![]() Sharvin was one of 10 artists selected for the competition, filmed over the course of five weeks from September to October 2021 in Canada.Īccording to the Glass Center website, Sharvin originally hails from Columbus, Ohio and has been blowing glass since 2008. The Pittsburgh Glass Center announced that local artist and glassblower John Sharvin is among the contestants on season three of Blown Away, which will premiere on July 22. The Netflix program Blown Away features some of the best glass artists in the world, and the most recent season includes one from Pittsburgh. It’s very satisfying to make glass, really any kind of craft, for your living.John Sharvin (left) in Blown Away There are tons of reality competition shows out there catering to just about any niche you can think of, from cake decorating and tattoos to the custom sword makers of Forged in Fire. I feel very blessed that it all fell into place that I could learn this craft. “I have visions of what I want to do I have the picture in my mind. “I’m looking forward to the next 15 or 20 years of just doing my own work,” Whitehurst said. The glass is slightly radioactive and glows under black light. He’s also developed a niche working with collectible uranium glass, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In addition to creating delicate bowls, goblets and vases, and the colorful blown glass fish that are popular at the Rainbow Springs Art Gallery, he is experimenting with the Swedish graal technique, which allows him to create a complex artistic design and sandblast it onto a blank glass vessel. Now, with his workshop just steps from his home, Whitehurst is enjoying exploring artistic design and developing his signature style. Some of the glass artwork pieces that James Whitehurst has created, including a graal vase, center. “I was getting paid to work with him, but I was just blown away the whole day watching him.” “He would always say, ‘More practice, more better,’” Whitehurst remembered with a smile. He also learned a lot working with Romanian master glassblower Vasile Loznianu. Petersburg with well-known Florida glass artists, including Duncan McClellan and Chuck Boux. When I sold my first piece, I said, ‘This is what I want to do.’”īefore moving to Dunnellon in 2012, Whitehurst spent a decade working in St. “He would give me time to do my own work so I could explore and do vases and that sort of thing. James Whitehurst works at his home to create a spin out bowl using a 2,300 degree Glory Hole. The most exciting part, he recalled, was selling his first piece just several months after starting. So it was repetitive work, but it gave me good glass handling skills.” “In glassblowing, you need a lot of time of handling the glass to get comfortable and be proficient at it. “It was just production work for years,” Whitehurst said. Whitehurst continued to apprentice in Ybor City, helping his mentor fill wholesale orders for blown glass ornaments. ![]() ![]() “So there was a little bit of learning and then a little bit of making vases and making glasses to entertain the people.” “That’s where I first started blowing glass all we did were demos,” Whitehurst remembered. Whitehurst has been a glassblower for 32 years. The glassblower needed a helper for his demonstrations to tourists at Medieval Times in Kissimmee. The Tampa native’s father had a friend who was a glassblower. The glassblower recently set up a studio in the garage at his Dunnellon home, where he creates beautifully colored, handblown glass works of art.Ī lucky break right after high school gave Whitehurst the chance to begin learning his craft 32 years ago. Standing in front of a 2,300-degree furnace is James Whitehurst’s happy place. James Whitehurst works at his home to create a spin out bowl using wet newspaper. BLOWN AWAY GLASS TRIALGlassblower skills honed through decades of trial by fire ![]()
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