Blue Vortex Bowl

This blown glass bowl is created by first rolling a molten clear bubble of glass through a layer of aqua blue glass chunks that are about the size of rock salt, and then rolling it though white powdered glass. Then, a bubble is blown into an aluminum optic mold, which has 12 triangular ribs on the inside of it. The ribbed bubble is heated and twisted to create the vortex spiral. Another layer of molten clear glass is gathered on the bubble, blown into a sphere, and the a molten bit of clear is dropped on the bottom to create a foot for the piece.

The final move is to put another metal rod on the bottom, brake off the blow pipe, and spin the sphere into a large flat plate. It is then quickly dropped over a wok to give it its shape. When finished, the bowl is placed into a 950 degree oven to cool slowly overnight.