Glass artist makes the big screen

Artist Kelly Lowe expects she’ll soon be feeling the heat even more than usual.

The Hamilton glassblower’s work will be seen by millions of moviegoers in Cineplex theatres across the country throughout December.

“(This is) an amazing opportunity, once in a lifetime,” said Lowe, who designs, makes and sells glass art out of her Stoney Creek studio. “This could be huge for my business.”

Lowe was surprised and ecstatic when a producer discovered her work online and asked her if she would be interested in filming a segment about making Christmas ornaments for the theatre’s preshow. Cineplex spokesperson Kyle Moffatt said the company makes short segments each month that are tied to the season or feature show. With December being a strong month for movies, he expects millions of people will see Lowe’s piece as they settle into their seats.

“It’s pretty interesting to see how these ornaments are made,” he said, recommending viewers come early if they want to see the clip during the 20-minute pre-show.

It’s a tremendous opportunity for Lowe who discovered glass blowing 13 years ago. When she enrolled at Sheridan College, she was drawn to the glass-blowing course and quickly developed a passion for the art form.

She returned to Hamilton to practice her new skill, training under renowned artists like the late Shirley Elford.

Lowe set up her own studio on Barton Street three years ago and has been asked to develop customs creations for awards and gifts. She has created a special line of unique glass creatures called Kritters that combine the features of two animals.

In her Cineplex segment, which was filmed in October, Lowe walks viewers through the process of making traditional blown glass Christmas tree ornaments with the help of a 1150 C furnace and special kiln.

Lowe is just as nervous to see the final edit as she was to film the segment. She plans to hide in the back of a theatre to see the reaction of the crowd. Lowes jokes she’s also curious to see how she’ll look given that a regular television adds 15 pounds.

“What is the big screen going to do?”

Humour aside, Lowe says she’s ready and excited for the anticipated bump in orders. “The more time I get to play in the hot shop, the better.”