This series is inspired by our travels to various islands scattered throughout the Pacific Ocean. We envision these installations as a series of snapshots from island chains. As we layout the compositions, we step back from the walls to see how the forms work together as they take on a larger shape. The empty space between forms becomes the simple beauty in the overall composition.
Process
Jeffries Glass works in teams of three in the hotshop where we create the islands individually. We use color bar that is chopped cold, then heated and then overlaid onto a clear glass bubble to create the solid colors in each palette. Each island is then blown, shaped, spun out and formed hot, at about 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. The blown form is flattened with cork paddles and then joined in the center to create a hole or counter. It is then transferred to another blowpipe and the form is closed and shaped accordingly. Each island is shaped individually, making each unique in shape and size.
After each piece is annealed or slowly cooled to a safe temperature to handle, we plug and grind off the extra glass on the bottoms of each piece. We then sandblast each island to create a satin finish, which softens and accentuates the landscape of each piece. The islands are then glued to industrial grade aluminum brackets and then further mounted on the designated wall with careful planning.