English teacher Renee Moffat: glassblowing

 Is there anything specific that sparked your interest in glass blowing?

“From watching when I was a little girl…it kind of mesmerized me, and so I could just spend a long time watching people blow glass…And then just as I got older, because I like art, I just decided to experiment with glass. I had done ceramics so I wanted to branch out to glass, and I thought it would be fun.”

How long have you been blowing glass?

“I’ve been doing it for about two years now.”

 Do you have something specific you enjoy creating the most?

“I do like things for the kitchen that I can use. I like glasses, and I haven’t quite been able to make a pitcher yet because that is much more involved, but I would like to maybe do that this summer.”

Do you use your creations as gifts?

“I do. Some things I keep for myself and they are useful, but other things like vases and bowls, I’ll make and I’ll give to family members.”

What is the process like and what did you learn?

“When I first became interested in it, I thought it would be very relaxing, and it is relaxing. But it is also challenging because you are usually in a confined spot…[and] it gets very very hot…I realized that it was very challenging because things become heavy. You have to hold this loing rod, and you have to keep turning it in order to keep the piece of glass formed in its shape or else it will just flop over…Keeping it spinning is really tricky. It is relaxing, but it is also really challenging because you really have to focus on what you’re doing…I think it’s a nice way to be reflective, and you’re just super-focused on what you’re doing because you are dealing with something that is very hot and you have to be careful. What you do is you have this pole in a fire and you dip it in to catch a piece of glass. You then have to blow into [the] pipe and it bows out a little bubble and once you have it to where you want it, you have to to keep spinning it so it doesn’t flop over..And then after that…you cut it off and then you go over to a work bench where you sit and you are spinning again. So I realized you have to have a lot of strength in your arms, and that is something I did not initially think about.…”

Where do you do this?

“At the end of the school year I go to Vermont and take classes there. ”