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Thanks to 1960s Saturday afternoon television, I’m a glass artist.
When I was small, back when UHFosaurs roamed the earth, Saturday morning was for cartoons. But at noon, after the cartoons were done, a kid’s choices were a) monster movies or b) roller derby. Since I was reading Asimov and Clarke and Simak by the time I was 8, I was already too sophisticated an audience for what got filmed as science fiction midcentury. So roller derby it was. I never figured out how the games were scored but I liked how fast the women skated. And the fights. Even then I enjoyed watching grownups behaving badly.
Flashforward to the 1990s and the riot grrl-inspired roller derby revival. Young women and girls were organizing and teams were popping up everywhere. It was and remains entirely a homegrown sport with no big-money promotion behind it so teams are self-financing. I learned about it by driving past a fundraiser car wash by the local team. I went to a bout and was hooked. I became a passionate supporter, recalling those Saturday afternoons of my childhood except with way more genderqueer.
One time I attended an evening fundraiser for the team that included a silent auction – and now we finally get to the point of my story. One of the skaters was a glass artist and one of the silent auction items was a lesson in glass fusing. I thought that sounded interesting and so I bid on it and won. And was absolutely captivated by the process, and started taking regular lessons from her.
After emigrating in the oughties it took me awhile to find my footing in my new home but after I did I found another artist to learn from. When once-a-week studio time wasn’t enough, I saved up and bought my own kiln and set up my own studio and commenced learning by doing, in the process wasting a lot of expensive art glass.
I work primarily in “warm glass”, using temperatures up to about 1600F to fuse and slump flat assemblies of glass in a kiln. This is distinguished from “hot glass” where special furnaces bring glass to 2400F and a completely molten state which is then blown and shaped. I’m also learning lampwork, using a torch to form small 3D objects.
Warm glass is a slow medium. Once you have cut and assembled the glass, the firing cycle can take ten or twelve hours with long, slow heatup and cooldown periods to prevent shattering from thermal shock. Many pieces take multiple firings. You must wait to find out if the result matches your vision, or is just scrap. Or once in a while you get something unexpected but delightful.
For some reason I like the delay. I like there’s always some uncertainty. Skill and experience can minimize it but you can never be quite certain how the heat will affect your efforts.
I make a lot of mezuzot, Jewish ritual objects that are affixed to doorways. They’re a fun challenge because it’s a very restricted size and shape but within those strict limits one can be playful.
Lately I’ve gotten interested in Kufic script, which is Arabic rendered on a strict grid pattern. It is a perfect subject for kilncarving, the process of using heat-resistant material to “carve” shapes into the glass.
After several years of work I opened a gallery in the local artists’ quarter. In January of 2020, so that worked out well. The gallery is closed. The gallery’s web page is still up. Most everything pictured is available for sale, and I also take commissions if you have a project in mind.
“Calico” approx. 20×17 cm including frame. In memoriam of my calico Isadore.
“Bismillahir rahmanir rahim”, bowl about 26 cm diameter.
Kufic script seems like a natural mate with kilncarving; the squared-off stencils are easier to cut than other more flowing styles of Arabic calligraphy.
Star Trek-themed mezuzot. The Hebrew letter ש is traditional on a mezuzah.
Candy dishes, part of “Bluegrass Band” series
Fresh Sushi mezuzah
“Cthulhu calling down the moon”, approx 15 cm square
Astro-bowl #2
“Ruins”. Framed, backlit. About 15cm square.
Mezuza, “9 planets” (yes, I know it’s only supposed to be 8 planets now. Pluto still gets all respect from me.)
numfar
Ruins…beautiful!
opiejeanne
I love Isadore and the candy dishes, and especially Cthulhu calling down the moon, but I don’t quite understand the Mezuzah(s?) even though I like them. Aren’t they supposed to have a space inside for the blessing script? I know which one is Jupiter.
Casey and I took a class in this in October, 2019. We roomed together on Whidbey Island for a week and visited a “hot box” studio on the island and got to talk to the artists there, like Fritz Dreisbach. https://flic.kr/p/2hC21YE
It was great fun and we both vowed to take another class from this teacher, and then Covid struck.
opiejeanne
I really should tell you that everything here is beautiful, and I looked at the gallery page and that’s full of wonderful things too, and now I understand that those are covers for a mezuzah.
dnfree
I love the Arthur C Clarke one from the Facebook page, and the Astro bowl.
mrmoshpotato
Fixed. ?
joel hanes
[Clifford] Simak
One of my favorites from that era. Under-appreciated and under-remembered now.
Joey Maloney
@opiejeanne: I suppose it can be hard to tell from the photos, but the mezuzot are in fact convex shaped with a space for the scroll
Oops, saw your followup too late. Yes, these are mezuzah cases. But in my experience calling them that to a non-Jewish audience tends to cause confusion.
HinTN
@joel hanes:
Some of us remember.
