Learning the dance of glass blowing with David Jacobson
Colored molten glass is carefully guided around and attached to the “lip rim” of a drinking glass before it is cut with a pair of steel shears, at Jacobson Glass Gallery in Montville. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A punty is temporarily attached to the bottom of the glass, to work can begin opening the top and applying the lip wrap around the drinking edge. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Small pieces of solid clear glass are melted to 2,170 degrees Fahrenheit in a furnace, and are the base for David Jacobson’s glass creations. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A paddle is used to smooth the top, lip rim, of the drinking glass being made. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Richard Anderson uses a jack, or large tweezer, to shape the side of the glass while David Jacobson keeps the glass spinning. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
David Jacobson makes both blown and kiln-formed glass items in his Montville studio. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
(Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Using a pair of steel shears to cut molten glass. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A mixture of silica and fluxes, called frit, is fused at high temperature to make colored glass It is added to molten glass, like sprinkles on a cupcake, heated, blended in and then reheated. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
The ‘glory hole’ furnace is the working furnace, in which blown glass is reheated between steps in the process. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A stainless steel table top, called a marver, is used to roll and shape hot glass between steps in the process. It is also used to blend colored glass that has been adhered to the outside of a blob of clear glass. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Tools of the glass blowing trade, which have changed little in 100 years other than to improve the quality of the steel they are made of. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
After disconnecting the glass piece from the working pipe or rod, a torch is used to smooth any sharp glass left behind on the bottom of the glass. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
While one person spins the hot glass, another uses a paddle to smooth and even the drinking edge, or in this case the colored lip wrap. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Glass pieces by Mark Jacobson. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Glass pieces by Mark Jacobson. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Glass piece by Mark Jacobson. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
David Jacobson instructs Richard Anderson on how to apply and wrap the thin rod of colored glass, which will become a design element, around the clear glass. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
There are only seconds to work and bend the hot glass before the whole thing must be put back into the glory hole and reheated to a pliable state. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A view of the colored lip wrap inside the glory hole, being reheated so it will become hot enough to create a taffy-like strand around the top edge of the drinking glass. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A puff of air expands the hot blob of glass at the end of the blow pipe, as a drinking glass begins to take shape. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Calipers and shears. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
(Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Directing the pipe while adding the colored lip wrap. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
The glass is slowly turned with the colored molten glass lip wrap is attached around what will be the top, drinking edge of the finished glass. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Smoothing the bottom of the finished glass with a torch. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Finishing the bottom of the finished glass with a torch. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Another set of the finished drinking glasses. The newly created glasses must spend a day in the annealing kiln, where a computer maintains a consistent 960 degree temperature, allowing the molecules to settle and all the stress to come out of the glass before slowly bringing the pieces to room temperature. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Using a paddle and tweezers to finesse the nearly-completed piece. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
David Jacobson spins the punty on the rail, while Richard Anderson uses a jack to shape the sides of his drinking glass. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Pans of frit, olive green and celadon, selected earlier for the the day’s project, that will be used to create alternating colored stripes and lip wraps on the set of six drinking glasses being made. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Close up of a pan of colored frit. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Close up of another pan of colored frit. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A punty with a glob of 1,800-degree glass on the end is rolled into olive green frit, adhering the color before being reheated, repeated and blended in by rolling on the steel marver table. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
The crucible of molten glass is 2,170 degrees Fahrenheit, and the moment the glass is removed from inside, it immediately begins to cool and is reheated to a working temperature of around 1,800 F in the glory hole furnace. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Another image of the crucible furnace. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
David Jacobson with a glob of molten glass on the end of a blowpipe, getting ready to work with it. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Using the marver, a stainless steel table, David Jacobson begins the process of making a drinking glass by pushing and rolling the hot glass into a cone shape. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Once the desired cone shape has been achieved and it is centered on the end of the blowpipe, a puff of air sends a bubble into the hot glass, slightly expanding it. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Because the glass is hot, it needs to be constantly rotated so it does not bend or flop over on itself. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Applying a punty to what will be the bottom of the drinking glass, so the top can be opened and the glass further worked and shaped. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
The punty should be just hot enough to attach to the glass and hold it, but not enough to fuse it to the glass so it breaks when it is finished and detached. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A finished glass, ready to be placed in the annealing oven overnight to slowly cure and cool. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
