Artist Embeds Sparkling Spiral Vortexes into Tiny Glass Marbles

Glass Marbles

Adam Smolensky of Smo Glass compresses mystifying vortexes into small glass marbles. His colorful, handcrafted creations fit between your fingers, but as you look inside, they appear vast—as if their spirals could go on forever. While these coils are common motifs in Smolensky’s work, it’s just one facet of his marvelous designs. In addition, he produces patterning reminiscent of scales and sea coral, with layered textures that build a beautiful visual complexity within the half-to-two-inch pieces.

Smolensky recently shared one of his art glass marbles on Reddit. It was a close-up shot of a “glass vortex marble” with a swirling rainbow pattern and glittery center. “All my vortex marbles are done on [a] solid rod,” he explains, meaning that they are formed on the tip of a glass stick. As for the sparkling characteristic, that's the work of fuming—a technique where the glass is placed in a metal “smoke” and becomes embedded within.

If you want to get your hands on these tiny, infinite galaxies, Smolensky sells marbles, dishes, and sculptures through his online shop.

Artist Adam Smolensky creates art glass marbles that contain tiny worlds within.

Art Glass Marbles by Smo Glass

Art Glass Marbles by Smo Glass

Art Glass Marbles by Smo Glass

Art Glass Marbles by Smo Glass

Art Glass Marbles by Smo Glass

Art Glass Marbles by Smo Glass

Art Glass Marbles by Smo Glass

Art Glass Marbles by Smo Glass

Art Glass Marbles by Smo Glass

Glass Marbles

Glass Marbles

Art Glass Marbles by Smo Glass

Art Glass Marbles by Smo Glass

Art Glass Marbles by Smo Glass

Glass Marbles

A post shared by Adam Smo (@smoglasstx) on

 

Adam Smolensky: Website | Instagram

All images via Adam Smolensky.

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Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled "Embroidered Life" that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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