Process
Davide Salvadore’s process takes longer than most would imagine and has many separate steps. Salvadore thinks about the piece he wants to create, settles in his mind on the idea, the colors and shape and then over the following week collects the glass canes and makes the murrines specifically for that piece. One aspect of his talent is the use of murrines in all pieces. Many Murano artists, past and present, have used decorative canes which are so fundamental to Salvadore's work. Murrines are created by stretching a compact mass of hot glass into a long, narrow, multicolored cane (see video below). Using his unique process, Salvadore cuts these canes into thin slices which are incorporated into his work in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Then they go into the annealing oven to prepare them to be added to the form being blown. Once the glass sculpture is blown with the murrines incorporated, then the entire work goes into the annealing oven. This is only half the process. When the glass sculpture is fully cooled, it goes to the cold shop for further detailed work, which makes every piece a one-of-a-kind piece. The cold shop contains equipment used to work with glass in a cold state. Lathes, diamond saws, grinding wheels, and polishing wheels help to cut designs, and smooth and polish the glass. From the inception of a glass sculpture to its completion is approximately four weeks.