Sunday 10/31/21
On Sundays I reflect.
I still haven’t been drinking like I was years ago, but there have been some sporadic occasions on which I have consumed alcohol this year. Last night I had one celebratory beer with my friend Vinscent Van Grow who finished his season and bought a growler from me that Stephan Peirce made around 2016. The growler fits about a gallon but our friends at the Vail Brewing Company filled it up for us along with the pair of matching pints Van Grow got from Stephan last year. After completing my first beer I immediately thought about filling up my cup again but chose not to. We hung out chatting for a few hours and got some tacos before I went back to the studio for a second shift on the torch.
A few years ago I probably would not have been able to exercise such control. I won’t be making a regular thing of it though, because I love my life being sober the last few years more than any of the highlights that came before when I was drinking and partying. It is hard to quantify the difference, but I can definitely feel it. I would have never been able to transform my business and studio into what it is from what it was if I were still drinking. That is the most important thing in my life.
I have been turning on my torch almost every day. This is a serious change from the last few years in which 10-20 hours of torch time a week felt lucky for me. I feel way behind on projects I want to make, but I am slowly chipping away at the big overwhelming stuff I want to get done before the end of the year. This year has really flown by. but it isn’t too late! Day by day I have been taking steps to achieve my goals knowing that I can’t do it all at once but if I continue to make progress every day I’ll eventually accomplish everything on my list.
I’ve been listening to a lot of Drum N Bass lately. It seems to go about the same speed as my brain.
Snowboarding season starts in just under two weeks for me. I’ll be taking a few laps at Vail for opening day November 12.If I get to Keystone before then it will be because there is so much snow I can’t stay away. While it’s rare that I ride anywhere but Vail, I am committed to learning my way around Beaver Creek a bit this winter and I am also committed to getting on skis at least one time, something I have never done. Wait until you get to see me eat shit on two planks (I’ll make sure someone gets me on video)!
The last time I made time to write a blog was probably a few weeks ago when I finished paying off my debt to Seth. It feels good to be back at it, and I am hopeful that I can keep this up weekly. What the hell have I been doing all year?
Some things haven’t changed much. We still have a photo shoot or two a week at the studio or around the Vail Valley. New product comes in weekly and we’re shipping out cups almost every day. I personally pack and ship every cup that goes out with help from Marta who has been assisting me at the studio for the last year and a half. When I am on the torch I am mostly fulfilling orders. That might be a bit confusing because I don’t take commissions. When I have an idea or something that I want to make I reach out to a group of collectors that typically support my work in addition to buying other artist’s cups from me. Recently I have been attempting to get through turning the two drawers of prep from other artists into collaborations. Some of these are available on the website now and there are definitely more on deck.
For the last few months my friends Dylan and Jeremy (Wigged Out Art and OLDGREED) have been driving up to my studio from the front range for Taco Tuesday and to collaborate on cups. Both guys are prolific artists specializing in painting and now attempting to translate their artistic skills into glass. We have been working together to gather color and prep “blanks” for them to etch which I then put inside of cups. When my studio was an empty white box these guys and others came to bring life to my walls with their murals. Now it has been my privilege to support them in exploring glass and years later offer them a studio to work in with an audience ready to support their work. For that I thank everyone tuning in to today’s blog and so many others.
And of course behind the scenes I have been working on so many other projects like preparing for the upcoming Glass Vegas show in February as well as my 5th Annual Vail Cup Collectors Club. On the shorter term horizon I have been working with SALT and Glass Grab App to prepare a drop that will be November 18. VIP tickets have already sold out but we are going to offer another round soon so definitely get in touch if you are wanting to add some SALT to your collection. We will be testing out a new feature being developed on the Glass Grab App for limited edition releases with a VIP buyer selection opportunity before work is released to the general public. This will be similar to the way we have offered VIP selection for past shows and events that I have produced but with a streamlined and integrated technology allowing everything about order of selection to be taken care of. If the first drop with SALT goes as anticipated I will definitely be planning more releases for next year in this style through the app.
There is so much more that I want to share with you, but I need to get to the studio so I can light up my torch and run some Sunday Specials. If you are looking to add anything to your collection please get in touch before the holidays, as the busiest time of the year is just around the corner. In addition to the projects I mentioned, I have a few other expensive endeavors on the horizon and as always I won’t be able to bring my vision to life without your support. I am happy as always to work with you all and help in any way that I can, but for those of you that enjoy shopping what’s available on the website I have a special offer today. Anyone who spends $250 or more by midnight will get a free cup with their order chosen by yours truly!
I am so grateful for your support and appreciate you tuning in. Hopefully I can make time to share more next week!
BB
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