People always ask me…”Kira, why did you choose to be a glass sculptor instead of an ice sculptor? Ice sculpting is SO much better known!”
And they’re right. Ice sculptors get all the glory, all the gigs, and the jobs pay so much more. They get the fans, the fame, the prestige, the millions of followers on Tweeter, and they get invited to wild parties in Ibiza. But glass sculpting? We sacrificed all of that, because we had a passion for something…different. Also, glass doesn’t melt. So far as I know, anyway.
Of course, you can’t just become a glass sculptor out of nowhere. No…this is a game in which you need a solid groundwork to become truly successful. I started off doing an internship for a place that did glass balustrading. I used to stay late in the office to pour over balustrading documents, and I’d tag along on every possible job so I could observed the creation and installation of quality glass balustrading. I lived for balustrades. I breathed balustrades. But that was only the beginning. After that, I consumed every single piece of glazier work I could find. I went on a seven-year pilgrimage to many different countries, making pages upon pages of notes, filling entire books, with literature about glazier and glass replacement. Only then did I finally create my first glass sculpture: a small circle. Even that was trash, and I spent years honing my skill until I could create almost anything.
I still remember those glazier days fondly. In fact, the glazier companies operating in Melbourne are the entire reason I was able to become so skilled. And when I think of the path not taken, one of ice sculptor…bah. You can pick up those skills from a couple of months at a night class!
-Kira