Inside Look at Blenko Glass Company's Mobile Hot Unit: Meet James Woodson
A Passion for Glass
James Woodson has been working in glass production for 22 years and is currently the Lead Furnace Technician for the Blenko Mobile Unit. He started at Blenko in 2007, working there for four years before taking a leave to travel and learn more about glassmaking. James returned to Blenko two years ago with new ideas and a renewed sense of creativity. In his role, he leads the Mobile Unit, assists with the apprenticeship program at Blenko, and engages in flameworking or lampworking.
“Flameworking has always been a passion of mine,” James shared. “That’s kind of how I got my foot in the door with glass originally. It’s just more small scale, but you can get more detail in the work with flameworking than you do necessarily with furnace glass.”
Roots and Growth
James grew up in Nitro, West Virginia, and recalls visiting Blenko Glass with his middle school class, where he first witnessed the magic of glassblowing. “I didn’t think much about it then, but it was my first introduction to glass,” he said. Throughout his early life, James always had a creative mind. He began blowing glass at Blenko in 2007 but moved to North Carolina to further his knowledge, spending time in Asheville and Boone working with other glassblowers.
“Unfortunately, Blenko is the last bit of glass community around here, so it is hard to have a network of other local artists and guests. That’s mainly why I wanted to travel,” he added. James is a member of the Glass Arts Society and attends their annual weekend conference, which only about 1,400 members, who are working artists, attend.
The Evolving Trade
The Blenko Mobile Unit
James will be at this year’s West Arts Fest with the Blenko Mobile Unit. The idea behind the Mobile Unit is to bring glassblowing to the public eye. The unit features a 600-pound miniature furnace with about 50 pounds of molten glass inside. James and three other workers will produce ornaments, drinking glasses, and other small items. They also bring a miniature annealing oven, wooden molds, cutters, and shears. The furnace must reach around 2300 degrees Fahrenheit to melt the glass and about 2100 degrees to work with it.
A Vision Brought to Life
James finds immense gratification in bringing a vision to life. “Whether it’s once, ten times, or 100 times, I think the value is in being able to take a vision and create something that speaks to people. Sometimes that doesn’t have to mean anything, it just speaks to them,” he said.
Photos in this blog are credited to Toril Lavendar, Blenko Glass Co.
Join us at West Arts Fest to witness James and the Blenko Mobile Hot Unit in action. Don’t miss this opportunity to see the artistry of glassblowing up close and explore the wonders of glass creation!
