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 and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
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