Brayton Furlong

Glass Artist Brayton Furlong was born and raised in Santa Cruz, California. When he was a child, he showed artistic talent and was encouraged by his teachers to pursue art. It wasn’t until 2002, at age 19, that he discovered his true passion, glass. Using a very simple setup and an instructional video, Brayton started educating himself on the process of flameworking. He was captivated by the medium and could spend 8 hours or more a day working at it. This was significant, since most other art forms couldn’t hold his attention. While teaching himself flameworking, Brayton landed a job at a scientific glass company in San Jose, California. It was only part time but it was there that Brayton learned the technical and scientific side of glass and its properties. It was also during this time that Brayton learned to build kilns at a local glass shop, where he traded his time for the opportunity to build one for himself. Three years into his pursuit of flameworking, Brayton applied and received several scholarships to Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. While there, he studied a variety of glass working processes with master glass artists Gary Beecham, Henry Halem, Loren Stump, Brian Kerkvliet and Paul Stankard. Brayton's work and career has evolved rapidly over the last 7 years with his current focus on one of a kind flameworked sculptures that reflect his personal experiences, spirituality, sense of humor and outlook on life. His work has been featured in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Art World Magazine, and Niche Magazine and can be found in private collections, galleries and museums across the country. He teaches private workshops at his studio and other facilities, and was nominated as a 2009 Niche awards finalist.