Glass art, or glass blowing, is an art form that dates back centuries. Glass blowing uses quartz sand, which is heated to extremely high temperatures and transforms into hot, liquid glass. The molten glass can be molded and shaped into a wide variety of unique pieces. It involves creativity, careful planning and quick thinking in order to be successful. Maple Grove resident Brandon McClellan has tackled this difficult skill set and made a career out of something he loves.
McClellan’s interest in glass art began at age 18 in a high school ceramics class, where he watched a video on glass blowing. He was intrigued by the huge globs of molten glass, resembling taffy, and the use of large flames to create distinct and special art pieces.
After high school, he attended Anoka Ramsey Community College, the only college in the state that offers classes in glass art. It began with the basics: mastering the art of making a cup, and then progressing to more difficult pieces such as vases and bowls.
He now creates his own pieces with unique designs. Some of McClellan’s glass art includes Roman gladiator helmets, wine glasses and personalized decanters, lighting pieces and sand ceremony pieces for weddings. He also works in an area of glass art called fusing, which allows for even more creativity by layering glass pieces together.
McClellan stays busy fulfilling custom orders and creating new art pieces which he displays and sells via his website.
McClellan stresses some unique qualities of glass art. “The physical properties allow me as an artist to achieve an amount of depth that is unattainable through other mediums,” he says. The finished piece can be as strong as a bowling bowl or incredibly fragile, depending on what is being created. The extreme temperatures used in making the pieces are also unique to this craft.
McClellan’s advice for those interested in tackling this fine art is to “stick with it, it can be frustrating at times. It is a lifelong learning process. It will continually challenge you.” The challenges seem to keep it interesting for McClellan and create an ongoing desire to do his best work. Sculpting with glass is one of the toughest crafts in the art world, but McClellan knows that the joy of a finished piece can outweigh any of the difficulties along the way.
McClellan also displays his work at the Foci Minnesota Center for Glass Arts. His goal is to open a studio where he can continue to expand on his creativity and share his passion for glass art with others.
To experience glass blowing first hand, the Foci Minnesota Center for Glass Arts in Minneapolis offers a variety of classes: an introduction to and demonstration of glass art; a hands-on workshop where participants create a globe sculpture or pint glass; and a “hot glass social” including a personalized sculpture. (Classes are open to students age 14 and up.)