After the decorative stripe is added, another puff of air further expands the glass to size. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Another glass done and ready to be polished on the bottom. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A few seconds under this torch smooths the bottom of the glass and then it’s ready for the annealing oven to slowly cure and cool overnight. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Colored molten glass is carefully guided around and attached to the “lip rim” of a drinking glass before it is cut with a pair of steel shears, at Jacobson Glass Gallery in Montville. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A punty is temporarily attached to the bottom of the glass, to work can begin opening the top and applying the lip wrap around the drinking edge. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Small pieces of solid clear glass are melted to 2,170 degrees Fahrenheit in a furnace, and are the base for David Jacobson’s glass creations. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A paddle is used to smooth the top, lip rim, of the drinking glass being made. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Richard Anderson uses a jack, or large tweezer, to shape the side of the glass while David Jacobson keeps the glass spinning. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
David Jacobson makes both blown and kiln-formed glass items in his Montville studio. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
(Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Using a pair of steel shears to cut molten glass. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A mixture of silica and fluxes, called frit, is fused at high temperature to make colored glass It is added to molten glass, like sprinkles on a cupcake, heated, blended in and then reheated. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
The ‘glory hole’ furnace is the working furnace, in which blown glass is reheated between steps in the process. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A stainless steel table top, called a marver, is used to roll and shape hot glass between steps in the process. It is also used to blend colored glass that has been adhered to the outside of a blob of clear glass. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Tools of the glass blowing trade, which have changed little in 100 years other than to improve the quality of the steel they are made of. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
After disconnecting the glass piece from the working pipe or rod, a torch is used to smooth any sharp glass left behind on the bottom of the glass. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
While one person spins the hot glass, another uses a paddle to smooth and even the drinking edge, or in this case the colored lip wrap. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Glass pieces by Mark Jacobson. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Glass pieces by Mark Jacobson. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Glass piece by Mark Jacobson. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
David Jacobson instructs Richard Anderson on how to apply and wrap the thin rod of colored glass, which will become a design element, around the clear glass. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
There are only seconds to work and bend the hot glass before the whole thing must be put back into the glory hole and reheated to a pliable state. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A view of the colored lip wrap inside the glory hole, being reheated so it will become hot enough to create a taffy-like strand around the top edge of the drinking glass. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A puff of air expands the hot blob of glass at the end of the blow pipe, as a drinking glass begins to take shape. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Calipers and shears. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
(Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Directing the pipe while adding the colored lip wrap. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
The glass is slowly turned with the colored molten glass lip wrap is attached around what will be the top, drinking edge of the finished glass. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Smoothing the bottom of the finished glass with a torch. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Finishing the bottom of the finished glass with a torch. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Another set of the finished drinking glasses. The newly created glasses must spend a day in the annealing kiln, where a computer maintains a consistent 960 degree temperature, allowing the molecules to settle and all the stress to come out of the glass before slowly bringing the pieces to room temperature. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Using a paddle and tweezers to finesse the nearly-completed piece. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
David Jacobson spins the punty on the rail, while Richard Anderson uses a jack to shape the sides of his drinking glass. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Pans of frit, olive green and celadon, selected earlier for the the day’s project, that will be used to create alternating colored stripes and lip wraps on the set of six drinking glasses being made. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Close up of a pan of colored frit. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Close up of another pan of colored frit. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A punty with a glob of 1,800-degree glass on the end is rolled into olive green frit, adhering the color before being reheated, repeated and blended in by rolling on the steel marver table. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
The crucible of molten glass is 2,170 degrees Fahrenheit, and the moment the glass is removed from inside, it immediately begins to cool and is reheated to a working temperature of around 1,800 F in the glory hole furnace. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Another image of the crucible furnace. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
David Jacobson with a glob of molten glass on the end of a blowpipe, getting ready to work with it. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Using the marver, a stainless steel table, David Jacobson begins the process of making a drinking glass by pushing and rolling the hot glass into a cone shape. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Once the desired cone shape has been achieved and it is centered on the end of the blowpipe, a puff of air sends a bubble into the hot glass, slightly expanding it. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Because the glass is hot, it needs to be constantly rotated so it does not bend or flop over on itself. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Applying a punty to what will be the bottom of the drinking glass, so the top can be opened and the glass further worked and shaped. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
The punty should be just hot enough to attach to the glass and hold it, but not enough to fuse it to the glass so it breaks when it is finished and detached. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A finished glass, ready to be placed in the annealing oven overnight to slowly cure and cool. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
After the decorative stripe is added, another puff of air further expands the glass to size. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
Another glass done and ready to be polished on the bottom. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
A few seconds under this torch smooths the bottom of the glass and then it’s ready for the annealing oven to slowly cure and cool overnight. (Photo by Holly S. Edwards)
MONTVILLE — Tucked down a dirt road in the western Waldo County town of Montville sits an unassuming art studio that creates one-of-a-kind hand-blown and kiln-formed glass. Run by one of the most friendly glass blowing artists a person could ever meet, David Jacobson is not only a glass artist, but also a teacher of the craft.
