I’m MJ.
Your Neighborhood Narcoleptic, Glass Artist, and Periodic Doodler
My name is MJ and I blow glass. My journey working with glass began many years ago after falling in love with the process during an elective course at Tulsa Community College- where I initially intended on pursuing a career in 2D art. I began working in a hotshop with offhand glass, or, the type of glass blowing you’d expect to produce larger vessels, vases, and sculptures. This technique uses a team of assistants, a crucible of molten glass, a large reheating furnace (the glory hole), and a hollow metal blow pipe among many other tools. From there I learned about a further type of glass blowing called Lampworking or Torchworking. This technique is a scaled down version of off hand glass and allows more control over very small details and designs. The crucible of molten glass and furnace are replaced with a table top torch set up that uses (in this instance) an oxygen and propane mix in order to melt the glass, and the long metal blowpipe replaced with a flexible blow hose.
I became fully immersed in the optical possibilities that melting and blowing glass could produce. At that time I was also struggling with undiagnosed narcolepsy which continually made my future 2D art career (and my educational plans) very difficult to maneuver. With glass, I found the pacing and process almost like a natural relief from the symptoms. Combining my newfound success with blowing glass and my absolute fascination with the illusionary and light bending properties possible in glass art, I began to slowly amass equipment for my future lampworking studio.
Over several years I grew a modest tool collection. I took a couple of courses at The University of Oklahoma for Scientific Glass Blowing, and continued to refine my techniques blowing glass at home. During this time I also acquired my structural welding license in the State of Oklahoma with aspirations of becoming an accomplished welder- which would more easily allow me to create custom 2D and 3D sculptural glass art display stands for fellow artists, and perhaps dabble in metal sculpture.
I currently live and work in North Texas. On any given day, you will find me tinkering in the garage on one of my hundreds or unfinished projects, working on my trusty steed- Truck Norris (a 26 year old Dodge pickup), volunteering with a local animal rescue group that helps cats and kittens get adopted to loving families, or traversing the backyard jungle with my plant loving and wonderfully supportive partner. I have three adorable cats- Klara, Mooshoo, and The Cow. When I am working in the garage, I love listening to all types of audiobooks, YouTube lectures, and psychedelic groove rock.
Keep an eye out for sales on my glass that will benefit some of my favorite causes 🙂
