Artist Plants Sparkling Spiral Vortexes into Miniature Glass Marbles

Adam Smolensky of Smo Glass compresses mystifying vortexes into small glass marbles. His colorful, handcrafted creations match between your fingers, but since you seem inside, they seem vast--as if their spirals could go on forever. While these coils are common themes in Smolensky's job, it's just one facet of his fabulous designs. Additionally, he creates patterning reminiscent of scales and sea coral, with layered textures that build a beautiful visual complexity inside the half-to-two-inch pieces.

Smolensky recently shared one of his own art glass marbles on Reddit. It was a close-up shot of a "glass vortex marble" with a swirling rainbow layout and glittery center. "All my vortex marbles are done on [a] strong rod," he explains, meaning that they're shaped on the tip of a glass stick. As for the sparkling feature, that is the work of fuming--a method where the glass is placed in a metal "smoke" and becomes embedded within.

If you would like to get your hands on those miniature, infinite galaxies, Smolensky sells marbles, dishes, and sculptures throughout his online shop.

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