♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> MY NAME IS MICHAEL EGAN, I'VE BEEN A GLASS ARTIST FOR OVER 25 YEARS.

I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT THE OBJECTS I MAKE ARE IMBUED WITH A SENSE OF -- A SENSITIVITY AND SENSE OF ALMOST RESPONSIBILITY OR JUST A DESIRE TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, I WAS HERE AND I MADE THIS THING THOUGHTFULLY AND BEAUTIFULLY, AND NOW YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS TIME.

THERE'S AN INTENSE AND QUICK PACE INVOLVED IN MAKING GLASS.

IT'S VERY EXCITING AND ALMOST FEELS LIKE I'M TRYING HELP A HUGE FLOWER BLOOM.

I'M VERY INTERESTED IN MAKING HEIRLOOM QUALITY OBJECTS, THINGS PEOPLE WILL CARE FOR, THAT THEY WILL CURE RATE IN THEIR HOMES AND PASS DOWN TO FUTURE GENERATIONS.

THAT'S MY BIGGEST GOAL.

>> I WORK IN A RANGE OF COLORS AND A RANGE OF FORMS.

I JUST TRY AND PUT THE COLORS ON THE FORM, THAT'S KIND OF HOW I SEE IT NOW, WHERE I'M EXPLORING, DEVELOPING AND CHOOSING WHAT I LIKE EACH TIME DO I A BODY OF WORK, CARRYING THE BEST PARTS FORWARD.

EVOLUTION HAS BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT FOCUS FOR ME IN MY WORK.

I'M NOT JUST REACHING BACK AND DOING THE SAME THING BUT LOOKING BACK, DECIDING WHAT I LIKED BEST ABOUT WHAT I DID, AND BRINGING THE TOP 10% OF THAT FORWARD AND RESPOND'D EXPANDING ON THAT.

I'M HONING IN ON WHAT'S STRONG, AT THE SAME TIME TRYING TO EXPRESS IT ON A LARGER SCALE.

MOST RECENTLY I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT APPROACH WHERE I'M USING A MATERIAL I PRODUCE THAT ALLOWS ME TO KIND OF MIMIC A BRUSH STROKE A SMALL PAINTERLY MARK ON THE SURFACE OF THE VESSEL, MOVING BACK TOWARDS AN ABSTRACT SURFACE AND AWAY FROM A MORE FAMILIAR AND EASY TO ABSORB AND DIGEST SURFACE.

THESE PIECES HAVE A LOT MORE COMPLEXITY A LOT MORE MARKS PER SQUARE INCH.

I USE SIMPLE VESSEL FORMS AND VERY ALIVE AND WILD SURFACES TO KIND OF GET A BALANCE BETWEEN SIMPLICITY AND COMPLEXITY.

THE PROCESS OF MAKING IT IS DRAWING DOWN RODS OF GLASS, CUTTING THEM UP INTO SHORTER PIECES AND BUNDLING THEM TOGETHER WITH WIRE, HEATING THEM UP AND DRAWING THEM DOWN GOOD TONE CREATE A MULTIPLE COLOR, MULTIPLE LAYER ROSS OF GLASS.

THAT GLASS ROD IS SLICED TO EXPOSE IT'S CROSS-SECTION.

ALL THE CROSS-SECTIONS ARE LAID OUT AND FUSED TOGETHER INTO A SHEET OF GLASS.

THAT'S BROUGHT ONTO A BLOW PIPE, AND THEN THE GLASS SURRENDER ROUNDS THAT TILE AND CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE BLOWING PROCESS STRETCH SOME OF THOSE DESIGNS, OTHER AREAS EXPAND THEM IN A ROUND FORMAT.

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT FOR ME TO LEAVE SOME THINGS TO CHANCE.

GLASSBLOWING IS A VERY SPECIFIC, PRECISION ORIENTED PROCESS.

IF YOU HAVE A CLEAR VISION YOU CAN MAKE EXACTLY WHAT YOU DREW ON THE PAPER.

BUT IT CAN BE HARD TO LET THE PROCESS INVOLVE DISCOVERY AND TAKING A LEFT TURN OR A RIGHT TURN AND STILL FEELING CONFIDENT AS YOU MOVE THROUGH THE PREDICTION OF THE PIECE.

THAT'S THE PART I'VE LEFT OPEN TO CHANCE, THAT THE COLORS WILL BLEND AND TRANSMIT OR REFLECT LIGHT OR BOTH, IN SUCH A WAY TO MAKE A REEL REALLY UNIQUE PROJECT, THAT'S BASICALLY LIKE A PAINTING IN THE ROUND.

