Where’s My Backpack travel theme this week is Glass
This photo is taken in Latvia, Baltic region. The picture shows on the left the glass maker and his undivided attention in the process of making glassware. The multi-color glassware, which are his products, are displayed on the right.
Not many of us would remember that glass, however, is actually neither a liquid—supercooled or otherwise—nor a solid. It is an amorphous solid—a state somewhere between those two states of matter.
The colored glassware in the picture reminds us how beautiful and useful glass can be.
Glass itself reminds us of the strength and fragility that exists in every one of us.
Amazing stuff you are doing out there. Traveling must be amazing. I can feel the color and awe from your posts. Great stuff.
Yes, it is indeed amazing. I am always awed to see something interesting / new / artisic. Thank you!
I love this post… a different way to think about glass… thank you…
Thank you bulldogsturf!
It reminds me how fragile we are.
Yes, but we also have strength!
your words “the strength and fragility that exists in every one of us.”
I call it wisdom.. I enjoy your posts
Thank you Shashi!
That’s so colourful! Beautiful choice for this theme
Thank you!
I love the glassware shot. Of course I have always wanted to learn to blow glass too. I find the pieces and process very intriguing.
I guess it is an art. Thank you for the perusal and the comment!
Visiting a glass blower’s workshop is an amazing experience. Sue
Yes, it is. Thank you for the perusal and the comment!
I like the way you put – strength and fragility in all of us. I am always drawn to the beauty of glass. I love the way the photo is almost before and after – unusual!
Glass is quite an unique material. Thank you for the perusal and the comment!
Glass is my passion … after shoes and handbags – so fascinated by it and over here in Sweden, we have some beautiful crystal – glass works … stunning. Not to blow our own horns but I think we do the most beautiful crystal in the world – here is some links.
http://www.orrefors.com/
http://www.kostaboda.se/
http://nybro-glasbruk.se/
Enjoy!
Thank you Viveka for the links. They look impressive. I am sure you have some beautiful glass in your part of the world. Quite contrary, we have more earthen ware than glass in this part of the world. Thank you for the perusal and the comment!
What a great photo! The red glow of the fire on the glassmaker’s face contrasts with the white wall, light and shelves featuring the colored glass.
You are quite right. The photo seems to have two distnct parts, left and right and they flow into the other. Thank you for the perusal and the comment!
Very interesting, Michael, especially since I’m from Corning NY where there is the Corning Museum of Glass, The Studio (classes with world-famous glass makers) and The Juliette K. and Leonard S. Rakow Research Library (“…the world’s foremost library on the art and history of glass and glassmaking. Its mission is to acquire everything published on the subject of glass, in every format and in every language.”). Beautiful, colorful photo, too.
Many thanks for the information. It is interesting to know about Corning. Thank you for the perusal and the comment!
I saw glass makers in Spain and was absolutely fascinated. It truly is an art.
I have always been impressed with the glass makers in Europe. Thank you for the perusal and the comment!
Latvia! Didn’t know they were into glass making! If I remember correctly, Venice is renown for her glassmaking too! Given the rise of machinery, this originally “handmade” profession is sadly disappearing
It is sad to see many of the handmade professions are disappearing. Another one is wood carving which is contained in my earlier post. Thank you for the perusal and the comment!
I love glass, and always wanted to work with hot glass. It’s the most beautiful and interesting substance! The guy in your photo does some very lovely work.
He certainly has a lot of skills. Thank you for the comment!
I wanted to buy something special in Venice but unfortunately we only were allowed one suitcase on the tour and had many many countries to visit. I settled on a very small but treasured glass paper weight. How do you resist buying all these things on your fabulous travels?
Hi, for the same reason, we usually buy small but much cherished items or things which are not easily damaged and ship them back home. Thanks for the comment!
This is a great shot – love his concentration, and the way the finished product is illuminated.
The fire also gives the picture a warm feeling. Thank you for the perusal and comment!
Glass is actually very symbolic. To me, I always compare my relationships to glass…breakable, precious, fragile , may be empty, may be filled and must be handled with care at all times.
Very well said, a Gracious life! Thank you!
Love this photo – love glassware, this photo inspires me to travel to Latvia.
D34
Thank you for your perusal and comment!
I love watching people do glass work, it always looks so sensual!
I love that too. Thank you!
Great photo! I love the sharp corner as the divider between the earthy world of craft and the shiny world of commerce.
It also divides the photo almost into two halves. Thank you for your perusal and comment!
I have not visited your blog as much as would reflect my appreciation for it. I think I saw your first window in freshly pressed or maybe I was already following you. I have scanned over the photos and captions in your glass-maker post. I’ve also read your profile. You have a wonderful blog, but I’ve been slow to come back to it. The reason for that is that your site is about travel. I love creative photography. I also love seeing inspiring images, glimpses of a traveler’s perception of a new place. But, I have been unable to appreciate such things recently because, the entire concept of travel (or being a traveler) has been a difficult dilemma in my personal life, one that I really hope is resolved for the time being. (If it turns out that I have worked through it, I may have some travel photos of my own to post before summer.) —-On a different note, I want to tell you about an odd experience I had this morning as I went out to get the Sunday paper from my yard. Well, there were a few shards and slivers of broken glass on my porch step. Before I go further, I’ll posit the most likely explanation for the glass. It must be that sometime very recently I found a bag and took it out to the garbage can. It must have been a plastic store bag, prone to coming apart at the bottom seam. And it must have contained a broken wine glass which I broke months ago–and the broken glass fell out. This morning I have no recollection of depositing broken glass on my step, so I was pondering glass when I came back in and pulled up my blog. When I saw you had liked it, I was more pleased than you might imagine. Then I thought, I wonder where he is now and came here to get better acquainted with your blog. My strongest association with you being travel, and not glass, I was moved when I saw again the lovely perceptions you create of glass. I will be so happy to come back for more inspiration as I am able to open myself up more and more to beautiful lives through the gift of internet.
Thank you for taking the time to re-visit my blog. I am so happy that you have written in such detail to me. I love colored glass and the fine craftsmanship. Think we will inspire each other through this platform. Best wishes, Michael
Interesting photo, with the man at work and the display of finished glassware. Your thoughts on glass being an amorphous solid and also beautiful, strong, yet fragile too, very nicely written!
This story reminded me of the glass workers I used to see at seaside resorts as a young boy, over 40 years ago now, They worked with tubes of coloured glass over a hot flame, melting, pulling and twisting the thin tubes of glass into well crafted shapes of animals and birds, with bright colours. People bought them as ornaments for their homes. As my blog is nostalgic in its theme, I will add those glass figures to the list of things to feature. Thank you for your visits to my fledgling blog too.
Hi Growltigger, I look forward to reading more of your blog and the post on glass. Thank you for the kind comment!
I think he will be a great designer of glass splashbacks if he wants to. He is really creative and he is good at playing with glass colours.
I don’t know much about glass. I’m sure you have more knowledge in this regard. I like the undivided attention of the glass maker and could have entered this picture in the “Undivided Attention” challenge which came out recently. Thank you for your kind comment