If glassblowing or pipe-making is your intended career, you may want to check out this interview with renowned glass artist, Chris Kerner, better known as Cowboy Glass.
Cowboy has been blowing glass for over 10 years. He was originally an apprentice of Ian Razor, who was himself an apprentice of the legendary Bob Snodgrass. He has made a name for himself with the craftsmanship and intricate beauty of his pieces, and has worked alongside some of the most famous names in the industry – Banjo, Eusheen, Ryno, Nico Cray, Snodgrass, and more.
We asked Cowboy about the work required to ‘break in’ as a glass blower:
There’s definitely a hump you gotta cross where nothing you make is useable, you know, and you reach this plateau where you finally break through and you actually have a pipe that you can breathe air through, and it’s useable, and after that man it’s awesome, you get a big rush of inspiration…
When asked directly what advice he would give to new glass blowers:
…Just bust your ass. Work harder than you ever thought. And that’s the hardest part, being self-motivated to bring yourself to the level where you’re the only one in your studio that night and you still choose to stay there as opposed to going home and sitting on the couch. Self-motivation. Work hard. Work hard. Put your blood, sweat and tears into it.
The interview continues with Cowboy discussing in-depth one of his collaboration pieces with Harold Cooney (pictured below). He also talks about being the subject of a painting by Tara Stanley.
Watch the full interview here.
