thervdreamlife

It is truly amazing what you can discover in a city if you just keep looking. Bill and I discovered one such place this week in Garcia Art Glass, located in the up and coming Southtown section of San Antonio. At first I felt as if I were dragging Bill to find this “glass blowing place” but after our visit, he exclaimed that I had “hit a home run with this one!”

Garcia Art Glass, Inc., San Antonio’s first hot glass studio, opened in 1998 and is truly a family affair. Gini Garcia is the founder and creative director while her mother, sister, and niece all hold positions in the company. We were welcomed into the gallery and then led to the studio where Gedda, the master glass blower, and his two apprentices, Steve and Alex, were in the midst of creating a “heart bowl,” similar to the one pictured here.

Gedda has been creating glass art for 49 years while Steve and Alex have been apprentices for almost a year. Together, we watched them create a magnificent bowl – witnessing their work was like watching a choreographed dance – each participant knew his role and then together they produced a one-of-a-kind masterpiece!

Since Bill and I were the only observers this day, we were able to converse with the artists. We touched the solid pieces of colored glass that would become the bowl with the help of their hands, their tools, their creativity…and a 2300-degree oven! The final step of the process was an overall blow-torching and then the heart bowl was placed in an oven where it would stay for the next 16 hours. Following a finishing process, the heart bowl would find its place in the adjoining gallery. I am tempted to return to the gallery to purchase that very heart bowl we saw take shape!

On our way out of the gallery, we had the opportunity to speak with Marcus, a friend and business associate, who shared even more information about the Garcia family and their amazing art. Not only do they have a local gallery and adorn many San Antonio establishments with their pieces, but they literally have projects in motion throughout the world – with Marcus working on one in Peru!

We experienced an extremely unique and creative life force occurring not even 5 miles from our winter residence! Watching Garcia Art Glass in motion is an opportunity not to be missed!

Stay Calm and Travel On…