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Josh Simpson

He is one of a kind.

Josh taught himself blown glass in a primitive studio about 1 hour from us here in Stowe, Vermont. Josh lived in a hand-sewn teepee. This type of primitive, self-isolating lifestyle was common to artists and crafts people who spent time in Vermont in the 1960's and early 70's.

Simpson's first pieces included large organic blown glass vessels and later, iridescent Art Nouveau, Tiffany-like pieces. The lack of originality bothered Simpson, however. Josh experimented and his "signature" glass, New Mexico Glass, was created. This glass includes silver bromide and cobalt blue glass.

Josh Simpson felt the result looked like the skies of New Mexico at dusk. This shimmering blue glass became a base for many of Simpson's best known blown glass goblets, vases, paperweights and large platters.

Josh creates many unusual pieces. Tektites are a form of sculpture or art glass. Each tektite is rough and varied unlike the glass we usually see. Tektites in nature are believed to be formed by meteor impact on terrestrial rocks.

Custom Glassware

Josh Simpson also creates a variety of paperweights and marbles called planets, inhabited planets and megaplanets. These planets vary greatly in size and composition, but like the tektites, they draw on Simpson innate interest in the extraterrestrial world.

Using the same silver bromide and cobalt mixture found in the New Mexican series, Simpson forms oceans in these pieces. The continents are formed using Filigrana canes, mosaic pieces and glass powders. In addition to the colorful and textural continents, Simpson also uses filigrana canes to create satellites, which appear to be floating in an orbit high above the landscape.