Dallas County Living Well Magazine July/August 2016 | Page 28

to present love , art , imagination , and belief in and to others .” Glass , she soon decided , would become the platform through which she would accomplish this mission .
A Creative Science So how does it work ? It may be an art form , but Ray says the science behind glass blowing is remarkably intricate . Glass melts at 2,300 Fahrenheit , which Ray points out is the hottest thing on earth . “ The working temperature is 2,100 degrees ,” she says . And at this point , light is key .
“ Glass is like a crystal ,” Ray says . “ You know it already has these beautiful qualities and you put light through it . And all of a sudden you ’ re completely transforming a room .” She explains that she believes the more one understands the science behind it , the more they can push the material . “ Glass naturally teaches one to be a creative thinker — to think outside the box ” she says . “ There are so many colors . The more you ’ re aware of physics and math and science in art , the more colors are brought to the chemistry lab . It ’ s this whole really symbiotic relationship .”
It ’ s a Team Sport Another important relationship in glassblowing , Ray emphasizes , is the team .
“ Finding people who are also passionate about what they do , if it ’ s in lighting or if it ’ s my resin specialist , is one of the greatest gifts ,” she says . “ You feel a part of something larger than yourself .” She also notes that glassblowing is a niche where artists will be very limited if they try to work alone but that team doesn ’ t have to all be made of veterans . It ’ s a team of diverse skills and a perfect platform for education .
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team for about two years before finally returning to Texas to work on her own studio and give back to the community that raised her .
Difference Brings Revelation While Ray will share that it has been an incredible journey , she stresses it hasn ’ t always been an easy one . As a young student , Ray discovered she was dyslexic . “ Being learning different , you can feel stupid or inadequate ,” Ray expresses . However , while attending the Episcopal School of Dallas , in seventh grade , she had a revelation .
“ Our headmaster , Father Swann , talked about our ‘ path ’,” she says . It was then that I wrote in my journal and reflected upon that with which I struggled , being learning different , and where I sought balance .
She realized her great fortune in having a family and extended community that cared for and supported her . “ I was safe , believed in , and loved ,” she says . “ This became my mission
Sixteen year old Booker T . Washington High school student Simon Waranch has seen this truth first hand . After a freshman class trip to Italy , where he was first exposed to glassblowing , Waranch knew he had to try it for himself . “ I was excited about seeing something turn from liquid to solid so quick and how there was obviously a process towards the magic ,” he says . After taking a class with Ray , he completed an apprenticeship and was later asked to continue as a teacher . “ What keeps my passion growing is there are so many different techniques of how to blow glass , and I want to learn all of them ,” he says . Being part of Ray ’ s team allows him to do that .
“ It ’ s not only about your skills with the material but it ’ s also your skills with your team ,” Ray says . You have someone start with the color they put the color on . And then someone adds more glass to it and they shape it .”
Giving Back Waranch and Ray also have a shared passion for teaching , where teamwork is just one aspect of glassblowing that they focus on . Co-founder of Art Reaching Out ( ARO ) through Bishop Arts Foundation , a 501 ( c ) 3 , Ray runs cooperative STEAM ( science , technology , engineering , art , and math ) programs / proj-
26 DALLAS COUNTY Living Well Magazine | JULY / AUGUST 2016