November 8, 2010

Bubbles, Waves & Bending Light with Glass


Restoration glass as described by one of our artisans:
"When I get a piece of glass, it's handmade, mouthblown like they did centuries ago. It's completely different from industrial plate glass. Mouthblown's got character–you get these unusual angles that bend the light. This gives you a warm, uneven spectrum, and this is going to catch your eye every time. I pick it up and look at where the bubbles are, how the light passes through. It's really unique in every piece. The bubbles and waves with different thicknesses–all those subtle imperfections, they're like gems. You look for them, which tells you where your cut is going to be. Cutting glass is an art. You have to feel it as you're breaking it. If the score isn't right, it'll end up taking its own path."

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