Thom,Glass Characteristics
All Hand blown glass art made by Lillie Glassblowers is derived from Pyrex borosilicate glass. The reason for this is that Borosilicate glass is strongest type of glass made and can handle both extreme heat and cold. Beakers, bottles, test tubes, and other laboratory glassware are often made of Pyrex borosilicate glass, so you could say it is the choice of "scientist". Little know fact of pyrex is that it is also commonly used for the reflective optic in telescopes.
All Glass blown Art is annealed to relieve stress. Annealing basically is a way to cool glass slowing so it becomes much more durable. If the glassware was not annealed, then it would break extremely easily. How you anneal glass is to heat the glass to its annealing point, then slowly allow the glass to cool at a specific temperature.
All stands are made from Georgia poplar trees and painted beautifully with black matte lacquer.
What type of Glass blowing does Thom use to make his art?
Thom's Stunning glass is a hybrid of technical virtuosity tempered by a deft personal touch. The techniques Thorn uses are all derived from scientific glassblowing - not blowing molten glass bubbles over a raging furnace, but molding smaller pieces of glass with his breath and hands using an adjustable handheld flame or a stationary torch. While most scientific glass blowers manufacture technical product such as test tubes, beakers, or coiling, Thorn utilizes these same methods to produce smaller, precisely scaled, truly subtle pieces that could never be equaled by furnace blown work. Another handicap for furnace glassblowers is the limit of different parts in their pieces; though furnace hand blown vases, glasses and bowls are beautiful, they must be placed in ovens at once and little can be added to them. Scientific glassblowing gives Thom a little more time to breathe (pardon the expression) because it allows successive firing of different parts of a work. Then the pieces can be integrated into a satisfying whole.
How does Thom view himself as an artist?
As a commercial artist, Thom feels himself drawn by two gravitational poles – one the requirements of working for the public, the other the call of his own creative force that doesn't conform to the middle class, rotary club tastes. While floral pieces and other stock studio work have a guaranteed market, intense efforts such as Thom's fiendish horse and rider, "The Jockey", have a far scarcer audience. Custom work is even riskier when neither Thom nor a potential buyer can be exactly sure what the other has in mind.