A lot of stress is over
A lot of stress is over.
When he approached civic authorities with the concept of his glass-blowing studio, nobody knew what to make of it or even how much to charge him for a business license.
“They said it was a unique thing in Surrey.
The studio was nearly a year in the planning, with special-order ovens from Oregon fetching close to six figures.
Last February, Parkes was laid off from his 25-year job at Robert Held’s landmark glass-blowing studio in Kitsilano.
Nearing 60 years of age, Parkes took steps to realize his dream of working at home.
“I reached into my pocket, emptied it out, bought all this equipment and here we are,” he said.
“I never thought I’d have a chance to do this here.
It was the only thing left to do.
I’m too old to be trained to do something else — maybe a Walmart greeter or something, but I love this, and I know a lot about the material and can pass on that knowledge.
Parkes is getting back into the swing of glass art by making paperweights.
In a