Rodine, Josh
About the artist
Born in 1976, in Takilma, Oregon, I first became fascinated with glass when I was attending the University of California in Santa Cruz and met some beginning lamp workers. I was so taken by the medium I ended up moving to Eugene, Oregon to pursue the craft seriously. In Eugene, a hub of lamp working, I started working for Jason Harris, an early pioneer in the field. Since then, I have set up my own studio in Southern Oregon and studied with many professional lampworkers including Robert Mickelson, Roger Parramore and Cesare Toffolo, at Pilchuck and the Eugene Glass School.
Currently, I reside in Southern Oregon with my wife, three children, and dog.
Process:
First, I start with a section of clear glass tubing or rod, which I rotate in the flame of the torch until it is molten. Once sufficiently heated to about 2000- 3000 degrees Fahrenheit, I roll the section in powdered colored glass to form a base of color. After several coats of powder, I use various techniques to decorate the piece. Some of these techniques could be using colored glass rods, getting them molten, and spinning glass threads around the piece, or taking shards of color and inlaying them into the piece. There are many pattern techniques, some dating back to the Egyptians and Romans, to some just developed recently in the United States. Next, the piece is blown and sculpted to achieve the final form and placed in a hot kiln to anneal. Finally, after the piece has cooled, it can be coldworked. For me, the coldworking process usually consists of sandblasting the glass which finely etches the surface, and battuto, which is engraving or carving the glass.
My work has always been inspired by the beauty of the Pacific northwest , but also by it's destructive power such as wildfires, volcanoes, and earthquakes. The natural process of growth and decay are continually a source of focus in my work . This duality serves as a reminder of the dynamic world we live in, an ever evolving one, in which nothing stays the same forever. Glass is a remarkable medium to capture the movement and life which surrounds us. I feel lucky to work with it.
Sample of Artwork
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