The Studio Flow

Creating objects with hot glass is a dance. The choreography and timing of our work has been perfected over years of practice and repetition. Teamwork is also a critical part of our flow, working in unison as a team of three.

An oval shaped globe of hot glass drips into a bucket against the background of Brad Smith's glass shop

Gathering Molten Glass

Glass is formed at 2100° Fahrenheit in a furance. Once it is gathered on the end of a steel pipe, the glass must be kept hot so that it can be manipulated.

Brad smith seated at his glass blowing bench with a wet newsprint shaping a globe of hot glass.

Forming Glass

Heat, gravity, and inflation are the primary tools we use to shape our glass. 

  • Brad Smith mid-motion connecting a hot piece of glass on a rod to the bottom of a cup on axis. View from behind the artist's head

    Transferring

    A bit of glass on a solid rod is attached to the bottom of the cup before it is broken away from the original hollow blowpipe leaving an opening.

  • Brad Smith seated at his glass blowing bench trimming a ribbon of glass off the rim of a hot glass cup

    Trimming

    The rough edge of the lip is trimmed away leaving it thinner and more even.

  • Glass tools and hands come in from different angles in the frame

    Final Shaping

    The final shaping of the lip using metal tools and a wooden paddle to finish the lip.