Randy Kuntz firing a vessel in the glass furnace

The end-result: a one-of-a-kind hand-blown glass vessel

As I begin my second decade as a glass artist I am more excited and enthusiastic than ever. Most men go to “work” everyday, but I feel that I go to “play”. A majority of the time when creating my pieces, I have a general idea in mind of what to make. As the piece progresses I let the glass tell me what to do, thus creating itself and guaranteeing a unique, one of a kind piece of art.

All of the items on display in the booth are either hand blown or hand sculpted exclusively by myself from hot molten glass. The process begins as the glass is extracted from the furnace at a temperature of 2200 degrees F. As the piece progresses I must add color and shape the piece, while constantly reheating to maintain a temperature between 1700-2000 degrees. The entire process takes anywhere from 20-60 minutes depending on the piece being constructed. After the piece is completed it must be annealed in an oven for over 20 hours.

In my early years as an artist and being an avid angler, I specialized in blown glass fish. As my skills became more proficient I developed a profound fascination in blown vessels including bowls, vases, and decorative plates. Most of my recent energies have been spent with experimenting in different color patterns. By incorporating optic molds with colored frits and powders, I have created new woven and snakeskin designs.

I pride myself as an artist whose creations are affordable to most of the public. My greatest reward, though, is knowing that I am providing people with beauty and enjoyment for their homes.