Mount St. Helens Eruption in Art Glass

When Mt St Helens erupted in 1980, much death and destruction fell upon the Pacific Northwest. Who would have guessed that beauty could come from such devastation? Hank Claycamp, now retired, saw the volcanic ash, and also saw the possibilities. He worked out a formula to include the ash, which is 64 percent silica, into blown glass art.

This minute vase stands 4.5" tall and is about 2.5" in diameter. It features pulled feathers of pink and silver glass through a clear base glass. The surface has a colorful metallic oxide iridescence. The lip is polished and around the pontil mark, the signature reads "MSH ASH Vines 87" signifying that it was made by artist Roger Vines in 1987. I was pleasantly surprised to find this on the shelf of a local flea market for a reasonable price. I like it because my daughter recently earned her Masters of Science degree in Geology, specializing in volcanology. She thinks it is pretty cool too!