HANDBLOWN ART GLASS

Monday, November 24, 2008

Today is my birthday but we have been celebrating for days. At my age you squeeze everything you can out of every special day.

So my wife gave me my first present weeks ago. We were at the Fountain Hills Arts and Craft Festival when I saw this beautiful work of art that I liked but it was entirely too expensive to just be buying. So my dear wife bought it for me for an early birthday present.

The gift is a levitating marble created by Jeff Price. Jeff is a studio-glass blower. He studied for four years under Master Glassblower Rhys Williams. His large, modern studio is in Santa Ana, California. Jeff’s pieces sometimes look like abstract paintings, sometimes like rustic remnants of a by-gone-era, and often like modern interpretations of classical art. My piece of art is his interpretation of the famous “levitating ball” illusion used by the Great Houdini, the master magician of a century ago. It is said he used it to distract his audience while performing some of his most spectacular acts. The illusion is as compelling today as it was then. Each marble is different and each is hand-blown by Jeff.

We can look at my birthday present from our kitchen, breakfast area, family room, up close on the patio and even from our pool. I will be enjoying this gift for years to come.