A budding glass artist: A few words from his totally unbiased parentsJacob, our six-year-old son, is an amazing artist with a real flair for color and design. He regularly gets in the studio with us to make his own glass jewelry, under the watchful eye of his parents, of course. He makes beautiful jewelry for his grandmothers, teachers, and other members of our family and of course, "his mother". He started creating his own glass jewelry and sun catchers when he was 3 years old. I even found miniature hand tools just for him.
To create his little glass masterpieces, he starts by choosing the colors he wants. Then, one of us watches over him to score and break the glass. He controls this step by telling us where he wants it cut and then we assist him by breaking the glass. Sometimes he helps us to choose the shapes for the diamond wheel and other times he is happy with the shapes he has.
Next, he cleans his glass pieces with alcohol and then positions the glass pieces exactly how he wants them. He is a pretty smart kid, but we think running and programming the kiln will have to wait until he is older. That being the case, either Mendy or I run the kiln for him. Once the piece has cooled (he has been known to wake up in the morning asking to be let into the studio), he then decides on the orientation of the finished piece and I wire wrap it for him, thus completing the piece. Don’t let the fact that a five-year-old made the jewelry fool you, there is a great deal of work that goes into every design and into turning his glass into a beautiful piece of fine art glass jewelry. His process is no different than our own; he just has a little extra help! Jacob is also quite proud of his work and likes for me to wear it every chance I can. He has been known to get upset when I decide to wear other jewelry even when that glass jewelry was made by Mendy for me.
Jacob has said from the time he could talk that he wants to be an artist. One of his favorite artists is Dale Chihuly and has even visited his hot shop and his famous boathouse in Seattle. The foreman of the hot shop presented him with a beautiful punty of glass from studio. He was very disappointed that he did not meet Dale Chihuly but still talks about the art glass in the pool and the aquarium Chihuly created for his son Jackson.
Jacob’s drawings and paintings are above average for his age and he is a very prolific artist! He has decided that his drawings and paintings should hang with our own art collection, so we have a series of artworks about 4 feet off the ground, eye level for a five-year-old. However; like any true artist, he only creates when the mood strikes him.
Enough people have asked me if his jewelry was for sale that we may soon have to add a special collection on our site. Jacob will have to get back to you on that one. For now, he’s too busy helping his "Momma and Pappa" while reflecting his own Inner Fire!
Here are a few words from Jacob (age 5):
"I make glass! It’s really, really, really, really fun! Oh, yeah! Momma helps me out sometimes to pick out the colors. They ask what color I want, then I answer. I LIKE EVERY COLOR IN-THE-UNIVERSE!!! Except gray or yellows or white. I get them ready, wash them, then we put them in the kiln, then we take them out, and then it’s done! I DESIGN EVERY JEWELRY THAT I HAVE EVER MADE! Working on glass is cool, Yeah!!! It’s super dooper. I have my own special tools, just like Momma; smaller than everyone else’s. I do special art too and wire jewelry, sometimes."
"Thumbs up Dude!"
Crystal’s BiographyMendy’s Biography
