The Art of Glass Bending With Will Kirtley of Seattle's Western Neon

Will Kirtley, Seattle artist and lead glass bender at custom sign shop Western Neon, is the man behind many of the Emerald City’s brightly colored beacons. Best known for its gloomy, gray days and alt rock vibe, the city is considered to be the world's epicenter for glass art. Learn how Will blends handcrafted art with science to create a one-of-a-kind neon sign, and the journey he took to reach this level of artistry.

Will's decades-long dance with neon began with a coffee table book and a one-way ticket to the Northern Wisconsin Neon Workshop. “I wasn’t a natural in class, and I didn’t really come at it with the fine motor skills and careful observation you need,” Will says, reflecting back to his early years. “In fact, I was told I didn’t have the chops for this kind of work and would be offered a full refund for my class fees.” Determined to succeed, he let the harsh criticism spark his passion rather than extinguish it, and went on to complete the program. “It’s really more about how bad you want something than what you bring to the game at first,” Will explains.

After school, and several gigs in chilly Chicago, Will packed his bags and set off for Seattle in 1989 to begin a lifetime journey that would brighten the city's nighttime landscape. "It’s a great neon city," Will says. "With the gloomy weather nine months of the year, our signs are just like beacons." Over the course of several decades, Seattle's 30+ neon sign shops have all since closed, leaving only a few to uphold the craft. Today, Will is the lead glass bender at Western Neon and an instructor at the Western Neon School of Art.

Today's project involves a martini — one that requires glassblowing, glass bending and a noble gas. “The process starts with a mirrored pattern presented to us by our designers," Will says. "We use this paper template to form the glass tubes to match as accurately as possible." A brass screen is also used to keep the template from burning when hot tubes are placed on top.