We talked to millefiori artist Paul Stephan, better known as Micro or Micro's Workshop, about his career and his incredible work. Micro first started blowing glass around 1998, and he was introduced to the craft through the concert and tailgating scenes around jam bands like Phish. Some friends in the scene introduced Micro to Jerry Kelly, and after some persistence Kelly invited Micro come out to his studio and take some lessons. At the time inside-out was the hot new technique in the world of cannabis glass and Kelly refused to teach Micro how to do it because he had spent years perfecting the technique. Within a week or two Micro had worked out how to emulate the inside-out technique almost perfectly, showing an extraordinary ability to conceptualize and solve problems with glass, a skill that Micro says has been an important factor in his growth as an artist.
Micro was making millefiori within a week of his first glass lesson, and it was a technique that really caught Micro's attention. His very first millefiori cane was an attempt at a bullseye pattern that came out looking a lot more like a T-Bone steak. Ever an enterprising artist, Micro cut the cane into slices and sold it as a T-Bone steak millie. His glassblowing name and nickname was given to him by longtime friend and collaborator Salt Glass, the name a double entendre referencing his millie work as well as being a pun about Micro's tall stature (he stands around 6 foot 5 inches).
For many years in the mid 2000's Micro and Salt would attend bead shows to sell their works, trying to distance themselves from the growing but heavily persecuted cannabis industry. When the cannabis market exploded in the late 2000's with the advent of legalization sweeping the nation many glassblowers that had turned away from cannabis glass returned to the scene and found that the market had changed. Concentrates were trending hard and dab rigs were the "in" product so an artist like Micro, who had been focusing on his millie work for years, had to play catch-up to be competitive in the market.
Micro leaned on the strength of his millie work and the versatility of the millefiori in how it can be utilized in so many different types of artistic creations. Micro quickly became known for his millefiori canes inspired by Mario and the other video game characters that Micro had grown up with over the years. Micro's Nintendo-themed millies are definitely his most popular and have become a signature of his studio, being used in collaborations with countless other prolific artists in the cannabis glass industry.
Micro Workshop's millefiori creations have become a staple in the scene, but Micro hasn't neglected the essentials and continues to churn out his own rigs, pipes, and other implements. Micro lives in an old elementary school which he has converted in a living space, glassblowing studio, and automotive mechanics shop. He runs a racing team and has a few incredible cars in his fleet, and racing is a passion that takes up most of Micro Workshop's summers. He is continuing to create jaw-dropping millefiori canes and cannabis accesories, and you can check out more of Micro's work over on the Micro's Workshop Instagram page. If you're a glassblower Micro's Workshop will be teaching a three-day class at the Elev8 Premier studio this summer, follow Elev8 Premier on Instagram for more information when the exact dates for the class are finalized.
