 |
November Interview: Tracy of Happy Owl Glass!
Tracy Bull is a graphic designer turned glass-working wunderkind. She likes to stand on her head.
so, who are you?
i'm tracy of happy owl glassworks. good morning!
morning' tracy! are owls generally happy or are you the exception?
i think that's my own imaginary exception, because i can't speak for all owls of course. but i think that what they do makes them happy!
if all owls appointed you their spokesperson, what would be your first major project done in their behalf?
gadzooks! i'm quite positive that i'd be appointed no one's spokesperson, but i'll give this a swirl... i think it'd have to be medical care. all the poor owls who go a little crazy eating, you know, "bad" mice & vermin--they tend to go a little loopy. gotta give them some support for their failing sanity. and i'd like to save all of the poor abandoned owls left on the east stretch of the highway...
how did you get started working with glass?
i went to school for it. then i didn't do it for a while after i left school. and i recently decided, " why not make money to pay off all those loans with what i went to school for?" can i get a witness? it seemed to make sense. glass just seemed appealing to me after working in graphic design for a few years. the polar opposite.
why do you like to do handstands?
i actually have a very deep reason for doing handstands. i have back troubles (who doesn't?) and it feels therapeutic when all the weight is taken off the back and it's able to go upside down like that. i also did gymnastics as a little sprite, so i like to pretend that i'm still a kid again.
I noticed that all the animals you make are pretty snuggly, if I asked you to make me a vicious animal pin, would you?
see i was keeping to the *adirondack animal* theme, because that's where i want to land sometime soon. but i do branch out--i'm working on some funny dog pins for a shop. and i've even done platypus (platypi?) & other exotic creatures. i'll absolutely do a *vicious* animal pin for you!
how do you feel about snails?
not vicious at all. i'm kidding. i like them. but people that i work with hate them, they slime their lawns, something like that.
I'm afraid of them. they're my enemies. I don't have a problem with them in my garden, but I do have a problem with them trying to kill me.
oooh! so perhaps a vicious snail pin is in order?
no
ha!
why are owls so creepy?
because they like you
why are snails trying to kill me?
they only want to be your friend. let them into your heart, marie.
no. why is working with glass so addictive?
because, for what i do with it, it's kind of a crap shoot: when i put something in the kiln, it is different when it comes out the following day. that element of surprise is nice.
ah...so you're a gambler
only slightly.
when will the animals rise up to overtake man?
as spokesperson for the owl brigade, that information is confidential.
thank you for doing an interview with me, spokesperson for the owls. thank you for going to the trouble of having your husband download IM for you!
he's cool like that. he didn't mind it a bit. i'm not sure i will keep using it though... i don't have any 'friends' on here!
you don't have any friends, period. I was just playing. don't be sad. here's a hug. I've been trying to end my interviews in some sort of insult
smack me up!
naw
