Sunday 1/30/22
On Sundays I reflect.
I did not drink alcohol this week. For me it’s better that way.
I also didn’t have time to get on my snowboard this week. It only snowed once this week and it happened to be the day I drove to Denver to pick up Snic Barnes. Snic flew out from Philadelphia to collaborate with me before the upcoming Glass Vegas and Vail Cup Collectors Club. He brought a pair of shot glasses that he made which I will be releasing later today during Sunday Specials. He also brought the first mug he has ever made; his submission for the Vail Cup Collectors Club.
Side Note: Snic lost his Instagram account so give him a follow on his new one @snic_barnes
Let me be the first to say that Snic made a marvelous mug! We took a few of his design elements and incorporated my composition notebook prep into our first collaboration this weekend. After admiring his work for over a decade it has truly been an honor to host Snic at Bat Country Studios and collaborate with him. He pushed me to refine our mug when I was ready to turn it over to him, and he helped me to analyze my process and come up with new solutions for creating cups.
Yesterday after putting final touches on the mug and grabbing a bite to eat we jumped right into our second project. For this one Snic sculpted one of his iconographic objects for meditation and I put it inside a cup with a composition notebook foot. Getting these two pieces made has given both of us new ideas to make in the future. I’m hoping Snic will make it back to the mountains when it’s a bit warmer (the cold might have been a bit of a shock for him as it was hovering just over zero degrees this weekend). We are working on a Snic drinkware drop for this year and hopefully we will get to collaborate again then.
Earlier this week I made a fully worked composition notebook pint collaboration with Log (or maybe that was last week) and then I got one in with Matty B as well. I’ve used up all my prep so after I drive Snic to Calm’s today I will get back to prep and hopefully get in a few more heaters this week for Glass Vegas. It would also be nice to return from Vegas to a big pile of prep because as soon as I get back it will be crunch time for the Vail Cup Collectors Club.
The pieces are all falling into place. Many of the submissions for my show have arrived and my photographer Graham has been shooting cups to get me edits so I can stay on top of it all. Marta has been getting the studio and our expansion “The Annex” ready for the show, and Jeremy OLDGREED is coming up today to hopefully finish the last paint touchups on the walls. Isaiah Inner Force Glass is also coming up today to bring some fresh mugs and work on getting ready for Glass Vegas as well. This will be his first trade show and I am hoping we can also get in our first collaboration this week. Isaiah and Jeremy will be joining me in Vegas to help with our booth in addition to our friend Willie The Pimp aka Cadillac Daddy. Look for the dudes in the psychedelic sweaters next to the bar where our booth will be!
It has been a real privilege to spend as much time as I have blowing glass this week. Since the beginning of the year I have been making the best work of my career. I am prioritizing time on the torch and pushing myself to create projects that challenge me instead of staying on the safe and easy avenue. I am thrilled to be creating this work and even more excited to share it with you.
A cousin of mine is on a ski trip this weekend in Vail with some friends and yesterday they made time to come by the studio. This cousin purchased work from me a few years ago when I was really struggling after reading my blog and wanting to show his support. I remember seeing his name come up in my Shopify orders that Sunday when he purchased not just one cup but multiple items that added up to enough to keep me going at a time when sales were not happening every day or anywhere near that often. I cried when he made his order and texted my brother to let him know how much the support meant to me at a time when I wasn’t sure how I would ever get out of the financial hole I was in. It was a real privilege to share my space with this cousin and his friends a year or two later as we are not only still there but even expanding into the unit next door. As my cousin walked through the office he pointed out items he had been eyeing on the website. It was really a cool experience to watch him interact with pieces he told me he had considered purchasing from time to time. Without his support I may not have been able to hold out this long, attempting to create an entire marketplace for so many artists and our community.
There was a time when I couldn’t sell cups for $50. It wasn’t that long ago to be honest.
Today cups are selling for up to $10,000 regularly. I remember just five or six years ago before I had my studio when I told people this was going to be the trend we would see take place. I remember artists laughing and telling me they hoped I was right. I remember potential investors laughing at me and asking to see data (which at the time did not exist) to illustrate these trends and values. I remember friends and family and supporters who have believed in and shared my vision and helped bring it to reality today.
Thank you so much for tuning into my journey and supporting my passion. This is going to be the busiest month of my life ahead, and in March I am going to take some time for myself. For now it’s full speed ahead into February 2022!
Enjoy your Sunday,
BB
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