We went to the Wheaton Arts Glass Studio so that I could try my hand at making a glass paperweight.
It was pretty deserted. I imagine that there are more people when it is warmer in the summer.
The glass studio entrance.
The massive kiln in the middle of the the building. While they are producing glass, it runs 24/7 to keep the glass molten and the bricks up to temperature.
The glass working area and viewing gallery behind.
Old glass-working tools and art pieces.
Huge blown glass balls.
Getting ready to work some glass.
Choosing what color I am going to use with Joe Mattson.
Laying out the glass colors that I will use.
Getting the first ingot of molten glass on the pipe.
Getting more glass on the rod.
Cooling off the rod so that we can work on the glass easier.
Putting the color in the glass.
Heating up the glass.
The heat was so intense that my hands felt like they were on fire.
Color going into the glass.
More clear glass going on top of the color.
Molten glass coming through!
Shaping the glass into a ball.
Necking down the glass.
My paperweight almost done.
Heating up the glass to make the end get flat.
Punching the end with a stamp that says “Made by ME!”
All done!
Me with Joe who taught me how to make the paperweight.
One of the other artists working on a line of his signature paperweights.
I got the chance to help the guy who led me through making a paperweight blow a glass vase. He ended up giving it to me. I gave it to my mom for Christmas.
The vase and paperweight!
A pottery studio.
These ducks charged out of a pond and tried to demand bread from us when we walked over by them.
They got disappointed when we didn’t have any food.
The ducks tried again when we walked on a bridge over the water. They were yet again disappointed.
An old schoolhouse.