Josh Simpson Glass
Josh Simpson began making planets in 1976 when he agreed to have all the eighth graders in the county visit his studio for glass blowing demonstrations. Within a week he learned that the eighth graders were not especially interested in goblets and other traditional forms he was making at the time. "Marbles,however,were something they could relate to. Cat's eyes, swirls and trapped air bubbles fascinated them. ...The first planets were not complex. They were round cores with bits of colored glass on the surface. Eventually I started adding little pieces of millefiori left over from my floral vases. Because they appeared to float or orbit over the core of the planet, I made up stories to entertain the kids about the possibility that the planets were inhabited. ...Pieces without spaceships became 'possibily inhabited' planets, but a planet with a spaceship or bubble trail was surely 'inhabited'."Today Josh's planets come in sizes varying from the size of a golf ball (smaller planets) to the size of a basketball (mega planets). He still categorizes them as "possibly inhabited" or "inhabited".
Of course, no two planets are the same, so a few words about how we at Sattva select them for shipping. Marlene, Fred, and John, the gallery manager, review all the planets in inventory of the size ordered. We look for structural complexity, patterning, and color. After about two or three votes, we can agree on the planet to be shipped.
We have never had one come back and we have received a lot of rave reviews from our customers. The reason is simple, when viewed individually, each planet is magical.X