I'M CHOOSING TO USE A VASE REFERENCE, THE LANDSCAPE COLORS, THERE'S DOTS AND LINES AND CIRCLES, TRIANGLES, ALL KIND OF COMING TOGETHER, AND THEN BLOWN APARTMENT AGAIN IN THE PRODUCTION PROCESS TO CREATE A ONE-OF-A-KIND PIECE.

THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE FORM IS THE SURPRISE FOR ME.

I KNOW WHAT'S GREAT WHEN I SEE IT.

I HAVE MANY PEOPLE THAT COLLECT MY WORK, YEAH, IT'S VERY REWARDING.

SOMETIMES SOMEONE WILL SHOW UP AND SAY WE'VE BEEN WAITING, WHAT'S NEW, WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PIECE, WE WANT TO TAKE IT HOME.

WHEN THE PERSON TRUSTS MY AESTHETIC AND MY VISION AND MY TECHNICAL ABILITY TO ASK ME TO MAKE THE BEST CHOICE FOR THEM.

WHEN THAT HAPPENS I FEEL LIKE I'VE REALLY SUCCEEDED AS AN ARTIST.

THE GREATEST THING FOR ME ABOUT GLASSMAKING IS THERE'S ALWAYS THE POTENTIAL FOR ME TO LEARN AND TO GROW.

EVERY TIME I MAKE WORK I TRY TO SEE IT WITH FRESH EYES KNOWING SOMEDAY IN THE FUTURE IT'LL SEEM LESS EVOLVED THAN WHAT I'M DOING AT THAT TIME.

MY PASSION LIES IN MY DESIRE TO SEE THINGS GROW AND DEVELOP.

SEE MY CREATIVITY FLOURISH AND BECOME MORE OF WHAT IT CAN BE.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> I'M KATE POND AND I GROUP HERE IN VERMONT AND I'VE BEEN A SCULPTOR COMING UP FOUR YEARS NOW.

IT WASN'T MY REAL CHOICE TO BE A SCULPTOR, IT'S SOMETHING I THINK JUST CAME NATURALLY TO ME.

THIS IS SOMETHING, IT SITS ON THE 25th DEGREE LATITUDE WHICH IS ALSO THE BORDER BETWEEN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES.

ON EQUINOX THE SUN HITS THE SCULPTURE AT A 45-DEGREE ANGLE AND THE RAYS OF THE SUN FORM A SUNSPOT ON THE BLACK MARSHAL SHAPE UNDERNEATH THE SCULPTURE.

IN THE BEGINNING I BOUGHT A LOT OF STEEL FROM QUEEN CITY STEELYARD.

AT FIRST I WAS CUTTING MANY FLAT PIECES OUT OF THE SHEETS OF STEEL.

THEN I STARTED NOTICING SOME BIG ROUND, THEY WERE OLD GASOLINE TANKS OR OLD WATER TANKS.

INSTEAD OF DOING SCULPTURES OUT OF FLAT STEEL I THOUGHT OF PERHAPS CUTTING THE STEEL PIPE WITH THE STEEL TANK, CUTTING IT IN STRIPS SO I WOULD HAVE READYMADE CURVES.

>> WHEN I'M WORKING ON A DESIGN I SOMETIMES WILL SPEND A LONG TIME DRAWING DIFFERENT IDEAS.

AND AFTER I HAVE A SOLID IDEA THAT'S WHEN I START MAKING IT OUT OF STEEL.

AND FORMING IT, WELDING IT TOGETHER.

WHEN I'M DESIGNING A SCULPTURE AND MAKING PLANS FOR A NEW COMMISSION, I LOOK IN MY WORKSHOP AND I MAKE SMALL MOCK ETTES OF SMALL SCULPTURES AND CUT WITH A PLASMA TORCH.

WHEN I'M FORMING THE PIECES OF STEEL THAT GO TOGETHER TO MAKE THE MAQUETTES OF THE SCULPTURE, SOMETIMES THE PIECES DON'T FIT TOGETHER AND I NEED TO EITHER GRIND THEM OFF A LITTLE BIT OR POUND THEM A BIT SO THEY FIT WELL TOGETHER.

THIS IS A PIECE THAT COULD BE COMMISSIONED.

