How to make a Glass Horse
Share
Revisiting Glass Horse Sculpting After 20 Years: A Journey Back to a Mastered Skill
About 20 years ago, I stumbled upon a video of an Italian glass artist creating a beautiful horse sculpture. I was instantly captivated by his artistry and decided to challenge myself to learn this intricate technique. At the time, I devoted countless hours to perfecting the form and flow needed to bring molten glass to life as a graceful horse. It was a real learning curve, but one I embraced fully, pushing myself to master each step.
In the years since, I shifted my focus to other forms of glass artistry, building new skills and crafting unique pieces for clients. Yet, something about sculpting the horse always stayed with me, lingering in the back of my mind. Recently, I decided to revisit this technique. This video is a quick glimpse of that journey—a 1 minute and 35-second practice run after not making a glass horse for almost two decades.
The process is both familiar and foreign. While the muscle memory is still there, sculpting a horse from molten glass is a demanding process, requiring intense focus and a feel for timing. The legs and neck must be pulled at just the right moments to maintain balance and elegance. It’s a delicate dance with heat, gravity, and glass, but one I’m eager to re-master.
This practice run is just the beginning of my efforts to rekindle the skill. With more sessions ahead, I’m confident that I’ll regain the finesse I once had. The experience has been a reminder of how much dedication glass sculpting demands and how rewarding it is to breathe life back into a forgotten skill.
Whether you’re a fellow artist or someone who appreciates the art of glass, this journey back into horse sculpting is a great reminder that no matter how much time has passed, it’s never too late to revisit a passion.
If you enjoyed this glimpse into my artistic process, I invite you to watch the full video on my YouTube channel. Please like, comment, and subscribe to stay updated on future videos, and feel free to share with anyone who appreciates the art of glassmaking!