The label of Master Glass Artist is a rare one that carries a level of prestige that few other art forms command. Chances are, if you were walking down the street in any given city, even St. Pete, you probably wouldn’t bump into a master glass artist too often. Maybe never! Obviously, it takes a lot of work to become a master of anything.
Malcolm Gladwell famously suggested in his book Outliers it takes at least 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become “world-class” at any one thing. His examples included Bill Gates and the Beatles. For reference, that is about 3 hours of deliberate practice, every day, for nine years. Another example, in terms of 40-hour work weeks, you would have to work four just under five years to master your specific career. While it’s certainly not an exact science, practice does make perfect. Here are some of the different aspects that make up a master glass artist.
Practice & Experience
As we just mentioned, practice is pretty important. Especially when it comes to mastering any type of art form. The glass artists that we feature at DMG Studio have years and years of experience in many different types of glass art. For example, the master glass artists that are involved in “Transform” have over 60 years of glass art experience combined! That’s a lot of years spend perfecting their art.
Education
When considering higher-education, there are a number of great glass art programs across the world. Some of the top programs in the U.S. include Rhode Island School of Design, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Southern Illinois University. There are even a few programs that offer a Masters Degree in glass, like the Rochester Insitute of Technology.
Arts education can be extremely beneficial to young people. That’s what drives a sizeable portion of our purpose here at the DMG School project. We aim to demonstrate, mentor, and help our students grow.
Courage
Being a professional artist of any description takes unimaginable courage. There’s no question, making a living in the arts is one of the hardest things an individual can undertake. You will be judged by anyone who views your work, with varying levels of actual expertise. It doesn’t take much to be a critic, even without any context or experience. You have to be ready to hear criticism from people who have no idea what it takes to produce the art that you create.
An artist must also be willing to take risks so they push their creative talents and stand out from the crowd of other artists trying to make it. If you aren’t challenging yourself and pushing your skills, it’s very hard to grow as an artist.
Follow Your Dreams
These are just a few of the aspects that one must consider when it comes to being a master glass artist. Other factors include support from family and friends, the market for your art, and, in almost every case, some good fortune. DMG School would love to help you start or continue your journey to being the best possible glass artist you can be. Register for one of our classes today and begin chasing your glass art dreams!
