Listen
William Jackson, a glass art instructor at Juggernaut Glass, talks about the fascinating and frustrating art of blowing glass and pouring glass into wood casts.
You can see more examples of his work on Instagram: @juggernatglass
- William Jackson begins the process of shaping a long, thin glass rod into a perfect bubble. (Photo Credit: Brenda Valdivia/Houston Public Media)
- A typical glassblower's burner will melt glass rods into a molten state at roughly 2,000 °F. Uneven or sudden changes in temperature can cause the glass to shatter and force the artist to restart from the beginning. (Photo Credit: Brenda Valdivia/Houston Public Media)
- Glass artists use a series of pincers, plyers, and steel rods to pull the molten glass into the desired shape. Glass blowing is done to expand the glass into even, round bubbles that can then be shaped into vases or organic shapes. (Photo Credit: Brenda Valdivia/Houston Public Media)
- Artist William Jackson confirms the density and smoothness of the glass bubble he finished blowing before sealing it shut with pincers. (Photo Credit: Brenda Valdivia/Houston Public Media)
- A collection of glass ornaments hand made by students alongside gold handle scissors made for cutting molten glass. (Photo Credit: Brenda Valdivia/Houston Public Media)
