The challenge of working with soda lime glass (so called "soft glass" as opposed to borosilicate or "hard glass" which is much more durable in the flame) is an experience unlike that of any other medium. It can only be successfully manipulated when molten just right; too molten and it boils, burns, drools out of shape, or changes to a hideous color; not molten enough and surface embellishments don't stick or "striking" colors don't take on the hue they're supposed to. Maintaining a hot enough temperature is critical in preventing soda lime from cracking or exploding (called keeping the glass happy), yet the constant bathing in the flame that this requires serves to diminish sharp features. This is because glass is always trying to defy its handler by pulling itself back together into a ball.
There is no rest period when undertaking a labor-intensive piece. No looking back once you've wrapped your stainless steel mandrel with molten glass and have begun the creative process. The act of transforming rods of glass into beautiful works of art is a fast waltz with the flame. The larger the piece, the more difficult to keep it happy, yet small decorations on its surface cool much more quickly and are prone to popping off. But, keep them happy for too long and they collapse into the mother bead. The sculptural glass artist is in a sort of creative frenzy - five seconds to add a detail, then ten seconds to bathe the entire piece back into the flame - five seconds, ten seconds, five, ten, five, ten. Some of my pieces take two hours of such nonstop concentration.
I use absolutely no molds when creating the beads you'll see on these pages. I sculpt each piece completely freehand in the torch, thus, no two can ever be exactly alike. Except for my sculptural buttons, most of my work is on the large end of the scale for this temperamental type of glass. For example, my dogs range from 2.3" to 3.5" long and my horses from 2.1" high for the very arched necked ones to 2.7" for the higher headed ones, with my typical steed bead averaging 2.4" high.
All of my work is kiln annealed and carefully cooled over several hours on a rampdown schedule which is controlled by a separate, computerized instrument which my husband built for me (saving hundreds of dollars; a kiln controller can cost more than one's kiln). He's written extensive instructions to share on my website. Just click above on the Kiln Controller link.
I've owned horses nearly all of my life and couldn't live without them (and the cats which I worship!), so it's no surprise that they're my number one interest for reproducing in glass. I live with my husband, American Saddlebred horses, cats, dogs, laying hens, geese, and other critters on our 85 acre farm in southeast Michigan. For a number of years we also had donkeys and nubian goats, and friends' sheep and llamas have occasionally graced our pastures.
My love of animals and Nature provides me with endless ideas for playing with this incredible medium we call glass. Thank you for stopping in and browsing my pages, which, by the way, represent but a small portion of my work since 1999 when I discovered lampworking and taught myself how to do it. For purchase information, please click on my Frequently Asked Questions link. Also, my Tobler Triangle is now for sale! Please click on my V-Bead link for more details.
Wendy Tobler
wtobler@tobler_glass.com (remove the underline! toblerglass is one word)
LAST UPDATE: January 2008
Tobler Glass Creations
Glass beads and sculptural art
individually designed and
handcrafted in a mixed gas torch
(called lampworking), by
Wendy Tobler
