How Spiro Lyon Glass came to be......

In 1989, artist Lee Lyon was working on a large scale ceramic commission using broken windshield glass over clay.   He was very anxious to produce a bright red color in this piece but could not find a glaze that would fire to his liking. Lee had heard about Pilchuck Glass School and enrolled in a class hoping to learn how to create his own red glaze.

Lee signed up for a hot glass casting class taught by John Lewis. He was so inspired at Pilchuck that, after attending this workshop, he returned home, completed his commission, and changed his pottery studio into a hot glass casting studio.

In the summer of 1990, Lee was looking for an assistant to help him in his new studio. He already had some friends that were helping out, namely Carey Bringle and Phil Carter, but Lee needed more full time help.

Jacqueline Spiro showed up. A friend had told her about Lee and because she was mostly a “ski bum” at the time, this sounded like an interesting opportunity.

Lee and Jacq hit it off immediately. Lee’s enthusiasm for hot glass was contagious and Jacq caught the bug.

Soon the team discovered the resin bonded sand mold technique, often used for bronze casting. They were intrigued and decided to try to adapt this technique for glass casting. Through trial and error, they began to see the results they were hoping for.

Since then, Lee and Jacq have used resin bonded sand molds to create incredible sculptures, furniture, and architectural installations.

Jacqueline, Lee and Dylan have returned to Pilchuck Glass School to teach their unique casting technique.