Ten Years of Tubesock
Before success undoubtedly comes hard work and sacrifice. We see artists’ success and tend to forget all the hardships they may have faced before “making it” in the industry. Tubesock is one of those artists with a story worth telling.
When Tubesock was 13, he found himself surrounded by the Pukin' Beagle family. His good friend Jordan began working for the glass company as his dad, Ron, was the founder. Tubesock struggled with the law in his teens, facing punishments that resulted in bouts of homelessness. When he turned 17, Ron told them it was time to get to work, so they did. This was in 2011, marking the start of Tubesock's glass career.
Tubesock continued to battle homelessness for the first three years of his career while Ron and the PB team taught him the ropes. Tubesock states that Ron is like a father figure, and without him and the Pukin Beagle family, who knows where he’d be.
Since then, Tubesock has accumulated about 5 years of lathe work and 5 years of bench work under his belt. He has worked with a handful of artists and even spent some time in the scientific glass industry. Ron truly took him under his wing and taught him not only about glasswork but about life. Now, we’re watching Tubesock thrive in the pipe making industry, coming up with completely original designs and truly making a name for himself.
The newly released Begg Beater (seen above) is one of Tubesock’s newest developments! After suffering a double wrist injury just a year after moving into a new studio, he knew he had to come up with something remarkable for the community upon his return. He spent the summer making design after design, and that fall, the Begg Beater was born. It features some aspects from his original “Begg,”' derived from a ball rig style design, mixed with a closed off Torus with two drains. This would create a whirlpool effect around the tornado-like drain, which is what the “Beater” part refers to! Unfortunately, Tubesock lost his studio that winter, but the Begg Beater was the symbol of redemption that Tubesock was hoping for.
The Begg Beaters posed quite the challenge at first, but that’s what drew Tubesock to this design. He says they continue to challenge him to this day! But, that’s what he loves about this medium: It’s countless hours of hard work, unwavering patience, and the willingness to tackle obstacles daily. He tells The Depot, “As far as sacrificing goes I chose glass over everything and everyone... lost some things and some people I shouldn’t have lost or traded but it’s simply what had to happen…”
You can’t help but admire the dedication from pipe makers like Tubesock. There is a ton of personal history in every artist's pieces; these Begg Beaters aren’t simply a design but represent an entire phase of Tubesock’s life.
Huge thank you to Tubesock for sharing a part of his journey with us (and congrats on ten years!!!) Each artist has a unique story that contributes to the entire community. We as The Depot are grateful to capture that.
Thanks for reading, Depot Fam ♥
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Tubesock (@tubesockglasshustle)