Published: Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Hot Stuff
Glass artists blow with same beat
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Suzanne Schmid / The Herald
Callahan McVay blows air through a hollow bit stick as Bob Mitchell rotates the molten glass attached to the end. They communicate through a tacit language of nods, foot taps, and eye contact. "A good assistant is in tune to what the gaffer's needs are," says Mitchell.
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Callahan McVay was one of about 80 working artists to open their studio doors last weekend for the annual two-day Open Studio Tour on Whidbey Island.
Despite a drizzly Sunday at Callahan's glass-blowing studio, several visitors stopped by to get an up-close demonstration as he and Bob Mitchell worked in tandem to form pristine art from molten glass.
Once Mitchell's high school art student, Callahan now runs a full-time glass business from his home in Clinton.
Entering Callahan's outdoor studio is like walking into a scene from the past. Heat pours from a giant furnace containing 500 pounds of liquid glass; crude tools made of wood and metal are scattered about. The air smells of scorched glass and propane. Woodcarvings, animal skulls and old deep-sea diving gear from Callahan's grandfather cover the wall. The only element to suggest modernity is a stereo playing in the background.
"Swing music is best," explains Callahan, who says the beat helps sync workers' movements. Blowing glass must be done with swift and accurate timing. The slightest temperature change can send a work-in-progress shattering onto the floor.
Forging glasswork since the age of 15, Callahan has had time to perfect his craft. Hundreds of finished pieces line the shelves and tabletops of his home, and Callahan is frequently commissioned to make new products. His latest invention is a beverage jug that has a clear bottom half so consumers can see the quality of their drinks. Just for laughs, he'll add a big, signature smiley face on one side.
Despite a drizzly Sunday at Callahan's glass-blowing studio, several visitors stopped by to get an up-close demonstration as he and Bob Mitchell worked in tandem to form pristine art from molten glass.
Once Mitchell's high school art student, Callahan now runs a full-time glass business from his home in Clinton.
Entering Callahan's outdoor studio is like walking into a scene from the past. Heat pours from a giant furnace containing 500 pounds of liquid glass; crude tools made of wood and metal are scattered about. The air smells of scorched glass and propane. Woodcarvings, animal skulls and old deep-sea diving gear from Callahan's grandfather cover the wall. The only element to suggest modernity is a stereo playing in the background.
"Swing music is best," explains Callahan, who says the beat helps sync workers' movements. Blowing glass must be done with swift and accurate timing. The slightest temperature change can send a work-in-progress shattering onto the floor.
Forging glasswork since the age of 15, Callahan has had time to perfect his craft. Hundreds of finished pieces line the shelves and tabletops of his home, and Callahan is frequently commissioned to make new products. His latest invention is a beverage jug that has a clear bottom half so consumers can see the quality of their drinks. Just for laughs, he'll add a big, signature smiley face on one side.
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