 Brad Shute (the guy who built this website) and his glass. |
* Updated October 2, 2000 *
Navigation Page | Glass Discussion Board
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You can email me at: brad@handmade-glass.com
Some of photos of my glass.
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Click on them to see a larger version.
Something (probably too much) about me
My small shop, called Borealis Glass Studios, is located in Andover, New York. There I make glass paperweights, as well as ornaments, vases, whimsical glass jewelry, and other glassware. I started working with glass in 1980, making little glass animals with a torch. In 1981, I began a formal apprenticeship with master glassblower Gustav Abel, at GTE Corp.'s research laboratory in Waltham, Massachusetts. There I learned to make specialized and one-of-a-kind laboratory apparatus, which we made primarily for the chemists in the lab. This continued until 1986, when I went back to school to obtain a degree in Scientific Glass Technology. After obtaining my degree, I ran the graduate school glass shop at the University of Kentucky for a year, before I resigned my position to pursue furnace glassblowing.
Before and during the time I was in Kentucky, I attended a couple of furnace glassblowing classes at the Penland School in North Carorlina. I enjoyed working out of the glass furnace very much and later took a glassblowing job in New Jersey to continue doing so. After several years in New Jersey, I moved to Andover, New York to build my own glass studio. And here I am...
About Andover
Situated almost exactly in the middle of nowhere, Andover is a tiny village in the Allegany hills of southwest central New York, about 40 miles west of Corning. The area is rural and scenic, with many farms and rolling hills. Several other artisan's studios are located in Andover and the surrounding area, including Walker Metalsmiths and Tufty Ceramics, which are both located within 100 yards of my studio. Alfred University, with its internationally known glass/ceramics school, is in the next village (Alfred). A couple of years ago Andover was chosen as one of the 100 best small art towns in America (although I can't remember by whom, or why). Visitors are welcome at my studio, however advance notice is necessary, as I work odd hours and occasionally travel on business. If you would like to visit, let me know and we will work something out. You may contact me via e-mail, phone, or fax.
A good time to visit is in October, during the Allegany Artisans Open Studio Tour. During the Studio Tour, which takes place the weekend after Columbus Day, approximately 20 local artisans open their studios to the public. Many demonstrate their crafts and all have their work available for purchase.
About my studio
I actually have two studios, the original one I rented, where my glassmaking furnace is, and another one in a building on Main Street. In my Main Street studio I have torchworking facilites (my lampworking shop), some small annealing ovens, and a large display area for my work. I bought this building a couple of years ago, and since then I've spent a lot of time (and nearly ALL my money) trying to put it into working order (it's over 100yrs. old and hasn't seen much maintenance in the past century or so).
In the original studio, there is an electrically heated glassmaking furnace I designed and built in 1994. This replaced the small gas fired one I built in 1992. For those who know about glass furnaces, the current one is a 175 lb. free-standing pot furnace, heated with silicon carbide elements. I make my glass from batch (a sand, soda ash, and lime mix) rather than remelting scrap glass (cullett). An electrically heated two or three pot melting furnace for colored glass is virtually finished, but currently on hold while I contemplate moving my studio elsewhere.
Like my glass, all my equipment is handmade by me. Since I normally work alone, building equipment takes longer than it really should. My other equipment consists of the typical glass studio stuff: a couple of annealing ovens, glory hole, two blowing benches, lots of scrap glass, as well as a pile of design ideas kicking around in my head that I will never have time to fully explore.
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