A Quick Thank You
Below are some people I would like to thank that helped me build my own oygen system. They were used as references to build my knowledge of a compressed oygen system.
Firstly, I would not have the knowledge to build my own compressed oxygen system for glassblowing without the help of Talk Glass: The Melting Pot online glass forum. This was an extremely important resource for me to utilize before building my studio. You can find a plethora of information on this online forum. I recommend anyone interested in building a studio of their own, must utilize this site.
Secondly, Huge thanks to GalloGlass and DistilledGlass on instagram for all the questions they answered for me about oxygen compression. They both have videos on youtube explaining how their studios were built. Also, they went the extra mile providing further explanations on Instagram when they didn’t have to.
Finally, thanks to Frank Murphy from My CBD Remedies for installing confidence within myself to build my compressed oxygen system. I worked briefly with frank while working at primal glass.
How i Became Interested in GlassBlowing: 2020
The name is Kameron Steckel, and by the age of 18 I became fascinated by the skill it takes to create functional art, specifically out of a stiff material such as borosilicate. Becoming mesmerized in the colors and the sculptural ability some artists have, boro got its hooks in me. Both having friends with similar interests and working directly in the industry, I was further intrigued by how pieces were made from raw materials. In November 2020, I took a glassblowing class for the first time at Subliming Sensations Custom Glass. It inspired me to follow my dream of having my own studio and becoming a glassblower.
At this point I knew I wanted to make glassblowing a life long endeavor, so I attempted to find a glass manufacturing job in my area. Unfortunately, I was unable to find something with my lack of experience. I had the desire to attend SCCC, however with the distance I would need to travel and the cost of tuition, the task would not be feasible. Finally, I decided to build my own studio. I dove head first into my new found love, learning what it would take to create a glassblowing studio at home.
Primal Glass and the Philadelphia Influence: 2022-2024
I still wanted a job to help pay for my studio space at home. In Feburary 2022, my friend mentioned an opening at my favorite glass shop. I was intrigued by the thought, so I handed in my application and got the job. Primal Glass was the name of the head shop and helped catapult me into my glass blowing journey. I started as a sales represenative in their Emmaus PA location.
In 2023 I was asked to move down to Springfield PA to manage one of Primal’s shops. Far from the home studio I had built, it was here that I rented studio space from Rainglasswrx. Spencer was located in Philadelphia. With the drive being much shorter and the knowledge iI would gain from philly, I knew it was an opportunity I needed to take. Spencer is Inspirational to say the least. He Taught me a lot about general rig assembly and glass in general.
Primal Glass moved me to a shop in Phoenixville Pennsylvania. This shop had a glassblowing studio. In late 2023/ early 2024 I moved away from Philadelphia and was able to use this studio In Phoenixville.
I cannot thank Primal Glass enough for allowing me a space to experiment with my thoughts. During this time on the torch, it allowed me to see more value within myself and engage more time in the flame. Primal enabled me to meet many glass artist as well. Some that were more experienced and some that may just be starting out. However, many of the people I met were from the greater Philadelphia area.
Philadelphia: 2023-2024
There are many artist that Ive come in contact with over the years, mostly those surrounding the Philadelphia area. These artist in Philly have provided extensive knowledge and information about glassblowing and helped me hone my skills on the torch. There are so many people to thank but the ones that helped me the most are:
This has been a look into the beginning of my glass blowing career. For those who are interested in building their own compressed oxygen system can find information and videos in the blog section of this website.