I ENVISION IT AS PROBABLY 12 TO 15 FEET AT ALL, IN A VERY LARGE FIELD.

AND IT HAS THE FEELING OF MOVEMENT EVEN THOUGH IT'S IN THIS PIECE IT'S SOLID COPPER, EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD BE SOLID STEEL.

IT JUST HAS A FEELING OF FLUID MOTION.

THESE SCULPTURES ARE AVAILED VIES AND EIGHT.

THEY LOOK VERY HEAVY BUT EACH WEIGHS LESS THAN A TON.

I MAKE THEM IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN EXHIBITION I DID, AND THE NUMBERS.

NOW I'M INSTALLING THEM IN A CLIENT'S YARD, AND I DIDN'T RIGHT SIDE AT THE TIME THAT THEY ACTUALLY WOULD BUY THEM.

BUT THEY DECIDED TO BUY THEM JUST BEFORE I WAS SET TO MOVE THEM TO ANOTHER EXHIBITION IN STOWE.

NOT ALL OF MY SCULPTURES ARE THESE LARGE PUBLIC SCULPTURES.

I ALSO MAKE SMALL PIECES.

IN FACT, I HAVE SOME SMALL PIECES OF LARGER SCULPTURES IN GALLERIES AND I SHOW THEM AND THEY ARE FOR SALE.

THERE'S A WORLD SCULPTURE PROJECT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR AT LEAST 23 YEARS.

THERE ARE TIME CAPSULES FOR EACH OF THESE SCULPTURES AROUND THE WORLD.

AT EACH SITE I WORK WITH CHILDREN AND WE MADE LITTLE ARTWORKS THAT WERE LITTLE POSTCARD SIZE.

I ASKED THE CHILDREN TO SHOW ME WHAT YOUR LIFE IS LIKE WHAT, LOVE IN YOUR LIFE, AND DO YOU HAVE ANY WORRIES.

WE GET THESE WONDERFUL LITTLE CARDS.

IN NORWAY THERE WERE 50 OF THE ORIGINAL STUDENTS THAT MADE ARTWORK AND CAPE BACK AND SAW THESE DRAWINGS THEY HAD DONE 19 YEARS BEFORE.

WHEN WE OPENED UP THE TIME CAPSULE WE FOUND THESE WONDERFUL LITTLE DRAWINGS MADE BY CHILDREN.

>> I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK THAT MY WORK IS PRECIOUS, ESPECIALLY THE OUTDOOR PIECES.

THEY SHOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE.

PEOPLE COULD CLIMB ON THEM, TOUCH THEM, RUN AROUND THEM.

>> AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, I DIDN'T MAKE A CHOICE TO BE A SCULPTOR.

BUT I JUST CAN'T HELP, IT'S MY NATURAL WAY OF BEING.

I ALWAYS WILL BE INSPIRED AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING EVEN DIFFERENT WORK THAT I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT WILL BE YET.

IT'S MY WAY OF LIFE.

♪♪ >> MY NAME IS IVY LONG, AND I'M A LACEMAKER AND BRIDLE JEWELRY AND ACCESSORY DESIGNER IN BENNINGTON, VERMONT.

I STARTED MY BUSINESS IN 2006 WITH A FOCUS ON CREATING HEIRLOOM QUALITY FINE HANDCRAFTED LACE JEWELRY FOR BRIDES.

MY TRAINING STARTED VERY EARLY I LIKE TO SAY, BECAUSE MY MOTHER WAS A MILLINER AND A TEXTILE ARTIST.

FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE I WAS EXPOSED TO THIS SORT OF WORK.

SHE TAUGHT ME TO KNIT AND SEW AND EMBROIDER.

BY THE TIME I WAS A TEENAGER I DECIDED I WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN JEWELRY-MAKING.

I WENT ON TO APPRENTICE PRENTICE IN THE JEWELRY INDUSTRY, AND WORKED THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE STARTING MY OWN BUSINESS.

AS A CHILD I WAS FASCINATED BY FASHION AND WATCHING MY MOTHER WORK IN HER STUDIO.

HOW SHE COULD JUST CREATE ALL SORTS OF BEAUTIFUL HATS AND DIFFERENT THINGS USING BEADS AND TEXTILES.

I USED TO GO INTO A STUDIO AND PLAY WITH SCRAPS OF FABRIC AND MAKE DOLL CLOTHES AND ROOT AROUND IN THE BUTTONHOLE THAT SHE HAD FULL OF BUTTONS.

