, everybody was working.. David worked on his line of drinking glasses with rocks embedded in them, Evan assisted, Jerry worked with a group of clients with another glassmaker assistant, Heather was just outside the field of vision working on a deadline…

Glow Glas Studio in Oakland, California, full of activity! (David Battaglia, Evan Kolker, Jerry Kung and Cody Nicely assisting + 3 brand new glassblowing students / designers standing around)

DSC_3201 copy — Jerry Kung explaining something

DSC_3212 copy — David Battaglia at work making his rock-drinking glasses

DSC_3198 copy — Jerry Kung giving a glassblowing demonstration to his students, with Cody (to the far right) assisting

..but where was Jason?

Sometimes every hardworking glassmaker needs a restorative siesta... — Sometimes every hardworking glassmaker needs a restorative siesta…

September 21, 2015 by Birgit Categories: antique glassTags: 2015, art, assisting, blown glass, California, California glass, David Battaglia, Evan Kolker glass, glass, glass artist, glassblowing, glassmaker, Glow Glass Studio Oakland, hot glass, Jerry Kung, Jerry Kung Glass, Oakland, teamwork Leave a comment

Coiled Czech glass seen at Glow Glass Studio …

Sometimes walking around the glass studio we see some surprises, here is some antique czech glass stemware belonging to Alex Abajian.

The coils that you see the foot being made with: these demonstrate one of the oldest glassmaking process that were used before glass was even blown; whereby molten glass was wound around a clay core to create vessels..

In the foreground: Antique czech glass seen at Alex Abajian's glass studio in Oakland. (in the background Jason's tabelware) — In the foreground: Antique czech glass seen at Alex Abajian’s glass studio in Oakland.
(in the background Jason’s tabelware)

This process was followed by the advancements brought by mould making and casting glass and only in 50 BC did blown glass enter the scene.

If you are interested then you can read up more about the history of glass here: http://umich.edu/~kelseydb/Exhibits/WondrousGlass/RomanGlass-Making.html

September 13, 2015 by Birgit Categories: antique glass, glass, glass history, glass studio, historyTags: Alex Abajian, blown glass, collection, czech glass, drinking glass, history of glass, stemware, wine glass Leave a comment