Belleau Art Glass ::...

» Selo/Shevel Gallery » Artists » Belleau Art Glass

Christopher Belleau of Rhode Island and his skilled assistants work the molten glass by coupling traditional hot glass techniques and contemporary innovation. To create a piece of blown glass, the artist works the molten glass in the round, making sure to keep the temperature of the glass even throughout. When the piece has taken its final form, the artist attaches a steel pontil rod to the bottom of the piece. When the piece is finished, a drop of water is placed on the pontil to chill it. The pontil is tapped and the finished piece separates from the rod. It is cooled slowly in an annealing oven so that the stress of production does not cause it to crack. Chris has developed a technique of making his colors in a pot furnace. In the furnace there are three crucibles so he can make three colors at one time. He crushes cold, colored glass into powders and uses these to make additional colors for his palette.