Flashback 2013 - 2021

Flashback

So I’m having to write up a brief description of where, what and why I came up with the Krakens for the editor of the “200” mint website. I came across hundreds of pics from working in the RVs I had prior to my Westy or WickedWoodie bus.

I will save the full story for the kryptokrakens.com but in short this is it a section took from just random kraken post.

Kraken story: First one created in 2002 before taking 10 years off to attend music school at SF State. Returning to Santa Cruz and glass in 2012, eventually to fund traveling. In 2014 I had a epiphany while broken down in Waco, Texas. Octopus are nomadic, so what a perfect way express this behavior. 2019 after several years of giving a % to charity I researched blockchain to have Krakens have a multi faceted function.

1. Symbolic of wandering lifestyle

2. Allow adoptee enjoy many intimate nites 💨 w/ friends

3. Create a system that gives back to where it originated. The ocean. Glass —> sand —> via coral. So therefore blockchain allows this function embedded in its providence to give back to Coral Restoration Foundation thru —> Kraken Foundation —> Tails Delegation Pool on Cardano.

Q: Why I start traveling?

A: Recently returned to Santa Cruz and gave up on music school and the mortgage life in Oakland. I had the perfect appartment overlooking the boardwalk. Best surf spot walking distance from there. Soon thought of glassblowing, few months later found a work studio (which I just gave up) 1 block from that amazing apartment. Life’s good, right? Happy days!

Few months later in the Santa Cruz Sentinal I read a article on Jack Kerouac. 2 hours later a car dealer I was walking by had a guy selling his RV. That second I immediately said to myself, “can I blow glass in that shit?” I asked the owner selling to look inside… then bought it! 2 days later was Apr 20th, 2013, I drove off never to return to Santa Cruz to use my studio. Never in 9YRS. Yes I paid the rent that long. Haha

Q: Was it more hard to do the work in a RV? Yes. Just because people preach do what you love, does not mean it’s a shortcut to happiness. I love traveling! Glass was the means to fund it, but i loved it as well.

I worked in the first “A” class RV for 2years before someone textin drove into it, in Oregon. Cutting my trip to Alaska at the time short. I purchased a “C” class RV, then continued working in that for another 3 years. As I met more glassblowers traveling I did less RV work, more studio work. I then decided to return to a Vanlife (I’ve had 3) to pursue work in studios that RVs made logistically hard In bigger cities.

Then 2022 I returned to a retrofitted bus, so I can do both. So to complete all types of rec vehicles. :) My original intention of keeping it minimal. Anyhow I’m just rambling as I wait for my coffee to finish out here in beautiful St. Pete where I’ll continue to anchor for winter.

Here are couple pics from working in the “A” class and “C” class. I used a kiln custom for a 10k watt inverter. The Sherlocktopus is a dry piece I made in the “C” class in a demo for the flow magazine. Jeffrey Star soon saw it and bought it. I told him I’d never make another. He did ask for a rig one day. Anyhow lil backstory ;)