Who is the CNY Glass Studio and how long has it been up and running?
 

Central New York Glass studio is run by Christopher and Jacquelyn Rice. Started in Jan. of 2000 in Utica NY by Chris, my first studio was started in a basement as a part time job. I struggled at first to learn glass, how it works and the effects of all the different colors. In 2001 I took a class with Robert Mickelson who really opened up my eyes to all the possibilities and avenues that glass can take you. It was also in 2001 that I met Jacquelyn, who was already had her Fine Arts degree and was working on her degree in Psychology. A few days on the torch and she was hooked. Now in our seventh year of business we have grown to owning our own studio and gallery in upstate NY, right on the edge of the Adirondacks. With a bigger space we are able to hold classes to teach the medium, and display our work along with the work of other artists.
 

Chris has been on the torch for 7 years and Jacquelyn 6.
 

It must be a real joy to work with your wife Jacquelyn, do you work together on projects or mostly keep to your own individual work?
 

For the most part we work separately, but on occasion we do put our heads together and work on something bigger. Jacquelyn has a fascination with beads, but also makes some incredible marbles and sculptures as well. Chris’ fascination lies with marbles, but he dabbles in some blown work such as goblets and vessels. When we get to work together our specialties really compliment each other. The fact that they share a love for nature has inspired them to become who they are today.
 

The work you guys do is crafted using a torch method, what are some of the advantages of working with a torch?
 

I think the main advantage is that we are able to do more detailed work. An example would be Jackie’s critters and applying them to marbles, or even being able to make beads. I feel we are able to get a more hands on approach. And we are also able to work smaller. Another advantage would be operating costs. We use much less gas and electricity than a large furnace studio.
 

What were some of the frustrations you experienced when you first began?
 

LOL, where to begin! When I first started I took a 10 day course to learn the basics from Melanie Cansler in Mass. She was the closest and only person I could find at the time. I learned a lot, but it was a few months before I had my own equipment and studio up and running. So when I got started it was like learning all over again. It’s hard to understand the glass and how it likes to move and work. On top of that trying to learn the properties of each and every color is another challenge in itself. And on top of all this trying to make quality work and market yourself at the same time, so you can make a decent living. There are lots of frustrations in the beginning, but I always enjoyed a challenge!!
 

As far as lampworking you will need a decent sized torch and a kiln. Some tools such as marble molds, graphite paddles and a few other odds and ends. I highly recommend taking a class from someone that teaches so you are able to learn how to properly set up a studio, all the hazards of the craft and learn a little bit about how the glass works and proper use of the color. It’s overwhelming in the beginning so a little help goes a long way!!
 

What suggestions or words of advice can you offer the "newbie" just starting out working with glass?
 

I think the biggest thing to learn is perseverance. The life of an artist is an incredible opportunity and a lot of fun, but it’s not easy by any means. You really have to learn how to roll with the punches, keep your head up and keep looking towards your goal. We still have a long way to go, but I look at where I was just a year ago and realize how far I’ve come, and it’s still hard for me to believe. If you want it bad enough and you can stick it out, I think the end result will be very rewarding. At least I hope!!
 

I usually start out with an idea as to what I would like to make, I even have some things that I can recreate pretty easily. But some projects don’t always end up anything like what we set out to make. Those are always the fun ones, letting the glass take you where it wants to go. It’s always a challenge when these new things pop up that never happened before.
 

Fuming involves using pure silver and gold, a piece of the metal is melted onto the end of a glass rod and placed in the flame.  This causes the metal to boil which gives off a fume, which is then tranfered onto  another glass rod held at the very end of the flame.  It is then encased with clear to trap the fume  while the rest is burned away.  With this technique we are able to give our pieces a very metalic look, something very different from our colors. 

One thing that always amazes me is why doesn't the design in a marble just turn into a big molten glob?
 

It can happen very easily, the trick is learning how to get the design in the glass, and keep it there. It’s all about control. There is a lot of twisting and turning, and sometimes adding more glass to your piece. I guess this should be categorized as one of the frustrations of working with glass!
 

