The Glass Bowl

Louisville; bitter cold walking back to hotel after some good beer, fish and chips and freezing our Southern asses off.
Sal and I were walking against the wind when we passed what looked like a glass blowing lab with picture windows to the street (1). There was also an art gallery with some interesting work, and a few people milling around in the gallery with glasses of wine in their hands. Private party? Open house? We decided to at least get off the street and warm up a little so went into the reception area and were offered wine and snacks (we just finished the meal so declined the snacks, not the wine). The glass blowing lab had two people working and we watched through a glass partition while a guy put a blob of glass on a pipe and began to form something. He saw us and gestured us to come in. We did, and spent the next half hour warm and watching him create a simple but pretty bowl. He and the helper alternated heating, shaping, adding glass, heating and shaping again and again until he had it finished. Then one cut and the bowl fell into waiting gloves to be placed into the cooling oven. The glass artist’s name is Tyler Gordon.
I told him we would love to buy the bowl because we liked it and we saw it being born. He gave me his cell # and told me to call the next day to arrange to pick it up. I didn’t. But, while sitting in Borders contemplating homelessness two days later I did call. No answer. So, I walked down to the building. Locked. A janitor saw me and let me in, and told me Tyler was in the lab with a class, and to go on in. Tyler looked a little surprised and I think he didn’t expect to see me again. We walked back to another small lab where the bowl sat on a shelf amongst other pieces. He said he would be happy if I accepted the bowl as a gift. I did, and he accepted a donation to his much depleted beer fund.
I can't know if Tyler Gordon will make it as a glass artist, but he made our day a bit brighter, and the bowl has a place of prominence in the kitchen. And I think he is happy too, not just for the beer money, but because someone valued his work. So thank you Tyler for your generosity, and we both wish you a long and productive career.
Image: iittala.com (image of our bowl delayed due to camera difficulties. Ours is much the same only opaque.)
1. The glass blowing lab is part of the Hite Art Institute at the University of Louisville