Brett Vinsant (owner of the shop Live Laugh Love Glass) and his wife have always dreamed of opening a glass blowing business, and today their shop is very popular in the city of Tigard. Costumers from all around come to admire, take classes, and buy glass artwork.
Tigard Oregon, May 4th 2013.
The workshop in the back of the store, Live Laugh Love Glass, where classes are hosted and taught to customers and beginners.
Tigard Oregon, May 4th 2013.
A close up of a glass orb in the process of creation after being heated in the first furnace during a class teaching. After the glass artist heats the piece, he deminstrates by forming the glass into a sphere-like shape with a tool called a graphite Block, used in the early stages of creation.
Tigard Oregon, May 4th 2013.
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After using the first furnace and the Block, the glass is re-heated in the second furnace called the Glory Hole. It is then rolled in colored glass pieces, called frit, and applied on the end of the glass before being re-heated again. This process is repeated to add more details and coloring to the finished piece.
Tigard Oregon, May 4th 2013.
Beginners are assisted as they prepare to re-heat their glass back into the Glory Hole as they repeat the process of dipping into frit and re-heating.
Tigard Oregon, May 4th 2013.
 To add some more color (particularly in this photograph, blue), the glass is heated, then fused into more frit on the Marver, or steel-plate table. The Marver is used to allow molten glass to form into a desired flat/roundish shape and help cool it down in the process. Tigard Oregon, May 4th 2013.  Tigard Oregon, May 4th 2013.  Tigard Oregon, May 4th 2013. |
