ROBERT PICKARD

FOUNDER AND C.E.O., PICKARD ARTISTIC BLASTING

ROBERT  PICKARD, A RETIRED ELECTRICAL ENGINEER, FATHER AND GRANDFATHER, HAS BECOME ONE OF THE BEST-KNOWN GLASS-ETCHING ARTISTS, RENOWNED FOR HIS DESIRE TO TEACH AND PASS ALONG THIS CRAFT TO OTHERS.  

          “BOB” AS HIS FRIENDS CALL HIM, IS KNOWN FOR DEVELOPING SOME OF THE NEWEST AND MOST INNOVATIVE SAND BLASTING TECHNIQUES AS WELL AS MASTERING MANY OF THE OLDER HAND TOOLING DESIGNS WHICH ARE MUCH LESS PREVALENT IN MODERN GLASS ART EXPRESSIONS. BOB’S KNOWLEDGE OF ARTISTIC GLASS ETCHING STRETCHES BACK TO 1977.  HE HAS BEEN PASSING ON HIS CRAFT THROUGH SEMINARS AND INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTION SINCE 1989.  HE IS RECOGNIZED FOR HIS ADVANCEMENTS IN MANY SANDBLASTING TECHNIQUES SUCH AS LOW PRESSURE AIR BRUSHING, DIMENSIONAL BLASTING, GLASS CARVING ON THIN MEDIA AND THE USE OF ACRYLIC AND SILICONE RESISTS. 

BOB REALIZED EARLY ON THAT THE ART HE LOVES WAS TREMENDOUSLY HINDERED BY A GROSS NEGLECT OF TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA OF COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE ABRASIVE BLASTING EQUIPMENT.  SO, AFTER OPENING HIS STUDIO IN 1992, HE SET OUT TO SUPPLY THE GENERAL POPULATION OF GLASS ARTISTS WITH THE SAME INNOVATIVE EQUIPMENT HE HAD ENGINEERED FOR HIMSELF.  

HE NOT ONLY RUNS HIS OWN GLASS ART STUDIO “MEMORIES N GLASS,” LOCATED IN SHAWNEE, OKLAHOMA, BOB HAS ALSO REVOLUTIONIZED ARTISTIC GLASS ETCHING  BY DEV ELOPING, MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTING THE BEST LINE OF ARTISTIC  BLASTING EQUIPMENT ON THE MARKET TODAY.  

TODAY, BOB IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF  PICKARD ARTISTIC BLASTING INC. AND HOLDS SEVERAL PATENTS ON HIS ABRASIVE BLASTING EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS PRECISELY ENGINEERED FOR THE ARTISTIC GLASS ETCHING INDUSTRY.  

BOB STILL BLASTS DAILY AND HAS CONTINUED TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO HIS BLASTING EQUIPMENT WHICH HE LAUGHINGLY CALLS “UPGRADES.” 

WHETHER YOU SPEND TIME WITH BOB IN HIS “MEMORIES N GLASS” STUDIO, DISCUSS SANDBLASTING EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUES AT A TRADE SHOW OR ENJOY HIS TEACHING IN A SEMINAR, ONE THING IS FOR SURE, YOU WILL NEVER FIND A MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE GLASS ETCHING ARTIST WITH A TRUE DESIRE TO PASS ON HIS CRAFT AND FOSTER A SHARING OF KNOWLEDGE WITH OTHERS.