Meet the Artist: James Hayes

When we say James Hayes is a “hot artist,” we mean it in every sense. Not only is his glasswork one of the top attractions at Art On The Square, but in the process of making each piece, he is quite literally playing with fire. Read on to learn more about Art On The Square glass artist James Hayes!

How long have you been a glass artist? 

I have been doing this for 34 years. I got my Art Degree from Hendrix College, but it was actually after college when I discovered glass as a medium. I wanted to explore new ways to express and create art, and I wound up falling in love with glass blowing. After studying and training for about five years, I decided to invest in my own equipment and forge my own path and style. 

I imagine that must have been quite an investment! What does it take to make glass?

It requires special equipment and dedicated space, it’s certainly not something you can whip up in a regular oven. I have a furnace that holds a few hundred pounds of clear glass and heats up to over 2,000 degrees. I’ll use blow pipes and punty rods to hold and maneuver the glass, and metallic oxides for the coloration process. Once I have my colors I’ll do another layer of clear glass, reheat it in the glory hole, then I’ll use various tools and techniques to pinch and shape the malleable glass. When it’s all done being colored and shaped, it goes in the annealing oven which brings temperature down slowly to relieve any tension in the glass and prevent cracks. I finish by using a rotary diamond engraving tool to hand-sign every piece. 

That sounds fascinating! And extremely hot. 

Burns and heat exhaustion are definitely common workplaces hazards! So are cuts and broken glass. It’s part of the gig. 

I would think that breaks are especially disheartening after going through all that to make your pieces. Any really memorable big breaks or crashes, or mostly minor?

Once I was doing this big chandelier install in Fayetteville and the electrician forgot to tighten something up, and…

Oh, NO…

Yep. Crash. Had to remake the whole thing. 

Your chandeliers are so magnificent, that must have been devastating. And a lot of work. 

A LOT of work. Luckily, I don’t mind putting chandeliers together. That can be a fun process in itself. 

Customers typically comment that the whimsy of your chandeliers remind them of Dale Chihuly’s work, do you agree? 

I like Chihuly, I’ve studied with him. I still study with him, although he’s in his eighties now. I’m friends with the folks that work with him – one of them was on that glass blowing reality series on Netflix, Blown Away.

Would you ever consider doing a reality show?

I did, actually. I was on an obscure Canadian reality show once called Motorhead Madness which was kind of a brutal experience. I applied for Season 3 of Blown Away and I think I’ll apply again for Season 4. 

You have a working showroom in Pine Bluff, that must be a little bit of a reality show at times. Do you do any classes there? 

No classes, but we’ll do demos and “glass blowing experiences” which is like a guided make-your-own experience. We have shows and events in the spring, fall, and around the holidays. 

What are your favorite pieces to make at the moment?

Well since I’ve been getting ready for fall, I love making pumpkins. Given the endless opportunities for interesting colors, and the curlicue stems, these are really fun to make. I also really like making birds. They all turn out a little different.

Where does your inspiration come from? 

All around me. Nature, fashion, advertising – I’m always looking for interesting or trendy color combinations. 

You grew up in Pine Bluff, where do you live now? Can you give us a little peek into your daily life outside of glass blowing? 

I live in Little Rock but also have a house in Pine Bluff, along with my studio and showroom. I play golf there, too. My wife Meg and I have a Boston Terrier named Artemis. We have three grown children between us – Sydney, Calvin, and Annie. In addition to glass blowing, I like to keep my creative muscles in shape by doing a drawing or sketch every day. Sometimes two or three a day. These serve as color studies for me and a way to try new techniques. I like to work out how different things can be put together visually, and drawing helps me do that. 

One question I like to ask is, if you could have lunch with any artist, who would you pick and why? 

I’d like to meet Karel Appel. I’ve seen some of his original work in museums in Europe and I really like his avant garde style and use of color. 

Where else do you sell your work, besides Art On The Square? 

You can find my glass art at dozens of shops and locations throughout Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. My website, www.hayesartglass.com has the full list under “retail locations.” 

Thank you for a great interview James, and for your beautifully colorful glass works!