In the Hot Shop: Creating New Works

Singletary’s art has become synonymous with the relationship between Tlingit culture and fine art. His glass sculptures focus on themes of Tlingit mythology, storytelling and traditional designs.

As Singletary outlines in the article "Preston Singletary’s Process" to create a work of glass art, he works through a multi-step process. First, the glass must be heated in a furnace to at least 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit to make it malleable. The molten glass is contained inside the furnace in a large container called a crucible. Then, a blowpipe (a metal pipe used to support the weight of the glass and also blow air into it) is inserted in the furnace and turned in the crucible until the molten glass attaches to it. Singletary blows and shapes the glass with the help of his assistants, moving back and forth from the steel workbench to the furnace to ensure the glass stays hot and malleable. 

At this point, powdered colored glass is sifted onto the molten glass, melting into it and becoming fully incorporated. This process is repeated several times to build up multiple layers of color. Further shaping takes place until Singletary is satisfied with the result. Before moving forward in the process, the glass must be cooled slowly in an annealing oven for several days. 

Once the glass is fully cooled, Singletary works on the design that will be carved into the surface. Singletary’s art features formline design, the primary artform used in Tlingit art, in his work. 

To incorporate formline into glass, Singletary uses a unique process he calls “sandcarving”. With this process, Singletary applies strips of rubber resist tape to his glass forms, on which he draws his design. He then cuts out the areas that he wants carved during the sandblasting process. The glass surface is carved away with fine grains of sand propelled by compressed air. The sand wears away at the different layers of glass, revealing the brilliant colors underneath.

Watch as Preston Singletary creates a new body of work, some of which will be featured in the upcoming "Clockwork Raven" solo exhibition opening April 4th at the Traver Gallery in Seattle. This exhibition focuses on Raven's adventures as he explores a new cityscape while meeting a variety of fascinating characters along the way.