Bright-eyed and steady-handed, the bearded man with his camouflage-print baseball cap eases the finger-thick clear glass rod into the blue and orange flame, evenly rotating it securely in his grasp until the molten material comes alive with movement. “My canvas is 2,300 degrees,” he says. Not everyone can claim that.

            A 35-year-old self-proclaimed “serious bocce-baller” in his free time, Josh Mazet has been making various sizes of glass sculptures for about six years. Because he works "close to 60 hours a week,” he tries to squeeze in the occasional outdoor bocce ball game with his friends. He works daily alongside his younger brothers, Eli and Tim. In a Springfield neighborhood where it seems odd to find a place of art hidden, the small dim workshop of Mazet Studios is tucked away behind a weathered fence, the pathway paved with stepping-stones.

           Mazet produces mesmerizing objects of beauty such as layered glass pendants, stunning art for the neck that can dangle from a chain and catch the sun beautifully, or the popular “Vortex Marble” that seems to swirl down forever right in the palm of your hand.

           Mazet explains that it takes many tries and many years to become comfortable making these complex layered orbs. “One of our regular marbles takes six years and 45 minutes,” he says. He now shapes them fairly quickly, knowing to twist the glass center one-and-a-half times to make the perfect “meandering line down the vortex.”

            One reason Mazet enjoys finding new ways to showcase this translucent medium is that every glass piece “reflects and transmits light, making it a pretty unique material.” Experimenting and expanding on skills is important for Mazet Studios. “It never gets stale,” Mazet says, “I take that back. It does get stale.” Doing production work of the most sold items can get monotonous, which is why he continuously tries new shapes and techniques.

            This family business wasn’t always family operated. Josh Mazet was the first in his family to try glass working. As a University of Oregon student, he studied Fine Arts, pursuing his love of ceramics. After he graduating, his friend Grant called him with a job suggestion. A local glass production shop, Jason Harris Designs, was looking to hire someone with a degree in Fine Arts and no prior experience with glass was required. Mazet says, “It felt like it was a paid education.”

            At that shop, Mazet learned the skills that he draws upon today to create his glass sculptures. His hands move deftly over his workbench strewn with the shiny rods of every color of the rainbow, plucking the color combinations that form in his mind. He approaches the propane and oxygen flame, glass rod in hand, combining colors in dots and lines, and twisting them to make flowing patterns.

            The pendants are pressed onto the black heat-resistant graphite block to flatten a side while tongs grab and pull the taffy-like substance into the desired shape or loop. Mazet’s work illustrates the level of experience and concentration he puts into each beautiful piece.

            Mazet looks calm standing on the rubber floor mat while he works his magic. He fuses shards of iridescent glass that form glitter when stretched, then he adds bits of the saturated $80-a-pound crushed glass, called “frit,” that crackles when it hits the focused flame.

             Mazet brought life and form to the plain glass that started its life as a simple wand of one color, painting with needle-thin strands of glass to apply more layers of color. He heats and separates the ball of glass from the thick main rod, lightly pressing it to another rod that allows all uneven surfaces to be melted smooth. He then lightly tapped loose the temporary “cold weld” rod that was used to hold the object. The glass is no longer attached to any rod.

             Grasping the piece with massive tongs, he bathes it one last time in the flame to polish the clear lens and melt the “belly-button,” or slight imperfection, left by the temporary weld. Next he rushes the piece off into the kiln so it can begin cooling down slowly and evenly, preventing the hard work from shattering. The result is a gleaming orb that can sell for 30 to 40 dollars, many of these orbs are on display in art galleries across the nation.

             “For me it’s always been about art,” Mazet says. “Having the background in ceramics gave me such an advantage in glass.” The success of the glass studio has made it possible for him to also show his ceramics, which he still makes in his free time, in galleries alongside his glass pieces.

             Mazet describes forming glass as “more thought-provoking” than relaxing because of the concentration it takes. But he still finds relaxation in the joy of creating art. He enjoys teaching others to create glass art, to reflect how they imagine it in their mind. He holds workshops where he teaches basic skills to get the aspiring glass artists on their way. Mazet doesn’t want students to just learn how to mimic an instructor making his or her specialty, but to make what they want with some guidance. He’s even heard praise from students that he’s, “one of the better glass-blower teachers in the whole country.” He feels that teaching will be his main focus in the years to come.

             Mazet can explain every detail of how he makes his creations while smoothly demonstrating, never missing a step. The entire time he speaks, his hands are mere centimeters from the glowing six-inch flame, showing his level of familiarity around the torch. The tall flame illuminates the workshop and casts long shadows but is subdued by one “click” of a foot pedal controlling the gas line. The “whoosh” of the ventilation fan drones on in the background, always on to remove the chemicals and fumes from the warm air, as he molds with fire.

             Mazet wears dark glasses, necessary for looking into the flame. He also puts on sunscreen to protect against long hours in front of the intense heat; otherwise, he can “walk away looking sunburned.” But some risks can’t be avoided Mazet says. “It’s a classic statement for glass blowing: you will be cut, you will be burned.” But that has never stopped him from continuing his trade. “Over time it’s definitely hard on you,” he says. “I don’t think any painter went blind staring at their canvas all day.” Although this business has dangers, there are certainly perks to working in a family-run business.

             The family business fits Mazet's lifestyle. “It’s a quality of life thing," Mazet says. "The truth is we don’t go to work for somebody else and that’s priceless. You know, I like getting up and going to work when I want, leaving when I want.”