SEALED WITH LOVE

I’ve sealed many items in glass over the years. When I say sealed, I mean inserting objects in a glass tube and heating up each end of the tube to completely seal both ends of the tube. Thus, trapping the object and air inside.

It started with sealing a cigarette and match in glass. Popular for those who had just given up smoking. The key element in the process was to stick the glass tube onto a card with the word “In emergency break glass” printed on.

Technically the skill was not to heat the object inside the glass so much that it burnt. Plastic items were a pain since they burnt easy. I did seal a red rose once inside glass and got the rose so hot it turned yellow. Few people would have that experience.

Sealing a real fully grown lobster inside a glass tube got me reported to the RSPCA. This was because the customer wanted it natural colour and not red as in boiled. I failed since the flame was positioned too close to the creature which then changed colour to red!

Human and animal hair (dogs mainly) are popular items to seal into glass tubes. I once had a man who visited my studio with his girlfriend’s pubic hair requiring them to be captured for ever in glass and again I mis-positioned the flame so as to burn the hair. Lovely smell though!!!!!!!

So, what about the Durex condom? Well, a guy (had to be right?) asked me to seal a condom in glass but he didn’t have any condoms spare so I said I would get them. Living in Thurso where everyone knows everyone, I became increasingly embarrassed going into chemists asking for a condom. I was offered packs of six, twelve or even bulk purchase of forty-eight! I chickened out numerous occasions in case someone I knew saw me and thought I was a pervert or deranged love addict!

In between running from chemist to chemist I too breath and lent against a wall, (next to the old M & Co if you need to know). A friend saw me and stopped to ask if I was OK since I was breathing heavily and out of breath. I answered, panting in-between sentences that, “I am desperate for a condom”!!!!!! He looked shocked but as he knew me and knew I was an artist he made allowances and replied, “Don’t worry Ian, it will be alright in the morning” It was and I had a satisfied customer. I sometimes wonder where he is now.