Hello World of Bongs Community, today we talk with Lysette Martinez, known as Setteglass, about her work as artist:
WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN GLASS IN THE FIRST PLACE?
The desire to smoke out of a hand blown pipe that I made myself. Also the desire to sculpt characters with immense detail.
WHERE DID YOU LEARN YOUR SKILLS?
I learned from a wonderful female glass artist in Golden, CO, and went back home to Texas and was taken under the wing of @fishmanglass. He taught me basically everything I know. Much love to him and Iki.
DO YOU CREDIT ANY OTHER GLASS BLOWER WITH HELPING YOU ACHIEVE YOUR SUCCESS?
I have to thank @fishmanglass an absolute ton. He took my amateur ass into his shop and despite my being only 17, he treated me like any another adult and respectable glass artist. I also have to thank @nathan.belmont. He knew how eager I was to learn from him. Before his first class (of which I was in attendance), I sent him a message asking if he was ever going to have a class, & that no matter how broke I was; I was going to sign up for it. I sat next to him the first day of class & asked every question that came to mind. He was incredibly helpful, sincere, and happy to help. He truly inspires me.
TALK TO ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR STYLE.
My inspiration really comes from my video games. I have been playing World of Warcraft ever since I was 11 years old. My grandpa actually introduced it to me as a way to relieve my anger and anxiety. (I had a really troubled childhood; as I got older the bullying started being an issue.) But when I saw the detail that was being displayed, and the stories they would tell to go along with these characters was absolutely magical. I wanted to be apart of this world, and fill my own world with fantasy and “impossible” things. The desire to be different from everyone else, and the things I had seen and experienced in my everyday life. Almost exactly how Alice imagines being in a world where this is that, and that is this..
WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU MOST LIKE TO WORK WITH?
I really love sandblasting my glass. It gives the surrealism and organic reality to a piece. Life. And that’s what’s important if you’re looking at a face. It is personifying your art. What are they feeling? What are they seeing? I also really love adding jewelry bits such as iron, or brass to my pieces to give them their adornments. Let’s face it, Orcs want to look badass.
WHAT’S THE MOST EXPENSIVE/BEAUTIFUL PIECE YOU’VE EVER MADE?
I have to say the most beautiful and expensive piece I have is the Orc head stuck on a stake, and blood is running down the cheeks. It sits upside down, so the bottom of the tube is his head, and you smoke out of the stake >:)
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT ON THE PATH TO “MAKING IT” AS A GLASS ARTIST?
Being taunted for being young (inexperienced), for being female, for being slightly “too ambitious.” Being young is the popular one. Though, it’s not different from my daily life. It gets challenging, but as a badass; you just have to blow it off, and keep truckin’.
AND WHAT WAS YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT?
My best moment so far has to be, the very recent Champs that I went to in Denver; people recognized my work. I would be standing at my table, and people are looking down at my work. Suddenly they look up and go, “You’re Sette!! OMG! I love your work!!!” I remember walking through my first Champs almost four years back and hearing the same reactions from fans to glass artists, and thinking, “I want that to happen to me someday..” the day it did; I almost cried. No lie.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO NEW GLASS ARTISTS?
Advice to new glass artists: it’s frustrating, it’s hard, it’s heartbreaking at times. But if you really want to see yourself competing behind those lines, or behind a booth, or just meeting new people at these Trade Shows, then keep GOING. Battles can be won and lost, but the war is what counts. Be a Warrior. Be an Orc. Heheh.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE STRAIN/EXTRACT, AND WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PIECE TO DAB IT IN?
Hoooooly fudge, my favorite strain to dab in the world hands down is Island Sweet Skunk. It is SO tasty, and it gets me on that flow for work! I dab normally out of any @mattdglass or @gnarly_harleyglass
IF YOU COULD MAKE YOUR “DREAM” PIECE, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE?
It would be a full scale body piece with armor and iron/brass jewelry/chainmail, sandblasted, and a bit of fabric!
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’d definitely love Ghost to ask me for a piece.. preferably one we could collab on, and he keep it. NO CHARGE.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR GLASS ARTISTRY IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY?
I feel the next innovation will be involving technology unfortunately. I think @n3rdglass was on to something.. lol. But it could go either way. More artists; less market, or technology; less glass market.
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 bring electricity (I would find a way – because playing World of Warcraft is priority) my computer, and an endless supply of ginger ale.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC TO WORK TO/DAB TO?
Anything without lyrics. Who wants to think when they’re working? Although, I do like WoW audiobooks and watching The Office ten thousand times.
THANK YOU, LYSETTE MARTINEZ, FOR THIS NICE INTERVIEW!
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