HinTN
@Joey Maloney: We are easily confused. Don’t give up! ?
mrmoshpotato
Very nice glass work. That astrobowl looks awesome.
narya
Your pieces are just lovely!! I particularly like the guitars.
A friend/coworker used to own an art glass studio/store with her wife; they’ve been clearing things out and she saved me a piece of Dalle de verre. When I was in pastry school, we did some sugar work, and it turns out that some of the pastry chefs took glassblowing classes to improve their sugar work. I actually was pretty good at it (for a newbie)–much better than I was at chocolate work, at which I sucked.
West of the Rockies
Those are absolutely beautiful and fun, Joey! I love them!
Saturday afternoons also brought college football or professional baseball on TV, but I was more likely to climb a tree and read a Hardy Boys book while munching on a five-cent box of Boston Baked Beans candy.
stinger
How beautiful and striking!
Joey Maloney
@narya: I actually went through a phase of making “stained-glass” candy after seeing someone do it on FoodTV, years before I started working with glass. I guess 300F molten-sticks-to-your-skin wasn’t dangerous enough for me. I had to boost the temperature and add razor-sharp edges before I was satisfied. :-)
Sure Lurkalot
So nice. For once, I have no favorites, they are all interesting to look at.
So, about the kiln…is it electric? Is it in your home or separate? Is it expensive to run? Only curious…hot molten shit scares the crap out of me after watching a film strip in 2nd grade about Mt. Vesuvius.
Kristine
Love “Calico,” and the guitars and communicators. Lovely work all around.
LivinginExile
Beautiful, and it’s so interesting the string of events, or accidents, that led you to something you enjoy and are so good at.
Mike in NC
The UHF stations I grew up watching in Boston showed a lot of Three Stooges and old war movies, in addition to cartoons.
LivinginExile
</p.@Joey Maloney: “Ruins” looks like asparagus to me.
Joey Maloney
@Sure Lurkalot: Google “Skutt Firebox 14″ to see my kiln. It’s a small unit, 14″x14″x5” interior. It runs on house current and even when running at full power remains cool enough on the outside to touch (briefly) so it’s safe. Warms up a small apartment nicely. Electricity is fairly expensive here, so it does put a noticeable bulge in the electric bill.
WaterGirl
Welcoming Joey Maloney, really late! I have been in a meeting since the post went up, so this is my first opportunity to do so, hopefully everyone welcomed you with out me.
*Now I will read the post!
WaterGirl
@mrmoshpotato: Love the astro-bowl!
Regine Touchon
Beautiful glass. When I owned a gallery an artist did fused glass jewelry. Don’t know if it is the same process you use. A good friend of mine is a stained glass artist. She got the opportunity to go to Dale Chihuly’s school in the Pacific Northwest and said it was one of the best experiences ever. You might want to check it out.
The Thin Black Duke
Whoa. Elegant.
VeniceRiley
What a fun hobby!
I have an ex girlfriend from way back in the 80’s that skated roller derby. She was a T-Bird. Very pretty and very talented. And violent.
Im a bit triggered just recalling that time.
Chetan Murthy
Others have said it already: wow, your artwork is … *spectacular*. Just spectacular! Thank you so much for sharing it with us!
WaterGirl
I don’t think I’m talking out of school when I say that Joey Maloney, aka TooMuchCoffeeMan, is going to offer some of his items for auction next week – just like we did with MomSense last week.
Just like last week, winning bidders will donate through the Balloon Juice for Ukraine thermometer.
narya
@Joey Maloney: hah! yeah. I sometimes think I’d like to try the sugar work again someday. I did a half-day workshop with fused glass at a local art center, and that was definitely fun; I sometimes think about taking a class.
West of the Rockies
@VeniceRiley:
The L.A. T-Birds? I remember them from my SoCal childhood on UHF station 52. But that was about 1970.
zhena gogolia
Witty stuff!
schrodingers_cat
Glass fascinates me. If you guys are in upstate NY you should visit the Corning Museum of glass. The Calico is my favorite.
In other art related news, I got my first box of the Rolls Royce of colored pencils. Also got a Kuritake brush pen. And Crayolas (Broad tips and super tips), and a set of Stabilo fineliners.
Do any jackals do portraiture?
buggrit
Lovely work. I went to the gallery and fell hard for your bowl “Peace.” I trust it went to a good home.
CarolPW
These pieces, and those at your gallery site, are absolutely lovely. And now I understand a little bit how some of the glass pieces I own came to be. Thanks!
@joel hanes: Started rereading his books last week as comfort for the mind. Such a lovely and hopeful view of things even while not hiding how much rottenness exists.
Raven
The dobro rocks!
MazeDancer
Beautiful work.
And Pluto will always be a planet to me, too.
MikefromArlington
Some of my favorite sat morning delights were school house rock. My kids love them now as well. You can find them all on YouTube. Lolly lolly, conjunction junction, I am a bill. So many good ones.
munira
I love these. It’s hard to pick a favorite although the bismillah plate with the Arabic calligraphy does stand out – so simple and elegant.