Shisheh (Glass)

I spent the morning at Ostaad Elahi's workshop today. I made some good observations on the hierarchy of master, advanced student, beginner student, and runarounder. I spoke at length to Ali, the Ostaad's 19 year old son, and we worked on a few sketches and ideas together. I was encouraging him to "think outside the box" and he sketched an idea he had. I told him to push it even more. I also suggested to the Ostaad to allow one afternoon for his son to create his ideas so that new thoughts could emerge. He agreed, and I hope he follows it through. His son is eager to do new things, but said his father never has time when he suggests new things (that's why I spoke to the Ostaad). I also gave Ali the web address for Dale Chihuly's site and told him to look at it and talk to me tomorrow about some inspired ideas.

The heat in the workshop in unbearable. I sweated for the first time in my life, and I mean sweated. The workshop is in the southern part of Tehran so it is a few degrees hotter than Tehran. It is in the middle of summer, and about 5 to 6 kilns are running on gas with open fire. Lovely! But the art of glassblowing is enchanting. I would love to try it sometime. Maybe next summer I can give Ostaad Elahi some sketches to create and maybe, just maybe, I can try my hand at it.

I took my camera cable with me, connected my camera to their computer, and copied all the pictures I had taken of them onto their computer. The whole group is very nice. The two lesser students, meaning the two with the least amount of training, are the jokesters of the group. It's so funny to see them work, learn, and tease and get teased. They are also very pleasant to me. I like this Ostaad and his clan.