What's Zach Doing

Brrr so cold…

Glass!

This month has been full of learning in the form of failure, which is good! I have been pushing my limits in terms of skills and scale, making my largest and most complex pieces to date. Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned.

1. Rochester is COLD.

I keep my oxygen and propane tanks outside for safety but because its been so cold the valves and regulators on both tanks froze shut and I wasnt able to open them for over a week. Luckily all my equipment is rated for sub zero temps so there was no damage to anything, but not working on glass for an entire week is something I haven’t done since I set up my studio in December.

2. First try is the worst try (duh)

This month I have been watching a lot of glass work tutorials on youtube as well as reading the contemporary guide to lampworking, both of which are introducing me to lots of new techniques. One thing about glass (and I’m sure many other things) is that if you are good at a technique, you make it look easy, almost effortless. When I get inspired and run down to my studio and try something that I just learned, it’s almost always a disaster. This has been very discouraging and I tend to have a hard time pushing through it. This month has honestly been no different, but I am trying to keep this saying in my head.

3. Glass is fragile and photography is a hazard.

I have a bad habit of photographing my pieces as soon as they are done. This seems like it wouldn’t be problematic, but I often don’t take the time to set up my photo studio because I am excited to share my work, so I just look for good natural light and hold the piece in my hand for a quick photo – like this:

Usually, this is fine…..but sometimes…..(there are two gifs here that sometimes take a while to load. Please let them load, it’s worth it.)

Project Archives

This month I started working on documenting the work I did on the Family Feud flip dot board when I worked at The Strong Museum.

The board was a staple of the show was used from 1976-1995. With the help of Corey Cooper (the son of the boards creator) we got the display running on the original hardware, but it was clear that it could fail at any moment. To make it suitable for display and museum use, I was tasked with building a system to run the sign using modern technology. See the page in my project archives to learn more!

Events

Last month I wrote that I was planning on hosting 2 events per month in hopes of meeting new people and seeing my existing friends more. Turns out 2 events in one month is a lot! I ended up hosting just the second event, which was a collage night. See pictures on the pictures from my life page :). In March I will be hosting a swap/junk exchange meet. Bring clothes and junk you don’t need and throw it on my floor!! See the flier below for info. If you are reading this and you know my address you are invited!!