On Wednesday, Oct. 27, the 3-D Arts Center held a glass blowing demonstration at the Bucks main campus.
Among those in attendance were friends and lovers of glass art who stopped by to view the students’ work, which included vases, plates, bowls, cups and plenty of free forms.
Karl Carter teaches glass blowing and intermediate glass blowing at Bucks. Carter started glassblowing here in 1981. He was in an engineering program and took a ceramics class for fun and realized that he really enjoyed the arts. From there, he went on to study industrial design at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
“I seem to have a natural ability with it. It’s simple and it’s not easy at the same time,” he says. Carter creates objects from vessels to strict sculpture, and sells some of his work in L14.
When asked for a good place to see glass art he recommended the Liberty Museum in Philly.
“When it was built the concept was both liberty and glass are beautiful and both are hard to put back together once they’re broken,” Carter said.
Doug Ostroff, Carter’s assistant, started glass blowing in 1990 when his brother introduced him to the program at Bucks. Ostroff has taken over fifteen classes at different locations, ranging from Brooklyn to Philadelphia.
“Knowing the way it moves,” said Ostroff of glass blowing. “If it’s hot enough it feels alive and moving, as if it’s a living organism.”
He says this particular medium is truly addictive and you get lost in time. When he finds himself watching television, he thinks about how he should be out making and forming glass in front of the heat.
During the demonstration, one artist made several different vessels. Each vessel was started the same way; a metal rod was dipped into a furnace that is over two thousand degrees. In the furnace is a crucible which holds the honey-like textured glass.
A small amount of glass attached itself to the metal rod as the rod was spun in circular motion to shape it. The rod was pulled out of the furnace, still being spun, and then placed into a ‘glory hole’ to reheat the glass. The glass continued to be spun the entire time to keep its shape.
Robb Gibbs, who earned a graphic design degree at Bucks, says he’s an artist that has always loved glass. He has been working with glass art for three years at Bucks and especially likes working on free forms.
“I absolutely fell in love with it. It’s an addiction,” he said.
Steve Roberts just started working with glass this semester but has already realized how addictive glass art is. “You control the glass and it controls you. It’s harmony.” Roberts is enjoying the class and plans to stay with it as long as he can.
Justin Dyjak also started glass art this semester. Dyjak took the course because he’s fascinated with sculpture and 3D art. Although Dyjak gets frustrated at times, he says he wants to learn more and try new things.
“Everywhere I go, even if it’s the Olive Garden, I notice the glass fixtures and I begin to think to myself how I can recreate them,” he said.
Michelle Picone was introduced to glass art this semester by a friend.