green cascade vase. etched hand blown glass

Description

This piece, from my cascade series, is inspired by the waterfalls in the forests surrounding me in Tennessee.

To make a piece I will lay out, on a steel plate, glass chips and powders in the configuration that I want. Once I start blowing the piece, with the glass on the blow pipe, I will roll across the pattern and then heat it, melting the pattern into the glass on the blow pipe. I will then continue to blow the piece into the shape that I want and put that piece into a kiln to cool down. After the piece cools down, I will come back over the course of several days And sand blast the piece and then use a diamond wheel to carve into the piece revealing the color underneath exposing the waterfall among the rocks.

This piece is colored in tones of green, chartreuse and turquoise glass with a transparent blue interior and has a flattened shape with approximate dimensions of 7″ tall x 7″ wide x 3″deep.

NOTE: The vase in the photograph is a sample, each piece is made to order, so each one is unique and colors and patterns will vary slightly.

This series was inspired by cascading water, natures raw and unwavering force. During the process of creation, like the flowing water I carve into the opaque, patterned surface of the glass to reveal the translucent interior.

“In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins, not through strength, but through persistence.”

Thomas Spake, Glass Blower, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA/caption]

Thomas Spake Studios strives to create hand blown glass that is unique and contemporary. Texture, color, pattern, light, and motion are all key design elements that run freely through all of the Work produced, these ideas are at the core of creative process. The earth, air, and sea are the inspiration behind the Work, from the sandy ocean floor, to the arid deserts of the American southwest, from the peaks of the Rockies to the distant horizon. I am a curious observer, a witness to what takes place around me, so explore through my eyes.

I sell both through my website and my shop on Etsy and they may have different selections, so do check both:

Website: thomasspake.fineartstudioonline.com

Etsy:  www.etsy.com/shop/ThomasSpakeStudios

What is shown here on Artizan Made is something I have made in the past but might no longer be available. Contact me through my website if you have questions.