Sheburne Glass Studio - About the Artist

Creating glass art requires a combination of talents. A glass artist needs the sense of form of a sculptor, the dexterity of a gymnast, the eye of a painter and the knowledge of a chemist.

For the last twenty-five years Sherburne Slack, proprietor of Sherburne Glass Studio has honed these skills as he has his art to beautiful glass vessels. The shapes Slack favors are usually reminiscent of classical forms of the Greeks, Romans and Phoenicians. Colors range from strong solids to variegated colors to effects similar to fine Italian marbled paper.

Glass blowing is a very physical process. It begins with pure sands and minerals and ends in an object that asks to be touched, as if to confirm that it is not an illusion.

Slack began his first glass efforts while pursuing a college degree in physics. After a time the desire to devote his professional life to glass surpassed his interest in the sciences and he left his position as a physicist to become a full time glass artist.

The transformation of sand into glass seems as magical as the attempts of alchemists to transform lead into gold.

While many glass workers begin with cullet (factory made glass), Slack begins with sand. The addition of various metallic oxides, minerals and other chemicals will determine the clarity, hardness and workability of the glass. Slack uses his own formulation developed over years of experience. Yet even though he has turned sand into glass countless times, he hasn’t lost his wonder and respect for the process. Even the addition of minute amounts of the wrong chemical can result in a spoiled batch. Slacks background in physics and chemistry enable him to continually refine and improve his mixtures for special applications.

Glass blowing requires both physical strength as well as agility. There is a background of danger both to artist and piece being worked that requires the utmost concentration.

Many of Slacks larger pieces are quite heavy, yet the must be kept in constant motion while they are being formed. They must be kept tat the proper temperature or they will ether fracture in to many pieces or become to molten to control. A sense of timing developed over years of practice separates the glass artists who can the glass from the casual experimenter.

Glass art is an evolving process.

Many of the techniques developed 2,000 years ago are still used by Slack in his glass blowing. Still some ancient glass objects present a puzzle as to how they were created. In his effort to fully exploit the artist possibilities of glass, Slack both researches ancient techniques and brings modern technological developments (such as dichroic glass) together.

Sherburne Slack has been Professionally blowing glass for over 25 years. His works have been shown and sold in galleries and fine craft stores all over the world. He works in Point Reyes, California in a studio he built and equipped with furnaces of his own design.