thomas long Blown Glass
Detail “Monterosso al Mar” 2010 © Thomas Long
Dynamic & Captivating Glass Sculpture www.createglass.com 904.826.0004
thomas long Thomas and Assistant Lauren Gilliam at work in the Hot Shop Š Thomas Long
about thomas Thomas Long began blowing glass in 1986, while working toward a degree in ceramics. After dabbling for several years, he found glass blowing irresistible, and became addicted to the physicality, choreography, and the immediacy of the process. What keeps him working with glass is the fluidity of the material and the inherent element of danger. His work is an expression of that fluidity and spontaneity. The color patterning is eye-popping, taking full advantage of the translucency of glass and it’s ability to boost color with light, evoking the reflective qualities of water. Thomas runs his hot shop studio in St. Augustine, Florida, where he creates his glass art installations for environments throughout the United States.
“Poppies”, 2008, Virginia Beach, VA, 11 ft w x 4 ft h © Thomas Long
“Coral Wave”, 2010, Brigantine, NJ, 12.5 ft w x 7.5 ft h © Thomas Long
“Sweet Pea III”, 2013, Virginia Beach, VA, 6 ft. w x 3.5 ft h © Thomas Long
“Autumn Poppies”, 2010, Westchester County, NY, 6.5 ft h x 4.2 ft w
“Untitled”, 2010, Westhampton, NY, 11ft w x 6ft h © Thomas Long
from C concept...
“Tropicana II”, 2012, Miami Beach, FL, 30”w x 51” h © Thomas Long
to creation
Most of Thomas Long’s sculptures are custom designed for specific spaces. These sculptures are usually designed onsite, with the client, and result in the creation of a rendering. Once the design has been rendered Thomas makes all of the components for the sculpture by hand in his “hot shop” and arranges them into the final composition. He then welds a framework to mount the sculpture, which will be invisible behind the piece after the installation. Once the composition and framework have been finished, the sculpture is delivered and installed in the environment.
glass blowing Dates back to ancient Romans, who invented the “blowpipe”, however with equipment and technology developed in the last 50 years, glass blowing can now be done in a studio setting versus a large factory setting. In my studio, I have an electric furnace that can maintain temperatures of the glass between 2,100 2,400 degrees. The glass is melted in the furnace, in a process that takes about a day, then, “gathered” from the furnace onto the blowpipe. I work in colored glass to create a unique patterning that i have developed in my 20+ years of blowing glass. This patterning evokes the natural rhythms that occur in the growth patterns of all living things. After the color patterning is finished, more glass is gathered from the furnace, and then the glass is blown, shaped, and even spun to form the final shape. Each piece can involve from 20 minutes to hours of work, depending on the complexity of the patterning, shape, and size of the piece. Each blown glass object is then cooled for about 14 hours in an annealing oven.
“Deconstructed Lotus”, 2013, Longboat Key, FL, 76” w x 60” h © Thomas Long
The Geo-Flora Series is a collection of gallery sculptures inspired both by specific flowers, and the specific geometries that define their structure. The Geo-Flora Series, left to right: “Cuatro Cuadrano”, 42” w x 54” h “Lotus: Puesta del Sol”, 42” w x 42” h “Gopala’s Ginger”, 40” w x 73” h © Thomas Long
“Wellspring”, 2012, University of North Florida Biological Sciences Building, Jacksonville, FL. Entire sculpture spans approximately 100 feet of wall. © Thomas Long
“Purple Peacock”, 2008, Siesta Key, FL, 6 ft w x 4 ft h © Thomas Long
“Coral Key”, 2013, Jupiter, FL, 52” w x 36” h © Thomas Long
''few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts'' “OPEN”, 2012, Collection of the Artist, 6 ft w x 4 ft h. Acrylic, Resin, Plywood, 242 blown glass eyeballs. © Thomas Long
Albert Einstein
thomas long Blown Glass
Studio | Showroom by Appointment 25 Palmer Street, St. Augustine FL 32084 www.createglass.com 904.826.0004 Thomas@createglass.com Jessica@createglass.com
Booklet design by: Maya de Ceano-Vivas
Detail, “Sea Ray Platter”, Peacock Teal color patterning, 24” dia © Thomas Long