BY THE AGE OF NINE I WAS MAKING JEWELRY, AND IT'S SOMETHING I'VE BEEN DOING EVER SINCE.

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VERY DETAIL ORIENTED, EVEN AS A KID.

EVERYTHING I DREW WAS VERY TINY AND COVERED IN DECLARATION.

FOR ME JEWELRY DESIGN IS JUST THE PERFECT MEDIUM, THE SCALE IS IDEAL.

I'M GOING TO TAKE SOME OF THIS THREAD, IT'S CALLED ELIZABETHAN TWIST.

IT'S A SPECIAL METAL THREAD MADE IN THE U.K. BY A COMPANY THAT'S BEEN PRODUCING IT SINCE THE 1700s.

IT'S ESSENTIALLY A THREAD WRAPPED IN A VERY FINE SILVER WIRE, IT HAS A PRETTY HIGH METAL CONTENT IN IT.

IT WAS USED IN LOTS OF OPEN YOU LENT EMBROIDRES FROM THE RENAISSANCE AND THE ROCOCCO ERA WHEN THERE WERE A LOT OF HEAVILY EMBELLISHED GARMENTS.

I LIKE TO USE IT FOR MY LACE.

THIS WILL BE STITCHED ONTO THE NETTED LACE BASE.

THEN IT WOULD BE EMBELLISHED.

THESE ARE HAND-STITCHED DOWN.

AND ALSO DECORATED WITH SOME HAND EMBROIDERED FLOWERS AROUND THE EDGES AND SOME WIRE BRANCHES THAT ARE BEADED WITH PEARLS AND CRYSTALS TO GIVE IT SORT OF AN ORGANIC FEEL.

THIS DESIGN HAS ALL HANDCRAFTED LACE AND IT IS ENCRUSTED IN VINTAGE CRYSTALS AND CUBIC ZIRCONIA STONES TO GIVE IT THE SPARKLE.

I BECAME INTERESTED IN LACE-MAKING ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO AFTER LOOKING AT SOME RENAISSANCE LACE PATTERNS AND REALLY BEING CAPTIVATED BY THE ART OF IT.

AND THEN I REALIZED THAT I COULD COMBINE A LOT OF MY OTHER SKILLS, MY JEWELRY-MAKING SKILLS, MY NEEDLEWORK SKILLS, AND MY LACE-MAKING SKILLS THAT I WAS DEVELOPING AND USE TO IT CREATE BRIDLE ACCESSORIES AND JEWELRY.

AFTER LOOKING AT THESE VINTAGE PATTERNS I TRIED TO FIGURE OUTWEIGHS THAT I CAN UPDATE THE LACE MOTIFS AND APPLY THEM IN A NEW WAY, EITHER USING NEW MATERIALS OR SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES AND DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS.

OR JUST USE IT AS THE STARTING-OFF POINT FOR MY OWN PATTERNS.

AT THIS STAGE I HAVE GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE I CREATE MOST OF MY OWN PATTERNS FROM SCRATCH, CAR ACCIDENT THE DIFFERENT STITCHES CREATING SAMPLE SWATCHES ANDPATTERN FROM CAPTURE,CHARTING THE DIFFERENT STITIONS AND GOING FROM THERE.

IT ALWAYS INFORMS MY DESIGN.

IT'S A WONDERFUL FEELING TO SEE SOMEONE WEARING MY JEWELRY AND ENJOYING IT.

I PLAN TO DO THIS FOR YEARS TO COME.

♪♪ ♪♪ >> I'M AL STIRT, I'M A WOOD TURNER, I'VE BEEN A WOOD TURNER FOR ABOUT 40 YEARS.

WE BOUGHT THIS PLACE IN 1975, IT WAS AN OLD FARMHOUSE THAT HAD BEEN SEMI FIXED UP.

AND I HIRED SOME FRIENDS TO HELP ME BUILD A SHOP.

I HELPED THEM BUILD IT BUT BASICALLY THEY TOLD ME WHERE TO BANG THE NAILS.

AND ONE OF THE REASONS WE BOUGHT THIS PLACE WAS WE FACE WHAT ARE CALLED THE COLD HOLLOW MOUNTAINS.

AND WHEN THE LIGHT IS RIGHT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THESE GLACIAL POLES.

THE CURVES ARE THERE SORT OF EVERY DAY TO REMINED ME TO REMIND ME OF WHAT GOOD FORM IS.

