"Voyage Through the Abyss"

1.86"

This marble was made (with preparation) in 12 hours of live demo at the first annual Oregon Glass Celebration held at Cornerstone Glass Center on January 17th 2015. It's always an honor and a blast to work in that glass soul-kitchen; the party was exciting, the beats pumping, and everyone left with a strong dose of inspiration!

I was deeply pleased with how this marble came out; everything went perfectly smooth and all the pieces came together without flaw, which is always a boon in demo situations with noise and distractions multiform.

Best of all, this marble was featured in a short film made by my good friend and fellow marblehead Tim Keyzers, who brought glass tricks and his extensive video skills for the whole weekend of the OGC. This video is posted as an episode in Tim's Marblehead Zine website, a distinct honor and pleasure. It's a true creative collaboration between Tim and I, as we both worked on its arrangement and layouts (Tim brought me the awesomely creepy girl too- rescued from a thrift store basket). Some of the footage is from the demo, showing this marble in process.

You can see the entire video by clicking this link: Marblehead Zine.

It's "Voyage Through the Abyss" largely for the black/red side wigs, a pattern that usually suggests to me danger and peril. Contrasted with a core so pure-intentioned and purposeful it becomes obvious that this marble represents the pure soul faced with the necessity of crossing a space of darkness to a better safety. The soul isn't pleased about the prospect but realizes the necessity of doing so; they focus the mind, raise the determination, make the necessary preparations, and set out.

As long as the eyes stay pointing forward, not wavering left or right, the chances are decent to pass unscathed. It will be a relief- within the abyss lurks the threat of uncertainty, terror, and even death.