As I discussed in my last post, Bob Snodgrass is widely known and respected in the glassblowing industry for his works. In the United States, he is regarded as the “Godfather of artistic hard glass.” Eugene, Oregon, the town where he resides, is a place considered to be the “mecca for artistic boro glass.” (which is the Pyrex/hard glass utilized in glassblowing that I was speaking of.) All of these accomplishments can be laid at the hands of Bob and his student’s dedication to their work. Many of the glassblowers in the community can trace back their roots directly to Bob’s teachings.
Bob and his family were travelers throughout the US until they permanently settled in Eugene, Oregon in 1990. They felt it was the atmosphere, weather, and the people, were the most suitable for their family. Bob described the art scene in Oregon, noting, “There was a larger collection of artists at the Saturday Market than all the other places I had been too.” It was clear that Bob was a people person, and he craved other the opportunity to see other people’s works as well. Bob has been glassblowing since 1971 where he grew up in Ohio, but it wasn’t until 1981 that glassblowing became his full-time job. It was then that he said, “I traded all my woodworking tools for glassblowing tools.”
What I find the most inspirational about Bob is that no genius is usually ever perfected the first time. When Bob first started working with glass, he wasn’t pleased with the results of the colors of the glass designs. So, he began to experiment to perfect his work. In time, he discovered that silver and gold colors sprayed into hard Pyrex glass would change colors when the back was blackened. This technique was pioneered and invented by Bob. He, himself, is known for this in the United States. Not only this, but many of the glassblowing tools that artists use today can thank Bob for their creation.