I'M SELF-START BUT I REALLY STARTED LEARNING WHEN I WENT TO TEACH OTHER PEOPLE.

I GOT INVOLVED IN A WOOD TURNING SYMPOSIUM HELD IN 1978.

THE TURNING SYMPOSIUMS WERE A REALLY GOOD THING FOR WOOD TURNING.

THEY BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER AND SORT OF PEOPLE THROUGH THESE SHARED IDEAS AND TECHNIQUES.

THAT'S CONTINUED THROUGH TODAY.

SO THE WOOD TURNING WORLD UNLIKE SOME OTHER CRAFTS IS BASED UPON FULLY SHARING INFORMATION.

WHEN I FIRST TURNED THE GREENWOOD, I PLAY WITH THE GREEN A BIT TO GET A REALLY NICE PATTERN.

THEN I LEAVE THE PIECE PRETTY THICK.

THIS IS SOME BLACK ASH.

THIS IS ABOUT ONE AND A HALF INCHES THICK.

IN THIS FORM THE BOWL WILL DRY IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS.

IT WILL BE REALLY, REALLY HARD TO DRY THE SOLID BLOCK OF WOOD, IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE PRONE TO CRACKING.

SO THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE GREENWOOD.

GREEN.

>> FOR THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS NOW WITH PUTTING -- CARVING A PATTERN ONTO A WOODEN PIECE, MOSTLY SORT OF RECTANGULAR PLATTERS, CLUBBING PATTERNS, PAINTING OVER, WITH NO PAINT, AND ABRADING AWAY SOME OF THE PAINT.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT WITH PAINT ON CHERRY IS A THIN LAYER OF COLOR THAT LOOKS LIKE THE CHERRY'S BEEN AGING FOR ABOUT A HUNDRED YEARS.

THE HIGHLIGHTS TEND TO ACCENTUATE THE PATTERN THAT I'VE CARVED.

THIS IS PART OF WHAT I'VE BEEN CALLING MY SQUARE SERIES.

THESE ARE INSPIRED BY OLD CERAMIC PIECES.

BUT I'VE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF FUN WITH THE TEXTURES HERE.

THE IDEA IS TO GET THIS PATTERN THAT HAS QUITE A BIT OF REGULATOR BUT A LOT OF IRREGULARITY.

IT EVOKES DIFFERENT THINGS FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE, WHICH IS KIND OF FUN.

TO ME THESE LOOK LIKE A LOST LANGUAGE OR SOMETHING LIKE CUNEIFORM.

PEOPLE KNOW IT'S MY WORK WHEN THEY ARE LOOKING AT IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NEW FOR ME.

ALL I CAN THINK OF IS THEY ARE SORT OF SEEING WHAT I SEE IN MY WORK, WHICH IS I GUESS I HAVE A CERTAIN FEEL THAT I WANT TO COME OUT, MORE THAN JUST AN AESTHETIC.

THERE'S A CERTAIN FEEL TO PIECES THAT COMES WITH THE PIECES.

AND CERTAIN PEOPLE CAN RECOGNIZE THAT, AND THAT'S KIND OF STAGGERING SOMETIMES.

>> I THINK THE LATE 1970S, SINCE THEN I'VE BEEN GOING CANOEING UP IN NORTHERN CANADA, FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE COUNTRY UP THERE AND GRADUALLY GOING FURTHER NORTH AND DOING LONGER TRIPS.

ONE WAY I THINK ABOUT IT, SOME OF THE AREAS WE SEE, YOU COULD IMAGINE THE EARTH BEING BORN THERE.

IT'S SORT OF PRISTINE AREAS.

THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT IT THAT IS JUST -- JUST RECHARGES ME.

ALSO WITHIN THE LAST 10 YEARS OR SO I'VE STARTED DELIBERATELY TAKING PICTURES OF PATTERNS THAT I FIND AND TRY TO REINTERPRET THEM IN MY WORK.

SO PATTERNS OF WATER, I LOVE PATTERNS OF SAND, PATTERNS OF ROCK.

UP NORTH THERE'S A LOT OF EXPOSED ROCK.

YOU GET TO SEE SORT OF THE BONES OF THE EARTH JUST RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU.

SO I TAKE PICTURES OF THESE THINGS.

IT ALL COMES BACK AND SORT OF IS IN MY MIND AND MY SOUL, I GUESS.

IT COMES OUT SOMETIMES SUBTLY, SOMETIMES MORE DIRECTLY IN MY WORK.

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