Hello World of Bongs Community, Pedro Smiley (PS Smiley Glass) is back on the torch and answered some questions for us:
WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN GLASS IN THE FIRST PLACE?
In the early 90s, a friend of mine, Dan Keeling, who we had nicknamed DNA, showed me a clear glass pipe, with three or four Maria’s blown into it, he had just gotten back from scientific glassblowing school. At this time I was interested in lost wax casting in jewelry making, I had just bought a jewelers torch. After spending many hours fiddling with hardware parts making pipes with resin chambers and things like that, I was really amazed by DNA’s clear glass pipe. After seeing this that same day, I went home, found an old Coke bottle and try to melt it with my jewelry Torch. Needless to say, the Coke bottle shattered. My grandparents, parents and brother, where and are ceramicist and artists. I would say growing up in a family of self-employed artists and my enjoyment in putting hardware parts together to make glass pipes is what originally got me into glass blowing.
WHERE DID YOU LEARN YOUR SKILLS?
Principally I am I self taught glass artist. Experimenting and learning with my good friends and would be colleagues at that time through a friendly competitive work ethic Was mainly how we learned back then. Coming from Corvallis Oregon seeing what people were doing in Eugene Oregon through Snodgrass glass shop was also an inspirational motivator.
DO YOU CREDIT ANY OTHER GLASS BLOWER WITH HELPING YOU ACHIEVE YOUR SUCCESS?
Ezra Zygmuntowicz “ Rest in peace Ezra” , Marcel Braun and I started “Mobius Glass” together. Ezra was A genius in many different arenas in life. Marcel also an incredible innovator, together we had a strong foundation to tackle the recently born art of borosilicate glass blowing. I would also say that Jason Lee who worked with us from time to time was a great influence as well as Clinton who are even to this day for fronting borosilicate lampworking.
TALK TO ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR STYLE.
Everyone seemed to be forming a branch of their own style. The thing that set me apart for me was doing inside out by way of the disk flip. Everyone was doing flairs I had for some reason went against the grain with flairs and came up with the disc flip. This was instrumental in the development of my own style.
WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU MOST LIKE TO WORK WITH?
Well I’ve been super stoked on Northstar Glass Works color glass it’s amazing how well this stuff works compared to last time I blew glass. Mainly I’m using Northstar at the moment and cymax clear glass
WHAT WAS YOUR WORST MOMENT ON THE PATH TO “MAKING IT” AS A GLASS ARTIST?
The worst moment in Glass for me was about 12 or 13 years ago when I had stopped working with it. largely due to operation pipe dreams, federal government and my getting in trouble in my youth.
WHAT’S THE MOST FAVOURITE PIECE YOU’VE EVER MADE?
My favorite piece is the one that I’m working on right now. Stay tuned!
AND WHAT WAS YOUR BEST MOMENT?
The best thing that has happened to me in glassblowing was the day that I started up again early this year. I am just as much if not more inspired with Glass right now than I ever have been, the difference, now I am coming at it with much more life experience, true appreciation and love. Only now that I have caught the glassblowing bug again do I realize I have a had a hole in my heart ever since I had stopped. I truly feel blessed…
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO NEW GLASS ARTISTS?
The advice I would give new artist would be to have patience class work takes patience step by step things will come together just make sure you get each step right otherwise things can have a Domino effect going wrong.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE STRAIN/EXTRACT, AND WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PIECE TO DAB IT IN?
My favorite strain I would say is a fuel strain “Sour Diesel” or “Chemdawg”. I also just like a traditional “OG” strain.
IF YOU COULD MAKE YOUR “DREAM” PIECE, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE?
I think looking at my dream peace it would remind me of the cosmos. Something that would represent time, space, Mass, as well as representing our senses such as feeling, touch, hearing and sight.
WHO WOULD YOU LIKE, MOST OF ALL IN THIS WORLD, TO HIT YOU UP FOR A PIECE, AND WHAT PIECE WOULD YOU MAKE FOR HIM/HER?
I guess it would b “Carl Sagan” and it would look just like the “dream piece” you asked about
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR GLASS ARTISTRY IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY?
Right now it seems to me that glassblowing is focusing on tight clean art with scientific glass Techniques. Back in the mid 90s when I started blowing it was a little more free-form and impressionistic. I think the future is going to be a mix of these. it will be tight, clean, impressionistic, Scientific and freeform. The beauty about glass much like the Möbius strip, it really is infinite who knows really where it will go next but we do know for sure it’s going somewhere.
One thing I did not have blowing glass back in the 20th century was social media. It is truly inspirational to know that we as artists now have a voice that can reach anyone in the world.
IF YOU WERE SHIPWRECKED ON A DESERT ISLAND AND YOU COULD ONLY HAVE THREE ESSENTIAL PIECES WITH YOU, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE, AND WHY?
I would be a rig with a banger and a flower bowl attachment that way I could really enjoy most of the options. I guess I would also have just a straight bone structure Sherlock pipe because it would be strong sturdy and it just feels awesome to smoke out of a Sherlock. And my third piece would be a Sherlock bubbler because it is all one piece there’s nothing to lose or misplace on it and it is also awesome to smoke out of.
THANK YOU, PS SMILEY GLASS FOR THE INTERVIEW AND GOOD YOUR ARE BACK ON THE TORCH!
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