News
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Gift of Glass Mayor of Surrey Dianne Watts presents glass gift to Mr. Jim Pattison for his contributions to The City of Surrey. The recognition took place at the Top 100 Business Luncheon held at the Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver on June 29th, 2011. The free-flowing glass form created by Robert Gary Parkes is an interpretation of the City of Surrey logo. |
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The Loafing Shed Glass Studio is the Proud Recipient of: Surrey Board of Trade Business Excellence Award New Business of the Year - Finalist |
 Jeanette Parkes, Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts, Robert Gary Parkes |
Media Coverage
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Working Glass Hero By Boaz Joseph - Surrey North Delta Leader Published: October 13, 2010 A platter’s life begins as a ball of honey-coloured goo that is rolled and grown like a snowball. In the expert hands of glassblower Robert Gary Parkes, the process for an onlooker is like watching a dancer perform unique choreography – unpredictable, mesmerizing... and sweaty. Inside his Loafing Shed Glass Studio, located on an organic beef and poultry farm in Port Kells, Parkes pokes a steel rod into “Molly” the electric furnace, grabbing his initial glob of molten glass. The first sampling is 2,000 degrees F and must be rolled on the rod constantly to stay round. Parkes spends the next 25 minutes rolling, adding more glass, prodding the glass into a re-heating chamber and blowing air through a pipe into the rod, thereby spreading out the still-nebulous dish. Even though at times it doesn’t glow orange anymore, the ball still radiates a searing heat. Over the years, Parkes’ arms have been singed bare of hair. An assistant periodically helps by using a wooden paddle to shield the glassblower from some of the heat. Parks adds assorted colour to his creation by occasionally rolling the ball in small bits of coloured glass, or making use of steam from a wet newspaper that comes in contact with the glass. The coloured bits soon gel into the rest of the glass, becoming attractive smears that can’t be predicted, but are welcome nonetheless. His face bathed in sweat, Parkes is always on the move – stay still and the glass will sag. Read the rest of this article at: BCLocalNews.com |
Mystery Trip Sunrise Seniors Pavilion Surrey, BC Posted June 30, 2010 by starreports Our first stop took us to The Loafing Shed Glass Blowing Studio where upon our arrival one bus load went to look around at the glass works already on display while tasting cookies and brownies with juice and lemonade, while the other bus load went to watch the Master Glass Blower perform his art. Robert Parkes started in 1987 as an apprentice and worked for 22 years eventually becoming head gaffer at the most successfull Glasshouse in Canada. He transformed his barn on his 5 acre property that he and his wife and four daughters live into a Studio, equiping it with the necessary elements to help him create the most wonderful works of art. His goal is to continue creating Art Glass, and to teach what he has learned over three decades of working with the material he loves best. To watch him create a piece of Art is like watching magic happen before your eyes. All the while he is working he commentates, telling you what he is doing. Fascinating! Read the rest of this article at: sunriseseniorscentre.wordpress.com |