Watching the process of making a single drinking glass — beginning with gathering a blob of molten clear glass onto the end of a stainless steel blow pipe, rolling it on a steel table top called a marver to create a shape, blowing the first air bubble into the glass and adding more molten glass, shaping and extending the sides, blowing more to increase the size and shape, adding the lip wrap and smoothing the top of the glass and then finally disconnecting the finished product from the "punty" or steel shaping rod, and smoothing the rough glass on the bottom with a torch — took Jacobson and his partner this day, Richard Anderson, of Rockport, less than 20 minutes.
"That's one of the fun things about glass," said Jacobson. "First, it's very active, which I really like. I's very physical; but, it's all forward, there is no reverse, no time out, no 'Let's get a cup of coffee and think about this.' When you go, you go. And you're committed."
You can see how the teamwork starts to work as you watch Jacobson and his "student-of-the-day" work. And on this summer day, Anderson was helping make a set of drinking glasses he would eventually take home.
| Note: This story was originally published in the Fall 2016 edition of the WAVE magazine, produced and published by Penobscot Bay Pilot. |
"You start knowing what to do ahead of time," said Jacobson. "They call it a dance when you start working together and it really is. You don't have to do as much communicating verbally as you normally would. It gets to be a head-nod and one word or so. It's a real attractive part of the whole process."
Plus, Jacobson said, working in teams is another part of the process he enjoys.
"Working in teams is the Italian technique, the Venetian style, where you work with an assistant,” he said. “It's so much more efficient and much more fun too, it's very social.”
Jacobson first learned how to blow glass at the University of Minnesota in the 1970s. He did a "brief stint for a masters of fine arts at University of Wisconsin-Madison, for just a semester, then quit school altogether and began a career as a cartoonist.
But he said he always knew he would get back into glass-blowing and glass art. So in 1984, when he moved back to New York he said he really learned how to blow glass in Brooklyn.
"It's where [Brooklyn] they have a public access studio,” he said. “And they have teachers from all over come in there. And from there, I started at the Corning Museum Studio, and took a lot of classes with the Italian maestros. I was lucky to be able to do that.”
Jacobson said he tries to work in his studio in a team every day. There are friends and people he has met through the course of his work who want to learn, or just have time to help out, so Jacobson teaches them. And that has evolved into full-fledge workshops, inviting people into his studio to learn the art and experience the beauty of the glass-blowing dance.
"That's the exchange that I really enjoy,” he said. “In exchange for learning how to blow glass, they assist me. And it works really well. Basically, I work production about three days a week, and I have lessons almost every day, which is really great."
Jacobson said one way he keeps the stress level down when he has to go into production mode, is to not think about that he has to create 25 pieces of something.
"Instead of stressing about the 25, I tell myself I have one to make, 25 times. That way, I focus on the one I'm doing, each time," said Jacobson.
That's an important way to look at working with glass, because there is no going backward, once you start.
Although Jacobson said you can fix things to a point, but it's nearly impossible to make something smaller, if it's gotten to be too big and that' the mistake.
"Really, the whole process is you are fixing as you go. You are constantly fine tuning, making adjustments, fixing. I was told that the art of glass blowing is learning how to correct your mistakes and it truly is that," said Jacobson. "What's fun is the process is never by time. You don't go into the heat for 6 seconds or 8 seconds, it's all by feel, by the color, how it looks, how it's moving. So every piece is different that way. Either it's cooling down faster or the pressure you apply is different from one time to the next. So you are always adjusting. It's a constant and that's the beauty, and the fun."
All of these things are why, at the end of each day in his studio, Jacobson says he is never tired.
"At the end, when I finish something like we did today, six drinking glasses and we didn't lose one, I'm always exhilarated. I'm like wide awake. It's like, I'm pumped, because it's so much fun to do," he said.
His studio has become a popular attraction for those seeking an experience during their stay in Maine, and for locals, too. After spending a day in the studio with Jacobson, learning by doing, the take-home is not only the thrill of making a piece of art or a functional glass item, but being able to come back to the studio 24 hours later and take what was made home as a souvenir.
In addition to expressing his creative side in glass, Jacobson has had a long career as a cartoonist and illustrator. For 18 years he created a color, daily cartoon for Gannett newspapers. His cartoons have appeared in the New Yorker, New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today. He has also illustrated children's books, as well as greeting cards, and had a syndicated sports cartoon with United Media.
Learn more at his website, davidjacobsonglass.com.
Reach Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com and 207-706-6655.
Event Date
Address
210 Choate Road
Montville, ME 04941
United States
