Gather the necessary materials. It’s better to have everything together before the torch is lit.
Items needed: 20mm Clear Borosilicate (Pyrex) glass rod. Attach a handle to a 5 or 6” piece of the 20mm rod. This way it will not be too heavy during the working of it.
1 mm stringers in desired colors for making the wings, body, head, and halo.
2 12” or so rods of 10mm Pyrex to use as puntes. (A punte is used as a handle for hot glass).
2 12” or so rods of 1 – 2mm pyrex for cleaning up excess glass.
When all of the materials are gathered sit down and light the torch. Start with a high flame to melt the 20mm rod into a large oval shape. Spin the rod during this process to keep the molten oval shape as centered as possible. (This is called the gather).
Take the oval out of the flame and hold it down over a graphite marver pad. Press down while turning the rod forming a pancake shape at the end of the rod. (This is called a Maria). The Maria will now become the work surface where the artwork will be applied.
Put the Maria back into the flame and remove the chill-marks creating a smooth surface.
Apply 7 dots to each side of the Maria with very little space between them. Use the 1-2mm rod to clean up excess glass on the dots making the dots as even in size as possible. Do not let the dots touch. Melt the dots in smooth in a smaller flame and compress a bit on the graphite marver.
Apply 7 more dots just inside each dot already melted in. (For a different look, apply a different color from the first color used). Melt the second dots in as well and compress on the marver once again.
Apply a 3rd set of dots over the 1st 2 sets. Melt in and compress. Add a line to the center of the Maria for the body, add a dot above the body for the head and a dot above that for the halo. Melt these in well and compress on the marver.
Now spin the glass perpendicular to the flame like a tire on the road holding the rod a little above 90 degrees spinning the rod slowly all the time. Make sure to heat both the front and back of the Maria allowing for the glass to flow. When a concave forms in the center of the Maria, compress the glass onto the marver and then go back to the flame. Repeat this process switching hands and keeping the artwork even inside the glass. The artwork applied in the beginning will work its way inside of the Maria. The dots applied in the beginning will become the angel’s wings.
When the angel has formed inside the marble, use the 1-2mm rod to pull the back into a termination. Heat and pull repeatedly until the back of the angel is nice and even. Now heat the glass spinning constantly and allow the glass where the termination was pulled to go into a round shape. (This happens automatically with molten glass when it is continuously spun. It naturally wants to form a ball which is helpful to the process). Spin the glass in a marble mold to continue the shaping.
Punte the terminated end with a cold seal and then remove the original rod. Melt that end down and spin forming into a round shape. Use the marble mold once again. Make sure to remove all marks left on this end as this will be the lens through which the angel is viewed. Continue to spin and punte the marble until a very nice round ball is formed.
Melt out the punte seal at the end and place the completed marble into the kiln to anneal.
