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Let me start my first real blog by answering a question I get all the time (No, not the question: “Do you ever burn yourself?”, even though I hear that question almost as often, only from people not familiar with working with 1,600 degree hot glass): "Why did you decide to become a glass artist?"

There are many reasons, and therefore, there is a short answer, a longer and more accurate answer and a whole book full. I will give you the longer version in this blog: My father enrolled me in a scientific glassblowing apprenticeship program at age 15 at the Jena Glaswerke. Because of this, I became a scientific glassblower and did that for about 12 years, first at the Jena Glaswerke in Germany and later at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. You can imagine that working with glass became second nature to me. Whenever there was time, I “played” with glass and make objects for my own enjoyment. I remember the first thing I made, that I was somewhat proud of, was a small hollow clown. I was 18 and it was a birthday present for my mother. The inspiration for that piece came from one of my art teachers, from whom I had taken drawing and painting classes. He had this beautiful painting with clowns in a winter landscape, which prompted me to create a clown that was inspired by those in this painting.

Anyway, by then I had discovered that I preferred art over scientific glass and continued to follow art classes. When I moved to the US in 1965, I stayed with my art studies. Friends, who knew I enjoyed painting and drawing (even though I did not feel I was any good at it, these friends gave me many compliments; That’s what friends are for, right?), encouraged me to use glass as my art medium. Their thinking was so logical: They said: “you like art, and are excellent with glass, why not make sculptures out of glass?”

I decided to give it a shot. Only to be shot down by local galleries (remember, this was 1965, and… in Atlanta). I continuously heard: “It’s beautiful, but that’s not art, it’s glass.” In 1968, with support of my great friend (and, at the same time, royal pain) Philip, we had saved enough money to open our own gallery on the main street in Atlanta: Peachtree Road (not to be confused with Peachtree Street, Peachtree Industrial, Peachtree Center Avenue, Peachtree Battle, Peachtree Circle and another 20 (!) roads in Atlanta with the word Peachtree in it).

I have always been fortunate in having people around me who had much more business sense than I did. They helped me in business, so that I could focus on glass. It’s been quite an adventure. I’ve met people I would never have met, if it wasn’t for my art. And, in all honesty, some sculptures I really enjoyed making, and some I made with the taste of clients in mind and did not personally enjoy them as much as I maybe should have. I am sure all of you (or at least most of you) recognize this. As artists, we just have to find the right mix between making sculptures that we can sell and sculptures that we make for our own enjoyment. Luckily most of the time, these 2 coincided and I have had the incredible good fortune to be able to turn my hobby into my work. From that point on, I didn’t have to work a day in my life.

I hope all of you get to do the same!

Godo

PS As mentioned above, I am a German native and learned English on the streets of Atlanta, so this story (and all other blogs that will follow) has been proofread for spelling and grammar.