Desert Series Tapered Vase

Artist Steve Main's art glass works reflect his interest in patterns found in nature. He begins each piece by laying out hand-pulled cane in a mosaic-like pattern; this glass is placed onto a sheet of steel and heated. Main then rolls his blowpipe glass-working tool across the hot steel, picking up the design onto a core of colored glass. After several layers of clear glass are gathered from the furnace, he blows out and forms the piece into its final shape, then sandblasts it to a smooth finish. The result is an astonishing and functional work of art.