The Glass Art of Gregory Jones

Glass art is one of those things that are difficult to accept as being created. I mean, isn't glass like eggs or milk – it just sort of appears all neatly packaged and ready for sale?

Before I proceed, allow me to mention that we keep chickens and goats, so happily I'm well aware of where eggs and milk come from. And now, thanks to a chat with Pasco glass artist Gregory Jones, I have a firmer idea of how glass bowls – especially the wavy vintage receptacles and lacy, coral glass bowls that Jones specializes in – come into being.

And it's not an easy process.

"The bowls that some people call lacy are really called coral, like the coral found in the oceans of the world," said Jones, who has been creating glasswork art since the 1970s.

"Coral bowls are proving to be a great challenge and very labor intensive, taking a number of days to make a single piece.

"I have been inspired to create them by my diving and exploring the Pacific Ocean from Southern California to beautiful Hawaii."

The process involves layering glass strips, firing the result in a kiln at 1,100 to 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit, and allowing the glass to anneal, or cool. And then you add more strips and do it again. Eventually, Jones lays the creation over a stainless steel mold and puts it in for a final firing.

And because it's glass, and glass possesses a volatility of its own – especially when one is dealing with high heat – there is no guarantee that the result, every time, will end happily ever after. That's the challenge, and that's the beauty of the medium, Jones believes.

If you'd like to learn more about the process of working with glass, set aside Saturday, March 3 on your calendar. That's when Jones will be at Wenaha Gallery (219 East Main, Dayton) in person from 1 to 4 p.m., along with Walla Walla watercolor artist Roy Anderson and speaker/writer/painter Nona Hengen. Hengen will give two presentations on the Native American/U.S. Government wars of the 19th century.

And until then, Jones' work is on display at the gallery for a month-long Art Event running from Feb. 26 through March 24. The art event, and the special show, are both free.

Wenaha Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Phone 509-382-2124 or email art@wenaha.com.