Glass Sculpture with Volcanic Ash

Yesterday I mentioned metal sculpture. Today I'm talking about another extreme--glassblowing as sculpture.

I've long admired glasswork and have talked about taking classes for years, and somehow have never done it. Hmmm, that will have to change!

One of the things that appeals to me about working with glass is similar to the appeal in stone--dealing with a natural element that has a lot to say about the finished product. Sometimes we can create exactly what we envision, but it is always a give and take between the artist and the medium.

I recently read about a glassblower in Washington State who incorporates volcanic ash from Mount St. Helens in his work. The ash gives the glass a unique color. I remember when the volcano erupted--and standing outside in central California and getting "snowed" on with ash. This memory makes the Washington artist's work more intriguing.

For those of you who are under 30, Mount St Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. The ash was spread across 11 states, including where I was living at the time. The Original Mount Saint Helen's Volcanic Ash Glassworks was founded as a result. Little over a month after the eruption the first products were marketed with the volcanic ash. 28 years later, the company still exists and tourists can watch the glass pieces being created.

If you are going to be near Mt. St. Helen's--stop by one of their studios, one is at the Hoffstadt Bluffs visiting center (only 15 miles from the edge of the crater), the other is in Centralia, Washington. If you have never seen glassblowers in action, it is a really "hot" experience!