Pilchuck Bottle

"Money Shot" (Fourteen Foot Pilchuck Bottle): a collaborative project of Bill Concannon's fourth session neon sculpture class, Pilchuck Glass School, Standwood, WA, August 2002. All the neon for the bottle was made at Pilchuck's famous Permanent Neon Facility.

Click on the images to view larger versions of them.

Catherine Hart's sketch.

Michael Kelly's "P".

Our maquette.

David Smith, teaching assistant, and Erika Kohr painting the 14 foot cedar pole.

Libby Cahill, teaching assistant, and Catherine Hart planning the installation of the neon.

Yosuke Otsuki (facing away from us) discussing the project after the bottle cap is added on the first night.

Mayumi Miyake helps David Smith install the tubes of the bottleneck.

The bottleneck and the seal are lit on the night of the second day of installation.

Chris Messett demonstrates the technique know as "The Saskatoon Bucket Truck" to help Erika Kohr secure the sides of the bottle.

Roger Borg admires David Smith's "Carolina plumb bob" (a 3/4" socket on a piece of copper tie wire) as he helps Chris Messett add another neon spiral section.

Amy Perkins, David Smith, Roger Borg, Erika Kohr, Yousuke Otsuki, Chris Messett, and Dafne Kaffeman work together to finish the installation of the neon glass.

Catherine Hart provides the human scale as the completed bottle is first lit.

The members of the class share the maquette after lighting the sculpture. Left to right: David Smith, teaching assitant, Libby Cahill, teaching assistant, Bill Concannon, instructor, Erika Kohr, Mayumi Miyake, Michael Kelly, Roger Borg, Yousuke Otsuki, Andrea Garry, Chris Messett, Amy Perkins, Dafne Kaffeman, Catherine Hart, and our good friend and fellow fourth session instructor, Dino Rosin.