Product Details
'Handheld Liquid Wheel' is a super cool, VINTAGE, handheld kaleidoscope by master kaleidoscope artist Don Doak. The triangular body was created with two curved, textured and iridized slumped black glass that's super metallic, with mirror-like rainbow colors, and a third underside panel that's flat with the same mirrored rainbow finish. The body houses a flawlessly cut 3-mirror system and has an attached turning, oil-filled, front lit, unique glass object wheel containing with Don's handmade glasswork pieces, crushed glass bits, large glitter pieces in assorted shapes, two glass disks in yellow and pink but when they overlap orange suddenly appears, and features an added metal "bump" inside that gives a unique effect on the kaleidoscopic visuals. The imagery produced has literal depth, some bits appear far away in the background, slightly out of focus due to the limited amount of milky-oil Don adds to the wheel, the closer pieces are crisp and sharp, creating designs that are complex and delightful. Measures approximately 8.5"L x 2"W at viewing end, and the hexagon (6-sided) object wheel is 4"W. Signed (DDoak) by the artist.
About the artist: Don has obtained a patent for the precision "magnetic mirror cutting board" he created in order to get the accuracy in cutting absolutely straight lines and perfect angles he desired, thus allowing him to build his patented mirror systems which make the complicated three dimensional illusions for which he is famous. When Don makes a scope every technique he uses is self taught. Nothing is sent out to a machine shop for a computer assisted result, nor does anyone else do his glass lampworking. He believes that this is why his scopes always look different from most others. Don also designs and builds most of his own tools including his own electric furnace for bending and shaping large pieces of glass. His motto is "while most artists try to march to a different drummer I prefer to go where no drummer has ever been."
From the artist: "I build my scopes to suit me first. I never worry about selling them. Everything you see on and in my scopes comes from within me, so when someone buys one of my scopes they are getting a piece of my soul."
