Why am I doing this?

The simplest answer is because it fascinates me.  I can remember my first exposure to it as a child.  Like most kids growing up in Ohio, my brothers and I were treated to an annual family trek to Cedar Point.  For most, Cedar Point stirs memories of racing on the Gemini, twisting upside-down through the Corkscrew, getting soaked on the log ride, and the endless displays of giant stuffed animals beckoning us to spend our dollars on a chance to win one.  I remember those things, too, but what I remember most is the glass blowers. Tucked way in the back of the park, past the rollercoasters and bumper cars, was a small building that housed a furnace, a glory hole, and the tools of the gaffer’s (glass blower’s) trade.  Beautiful pieces of glass with twists of colors and embellishments were always on display.  If I was lucky, someone was there working and I could actually watch the gaffers in action. I wanted a piece of glass even more than I wanted a giant stuffed panda (which, for the record, I never won!) but no level of water gun blasting or ring-tossing deftness could win me a piece.  To me, the blown glass objects were unobtainable treasures. 

Today, I am still fascinated both by the process of working with molten glass and the stunning items we can produce through this art form.  Thanks to a close and creative friend of mine who I have watched pursue and achieve excellence through her own artistic passion, I have come to realize this art form is not beyond my reach.  And so begins my journey . . .