We talked to glassblower Mike C Glass about his accomplished career in the glass industry and what lies in the future for this amazing artist. Mike C Glass first became interested in glassblowing when he was living in Houston around 2013. He went to a live glassblowing demo at a local shop called Up N Smoke; the demo was hosted by Salt Glass and Cap'n Crunk, two incredible sculptural glass artists who are well known in the industry. Salt and Crunk were working out of a mobile trailer fitted as a glassblowing studio, and Mike C was blown away by the skill and talent on display, noting that the two artists always seemed to know exactly what they needed to do. Mike C was instantly fascinated by this talent and the process of creating glass art, and within a year or two he would start on his own journey in the glassblowing industry.
In around 2014 Mike C Glass met local Houston glassblowers JTX Glass and Dank Hank Glass through a live demonstration, and Dank Hank gave Mike C some advice on starting out in the glassblowing industry as well as a recommendation for a Red Max torch to start on. Another Houston artist named Shameless Glass offered Mike C some free torch time to try his hand at the craft and find out whether he was actually going to like it before he invested a bunch of money into a torch and materials. Shameless taught Mike C how to encase a Gilson Opal and attach it to a pipe, and after gaining some hands-on experience Mike C was sure that he was hooked on this fascinating craft. Mike ordered a Red Max starter kit from Mountain Glass Arts and Shameless Glass instructed him on how to properly set up his torch and get started, so Mike C set up his torch in a rented storage unit and started blowing small pieces and learning the foundational techniques that are needed for a successful career in the glassblowing industry.
After some time Mike C Glass left his storage unit to work at a new studio that Dank Hank and some other blowers had started called Glass Chance. Dank Hank took Mike C Glass under his wing and began instructing him on foundational techniques. Dank Hank got Mike C started on making production pipes that they could sell to generate income for the shop, and this allowed Mike C to really dial in the overall shaping and wall thickness of his pieces. Mike C Glass even worked as a manager at Glass Chance for some time after he had established himself as a quality glassblower, and while he was manager there he hosted a class with Captncronic Glass. Other classes that Mike C Glass has attended include a Eusheen class, a Pogo Glass class, and a Jerome Baker class that was also held at Glass Chance. Having a structured support system from so many blowers as well as structured instruction has helped Mike C Glass to grow exponentially in the six years that he has been blowing glass.
Mike C Glass' style is characterized by the use of a lot of vibrant rainbow line work colors and unique shapes, often with faceting work. Mike C Glass loves to study hydrodynamics and apply it to his work, so his rigs often take on unique forms and functionalities that only someone who is familiar with water physics could achieve. For his faceting, Mike C Glass spent a lot of time studying jewelry work and faceting techniques in order to learn how craftsmen in that industry make their cuts. This dedication really shows in his facets which are insanely clean and sharp, and the kaleidoscopic optics that he can achieve through his faceting. Mike C Glass is constantly pushing the limits of his own abilities, and the beautiful work that he is producing is a testament to his dedication and perseverance in his craft.
In his home life Mike C Glass has found a constant partner and collaborator in his wife. She is always helping him come up with new ideas, and she will brainstorm concepts with him while he is working on new pieces. She even tried her hand at glassblowing but was prevented from progressing by a medical condition, but she fully supports him in his craft. Now Mike C Glass is living in working in Colorado, and this has permitted him a bit more freedom with cannabis than he was willing to risk in Texas where possession of a gram of concentrates is penalized as a felony. Living in Colorado has also inspired him to become a bit more outdoorsy, and he recently bought a mountain bike so he could ride the trails in his area or up in the mountains. His passion for glassblowing has been like an emotional rollercoaster throughout his life; sometimes things are great and you feel on top of the world, and other times projects break and you just want to bury your head in the sand. Still, Mike C Glass couldn't imagine himself doing anything else. You can check out more of Mike C Glass' amazing work over on the Mike C Glass Instagram page.
