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Are you ready to be inspired by the story of a self-taught glassblower who is taking the art world by storm? Meet Gaven Boehme, aka Conversion Glass. In this Elev8 at 8 interview, we'll delve into his background, creative process and future plans. Get ready to be empowered as we connect emotionally with this talented artist and learn from his journey in glassblowing.
Meet Gaven Boehme, the Man Behind Conversion Glass
Gaven Boehme, the man behind Conversion Glass, has been blowing glass since 2013. He learned alongside his father, the renowned glassblower and millefiori artist Stephen Boehme. Father and son both started with soft glass bead-making before transitioning to borosilicate production pipes. Gaven's unique technique includes sculptural carving, which is rare among other glassblowers who mainly do surface carving. His favorite items to blow are chillums, small dry pipes, beads and dot implosions; however, the most challenging piece he created was a full-body warrior sculpture. Despite no formal training from other artists and despite never having worked a normal job, Gaven’s passion for this medium won't stop growing anytime soon!
Background Information
Gaven Boehme's journey in glassblowing began in 2013, and he previously studied Music at the University of Utah, focusing on bass guitar and contrabass. Despite having no formal training, Gaven has developed a unique style and has made quite a name for himself in the glassblowing industry. Gaven enjoys experimenting with various techniques and to push his talents to the next level with each new project.
Gaven's Journey in Glassblowing
Gaven started his glass art journey by learning how to make soft glass beads with his father Stephen. He later moved on to work with borosilicate glass and started working for a company making production pipes, which gave him a sense of self-discipline that has been crucial to his artistic endeavors. Since then, he has continued evolving as a glassblower and has achieved many milestones in his ten years on the torch.
Gaven's Unique Techniques and Inspirations
Gaven Boehme is always experimenting with new techniques to push the boundaries of his art. He uses a variety of tools and techniques to create unique pieces that have never been seen before.
Every piece created at Conversion Glass has a story behind it. Gaven draws inspiration from other artists within the glassblowing community. The decorative patterns he creates are inspired by nature and life experiences which make each design truly one-of-a-kind.
Gaven's Favorite Glass Pieces
Gaven's favorite glass pieces include several personal favorites he has crafted over the years. These pieces showcase his incredible skills and unique techniques, including decorative blowing and intricate surface carving. Aspiring collectors love Conversion Glass for the cleanliness of Gaven's techniques and his amazing eye for color.
Challenges Faced by Gaven in Glassblowing
Gaven Boehme has faced several challenges in his glassblowing journey, including:
- Mastering the technique of blowing hollow objects: Gaven struggled with this skill for a long time, but he eventually learned through trial and error.
- Working with hot glass: Gaven had to learn how to handle the extreme heat of the torch without getting burned or injuring himself.
- Creating decorative objects: Although Gaven excels at functional pieces like chillums and pipes, creating sculptural pieces proved to be more challenging. He overcame this by experimenting with different techniques like carving.
Despite these challenges, Gaven remains passionate about glassblowing and is constantly pushing himself to improve his skills.
Gaven's Passion for Glassblowing
Glassblowing is not just a job for Gaven Boehme, it is his passion. From the moment he first started blowing glass at 15 years old, he knew that this was what he wanted to do with his life. Gaven loves the challenge of working with hot glass and the satisfaction of creating beautiful objects from nothing. He finds inspiration in the glassblowing community and enjoys experimenting with new techniques.
- Glassblowing is more than a job for Gaven, it's his passion.
- He found joy in working with hot glass since starting at age 15.
- The challenge as well as satisfaction when creating beautiful pieces keeps him motivated.
- Finds inspiration within fellow artists of the industry.
- Enjoys exploring novel techniques to further improve on his craft.
Gaven's Hobbies and Interests Outside Glassblowing
Aside from his passion for glassblowing, Gaven Boehme also enjoys cooking. He finds it therapeutic to experiment with different dishes and techniques in the kitchen. When he's not blowing glass or cooking, Gaven loves playing games - board games, video games, you name it! Playing games provides him with a sense of fun and relaxation.
Another interest that Gaven has is music. He studied bass guitar and contrabass at the University of Utah before becoming a full-time glass artist. Although he doesn't play as often as he used to, music still holds a special place in his heart and inspires him creatively.
Gaven's Plans for the Future
Gaven is constantly pushing himself to create new and exciting pieces, and to develop new skills that will help push his work to the next level . Gaven also has thoughts on collaborating with other artists to elevate his work even further and participate in exhibitions like Glass Vegas. In addition, he hopes to give back to the community through outreach programs that educate people about the oral history of glass and teach them new skills in hot glass techniques.
