Braden Hammond wants to put a glass ring on your finger. Hammond, 34, is a Vancouver glass artist whose work is sold in boutiques and galleries across Canada. He creates his custom pieces in a studio tucked away on the first floor of a warehouse on Frances Street, three blocks west of Commercial Drive.
It is an area dotted with artist and musician studios mixed in amongst light industrial shops. The Courier stopped by Hammond’s studio recently for a chat about his work, his passion and what he likes to do on the East Side.
Tell me a bit more about what you make and who your clients are.
I make glass jewelry including rings, necklaces, earrings, cuffs, and glass art including marbles, cups and chandeliers — the possibilities are endless in glass. My clients are mostly, but not exclusively, Lower Mainland women, ranging from teenagers to grandmothers. Some are “fashionistas,” others have sensitivities to metal jewelry, and some are glass enthusiasts and collectors.
How did you get interested in glass in the first place?
When I was 22 or 23 years old, That ’70s Show was popular and I saw all these yellow, elongated ashtrays and these crazy glass pieces that were tall and I said to myself, ‘How can glass be all of those things?’
How did that initial interest morph into lampworking (using a torch to melt the glass before shaping it)?
I signed up for a glass class in Santa Cruz, California that I saw online. I just basically packed up a big backpack and went to California. The first second I actually turned on the torch, I realized I had fire in front of me and the teacher was telling me to score the glass with this knife and then take the glass and press it down and he told me it was going to pop the glass apart — wow. I remember those moments from 11 years ago and they stick with me. Over the years I have taught hundreds of people and I can see those people like me, those people with that excitement in their eyes.
You have had your shop in East Vancouver for five years now, why did you choose this area?
It’s a central location and I need industrial space.
Has the neighbourhood changed since you arrived?
It has changed a bit. I would say it has evolved, and has probably gotten a little busier with some more hipsters around.
Any favourite East Vancouver spots you would like to share?
My favourite places include Grandview Park for my two boys to play at, Fire Pizza on the Drive for pizza, Sweet Cherubim for samosas, Nick’s Spaghetti House is great — can you tell that food is important to me?
What do you see as the future of lampworking in Vancouver?
This type of glasswork and flameworking is really catching on as an art form internationally. It has really got a lot of energy and traction. I would say it is like skateboarding was 10 or 15 years ago. It’s really underground. It is not easy to set up a glass shop because people say you can’t do that here or there, but as people get more educated about it I can see glass working become more accessible — like ceramic artwork is now. I can see there being little studios where you could go and there could be glass working at community centres and schools. As this gets more popular, there is no telling where it is going to go.
Hammond will be at the second annual Summer Craft Market July 24 to 27, at Jack Poole Plaza (next to the Olympic Cauldron).
For more on info on Braden Hammond Glass, go to bradenhammond.com.
