After getting to know so many of you beautiful people all over this world I have unsuspectingly discovered my lifepath was quite unique. I was born into a large family at the end of the 70's. The first Walkmans had just been released in stores and the snowboard was newly invented. Pink Floyd released "The Wall" and The Muppet Movie and the first Star Trek movie came out. My Father was an Air Force Officer and my Mother a Math Education Professor. We moved every two or three years and so I got to know many wonderful people and places. My friendships tended to be with kids who also moved frequently and so I joined the loose family that is lovingly nicknamed the military brats. I grew quite used to armed guards at the gates and metal monstrosities flying combat maneuvers overhead, never suspecting this was an unusual experience in the world. I joined the cub scouts as soon I was old enough and progressed to Eagle Scout and then on to working for a boy scout summer camp for nine years. It was located deep in the heart of Appalachia and led to me falling deeply in love with the Blue Ridge mountains. I ultimately shifted south to my current home in North Carolina with a better climate for growing food crops and flowers with permaculture and sustainability. Very little did I suspect where this journey of life was taking me back in those simple days!
One of the first influences on my art was a zookeeper position with a small zoo in Oklahoma. I started with them while I was in High School and then shifted over to the the local university and worked part time at the zoo while I attended classes. I graduated with a degree in Anthropology some years later and ended up working at Disney World in Attractions, Entertainment and Animal Education. Then I moved on to become an Aquarist in Texas and Colorado. After a battle with my internal beliefs over corporate greed and animal welfare, I decided I could not care for animals in an aquarium that was also a seafood company and shifted gears. It was off to Virginia to join the Americorps and build houses for a year with Habitat for Humanity. For my second term I decided to try a non-profit animal care position with the Americorps in Nevada, but once again this ended in disappointment with the animal care paradigm and it was decided I should move on. Thankfully this led me to seek out a year long glassblowing apprenticeship in Austin, Texas.
Two things manifested in Austin. I manifested a path to Burning Man to join my Burner family and my curiosity about Anthropology and Genealogy began to bloom into a path of shamanic discovery of the worlds ancient traditions. These two paths have merged and ultimately led me to settle in the mountains of North Carolina. Here I built my own custom studio space overlooking the beauty of our planet and continued exploring the traditions of our ancestors in a hybridized new age old world spiritual practice. This combination of intentional festival gatherings and the natural settings of our homestead has allowed me to find a balance between my soul and the intense energy of glassblowing. Here in the harmony of the Blue Ridge Mountains I have fully immersed myself into the shamanic path with new and old spirit, plant and physical teachers. I now know that my spiritual path of this lifetime and now is to create beautiful and inspiring works of functional art to aid you in your life-path of divine light and love here on this planet. My glass is very organic with a divine inner harmony of colors and textures. A mystical blend of tribal shamanism, the wonder of childhood bliss, flow dynamics and fantastical creatures from not only near and far, but also inner and outer worlds and dimensions.
My intention as your glassblower is to co-create some of the manifestations that may help you along your lifepath. I forge in the elements of Earth, Air and Fire. The glass I use is basically a very refined form of beach sand. It is heated to liquid form in a blend of fire, oxygen and fuel gas with full intentions of love, happiness, peace, flow and now. Please be conscious of your intentions and share your gratefulness with your universe as this hand forged piece of glass begins its journey in your story. The earth is open and ready to receive your intentions and gratefulness.
This shop includes not only my own glasswork, but the artwork of other blowers from Austin and Asheville. All of us are independent artists and make a living by blowing glass. Thank you for supporting MJ42 Glass and keeping independent handmade art alive!
Most of my advertising is accomplished by you, my lovely customer. Please share the wonder and joy of MJ42 unique heirloom glass with everyone you feel may also appreciate and benefit from this artform!
Peace, Love and Light,
Seren Petrichor
