Etched Glass

Hooper studios also employs the sandblasting talents of Mark Hiteshew, co-designer of the Indy 500 trophy. He was responsible for etching the sophisticated detail of the winning team's faces and car into the glass award.

Hiteshew "paints" his designs onto the glass by creating shadows and highlights. He "sculpts" the glass into 3-D relief by eroding away the surface via a series of painstaking layers. One problem with this type of etching is that the work must be done in reverse. Rather than adding color, the sandblaster adds highlight. Once the surface has been etched, it cannot be made clear again.

Studio Capabilities

The studio continues to produce its fantasy, wildlife and nature sculptures that are shown in art galleries, and over the years collectors of the sculpture have become as diverse as the subjects. Commissioned works include those for Chevron U.S.A., UNICEF and the O'Neill/Pepsi Coldwater Classic. Hooper glass creations also reside in the private collections of Dionne Warwick, Sylvester Stallone, Suzanne Somers and Burt Reynolds.

In addition to awards designed for clientele, the studio is capable of creating unique glass sculptures and/or logos for awards retailers who want to capitalize on the diverse applications possible with glass. ■

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Combining Sculpture and Waterjet

Perhaps the greatest flexibility exists in the ability to combine pieces of sculpture with waterjet cut glass for unusual creations. The sculpting expertise of the Hoopers and Aalto's waterjet skills merged to create yet a new channel for glass use in the awards market.

The image requested by Greyhound Exposition Services Inc. required a sleek greyhound running above the company acronym GES, explains Bob.

The flamework in sculpting the greyhound was needed to reflect the graceful lines of the animal. However, the text required the precision cut edges of the waterjet.

After each piece was completed using the appropriate technique, the two were combined for a one-of-a-kind award.