Starting the Pattern |
| Much of the work is done before the blowing starts, in constructing
the canes, or rods of colored glass, that are used to make all of my work.
I make the canes by stretching out a hot ball |
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of colored glass, into a long
thin rod up to 20 feet long, and then cut it into 5" pieces. The
zanfirico canes (clear glass with spirals) are made by twisting as I pull
out the glass. |
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I lay out the color pattern I want on a steel plate, carefully aligning
the rods so that the heat will fuse it into a sheet of patterned
glass. |
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I pick up the sheet of colored glass on the end of the blowpipe. As I
roll around the edge the two sides meet to form a tube. |
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| I close the end of the tube and
cut off a small button (or here, a little cup) with a pair of metal
shears. |
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The buttons are used to make the centers of my plates, the larger
cups are used to make mini vases. |
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