Illuzion Glass Galleries' 2014 July 4th First Friday Collaboration Vapor Bubbler by Hoobs, Hops, and JOP

This amazing collaboration came together at Illuzion Glass Galleries' First Friday party on July 4th, 2014. Hoobs, Hops, and JOP had been working on this piece for two days prior to the party, only to execute it perfectly in front of our gallery audience that night. Hoobs designed the speedboat, while Jop and Hops each made the characters that we see inside the boat. In the driver's seat, JOP's rooster holds an elixir bottle, while Hop's "Rat Fink" sits red-eyed in the passenger seat to his right. Watching this 4th of July-themed piece come together in the studio gallery was quite a treat.

If you've never had the opportunity to attend an Illuzion Glass Galleries' First Friday event or any of our events, you need to remedy that by joining us at our next one These parties feature demonstrations by some of the industry's top glass artists and bring the glass community together even closer. Being able to see their talents executed firsthand is something you should not pass up. These artists will create pieces right in front of your eyes as you watch them in the studio through the gallery's viewing window. The pieces created can later be viewed in the gallery, or right here on the website. Hope to see you all at the next one!

Steve Hops began blowing glass back in 2002 in Vermont. He grew tired of creating the same, old down-stem pipes and wanted to take things to the next level. While attending a soccer game, he had his “light bulb moment," where he noticed a communal water fountain PVC tube with holes in it all flowing out at the same rate. This is when the "inline" percolator was born.

Another east coast artist hailing from Philadelphia, Josh found his love for glass after going to school and getting his fine arts degree in stone carving techniques. After finishing school, glassblowing was a natural transition. Josh got the best of both worlds when being introduced to glass. He was taught by J.A.G. how to transfer his carving skills into glass sculpting and at the same time, he was getting lessons from Brian Hoefecker, a teacher at the Salem Scientific Glass School. From there, Josh has continued to grow as an artist and continues to produce some of the most recognizable pipes in the industry.

Details:

• Length: 13.5"
• Width: 6.25"
• Height: 6.25"
• Distance from base to top of joint: 4.5"
• 14mm direct-inject with dome
• Fixed downstem
• Downstem percolator: 2 hole diffy
• Colors: Red, white, and blue (Independence Day themed)
• Accent marks may vary
• Dimensions may vary