The very first thing I would do is pull some stringers of the colors I would want the flower to be. I usually use 2-3 colors depending on the flower. One color for the stamen, and 2 for the pedals. I then take and create a gather on the end of a glass rod and flatten it so it looks like a T. The end then becomes my palette where I add some dots in the center for the stamens of the flower, and then some quarter circles around the outside of the disc. From there I begin to heat the glass and the way it melts it drags itself around the color stringers, staying in the center of the disc, and eventually ending up inside the glass rod itself. It’s then rounded and put in the kiln for annealing. It’s an unbelievable process, hard to explain with words, but guaranteed to make you smile if you get the chance to see it!
 

My wife Helen loves the "Critter Beads" that Jacquelyn does with their happy look, are you guys just having a bunch of fun doing this or is it really like work?
 

I think it’s a little of both. Jacquelyn has a pretty humorous side, I think each one ends up with a little bit of her in them. At times it can become work, but most times she ends up giggling on her way to the kiln when she is done creating one. This is when I know it was a good one.
 

The jewelry that Jacquelyn does is amazing with so many different designs and patterns, how do you guys keep the creative juices flowing day in and day out?
 

It’s hard sometimes, and there are definitely days where we should have stayed in bed or we just have to walk away. I think what keeps us going is the fact that we love what we do, and we remember everyday how lucky we are to live like we do. And we both have a goal as to where we would like to be in the next 15 years. We both know it won’t happen without a little dedication and hard work!
 

The Goblets and Vessels that you make are awesome, how difficult is it making larger items with a torch?
 

Working with tubing is difficult period. In my opinion it’s the most difficult part to learn in glass. But, it’s also a lot of fun! I also believe that once you learn to work with tubing, everything else really starts to fall in place.
 

The Sculptures involving Sea Life are so vibrant and beautiful, what other ideas for sculptures are you planning on in the future?
 

I really feel that we you will be seeing a lot more flower sculptures and Adirondack themed artwork from us in the future. This area is really starting to influence our work a lot, and has done so with a lot of my new marble designs this past year, such as the Pansy and Daffodil flowers, and my butterflies as well.
 

Are there any particular artists whose work you admire or inspires you?
 

I would have to say hands down, Paul Stankard. He is an incredible person, and a most amazing artist. I could only hope to be a fraction of what he is someday. There are a few others as well, Robert Mickelsen and Milon Townsend are two more huge inspirations to me. Both for different reasons, but they are all in my mind almost everyday!
 

Now I know you teach working with glass also, how does that work and are you having any  classes in the near future?
 

We try to hold classes at least once a month, our next one is scheduled for Dec. 2nd and 3rd. For beginners we require people to take our Orientation class which is a lecture in which we sit people down and go over all the aspects of Lampworking. Including proper set up, safety, tools used, types of glass and suppliers we deal with. We usually start people with beginning bead making to get the basics, and if they would like to learn other avenues they can do so from there. Working with beads is great for teaching the basics and getting people used to the glass and torches. We also teach advanced classes or by the hour.
 

How about marbles, have you got any thing in the works for say......Dragons? (Helen loves dragons)
 

Jackie has done a few marbles with Dragons before, I’ve pondered them before, but she has already nailed them.
 

They can always go to our website, www.cnyglass.com and if they are ever in our area be sure to stop by our studio and gallery. We have our work out for show as well as the work of other artists in both glass and other mediums as well. We also work a lot with Glasswurx.com on the internet.
 

 All this work makes for a pretty hectic schedule, what do you guys do for relaxation and having some fun?
 

Relaxation, what’s that?! With everything we do, it’s hard to take time for ourselves, but we make it a point to find the time. We like to camp and there’s lots of that around here. We try to get outside as much as we can hike and such in the summer, and snowmobiling, skiing and sledding in the winter. Winter is the toughest time around here, there’s a lot of it so we try to keep ourselves occupied. Luckily it doesn’t take too much!!
 

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