This studio-building business has been a true challenge across the board financially, emotionally and technically. Definitely the most difficult project I've attempted. As such, there have been times that I've had to take on side work in order to maintain momentum. I've recently taken on a job as the floor manager at East-end auction house A.H. Wilkens and I'm absolutely loving it. It's a really fascinating industry and a surprisingly suitable fit for someone like myself with the bizarre and seemingly random skill-set developed over a decade in fine-craft. It's about as close as I'm likely to get to having a day-job at the V&A Museum. Poring-over and documenting entire lifetimes worth of treasures is really satisfying. Speaking of which,...
Hiya! I missed a couple posts this month but I have a good excuse I swear! May seems to get crazier every year as more and more May babies (aside from myself) come into my life. Essentially the past few weeks have been a non-stop birthday party for young, old and newly born. Now that it's over, it's back to the wonderful grind of launching this studio! The best part of the month was visiting the Grand Trunk Railway Tunnel (aka The Blue Ghost Tunnel) of St. Catharines with my lady; the lovely Lana Filippone (another Taurean) for her birthday (she's a brave one). Some say this is one of, if not the most haunted spot in Canada thanks to...
Hey There!
Here a fun video from a few years ago when I was a Resident Artist at Harbourfront Centre here in Toronto. I learned how to pull these traditional Venetian ponies back when I worked in Niagara Falls as an apprentice under Master Glassblower; Angelo Rossi. Pulling a pony is seen by some as a bit of a rite-of-passage for a glassblower. I wonder when Turnstyle Glassblowing Studio is up and running, if I'll still be able to do this! Hopefully it's like riding a bike. Enjoy! Hey, it's my birthday today!
-Clayton
Hello!
I'm happy to say that last night I actually used the glass studio that I've been working on for the past year to make some glass! I have never gotten emotional over coldworking before but I'm not gonna lie, it was kind of a special moment. Even if I couldn't get a good picture.
I'm currently working on a batch of awards for CAMH hospital called the Transforming Lives Awards. I've made them a few times in the past but this is the first time I've done it in my own space. Mine! Feeling pretty great today More to come!
-Clayton Haigh
This was really fun. Back in 2012 (I can't believe it's been 4 years!) I was selected by Sony during The Artist Project here in Toronto to participate in their promo for a new camcorder. They asked artists to make a short film using the camera to document their process in the studio and played the films on a loop in their booth section at the show. I decided to try to view the process from a new perspective. I rigged up a custom mount that would fix the camera to my blowpipe causing the room to spin around while the glass remained stationary in the centre of the frame. I thought it was a cool effect (if a little...
