Justin's Art Glass

e internet and read every article that I could find. After about 3 years of watching and wishing that I could be a “jockey” of molten glass, I bought a Hot Head torch starter kit from another artist. This kit had a torch that mounted to 1 pound canisters of MAPP gas (propylene). It was basically a glorified plumber’s torch. It was loud and just hot enough to melt "soft glass." Soft glass is a type of soda/lime based glass. February 2010 is when iI made my first bead. I started making several small beads and trying to mimic what I had seen in several tutorial videos. After 2 months of being on the Hot Head, I bought a new torch that utilized propane and oxygen. These torches get much hotter than the Hot Head torch and my soft glass would melt so fast I would often lose control of it. It was not too long after I introduced myself to borosilicate glass. Borosilicate glass is a type of glass that contains a high amount of silica. This makes the glass resistant to chemicals and scratching. It's ideal for jewelry and small sculptures. I started to melt the borosilicate glass and learned how it reacted in the flame. Borosilicate glass colors are so amazing. The high silver content helps them to react to different temperatures in the flame. They produce a rainbow of colors and it's such a beautiful sight. This is one of the many reasons that each piece I make is unique and one of a kind. My glass education is minimal being mostly self taught. I have taken three days of classes with Brent Graber in July 2010. I studied marketing in college and graduated from Louisiana State University in Shreveport in 2008. After graduation, I moved to Dallas, TX and learned that there really is no place like home. I moved back to Shreveport, Louisiana in 2009 and love every minute of it. Thank you for reading this everyone. Please pray for my continued artistic endeavors and please feel free to contact me with any questions!!