The aim of this course is to push the physical limits of glass as a material and to give it realistic forms by using all available possibilities. In line with this goal, participants will start with small units, focus on small details, observe the whole, and witness passionate, result-oriented working methods in a layered manner.

This course will introduce you to the ancient art of glassblowing. Using your sketches and ideas, you will learn how to give life to simple shapes such as vases, goblets or any other utilitarian or artistic object.

When the torch is roaring with gas and oxygen, the flame looks yellow. This theatrical effect is part of our playful dialogue with glass. We let the glass lead us and inspire us as we experiment with color and methods of glass forming. Led by our imagination we shall create the fragile treasures. Sparklingly transparent and amusing in form, theatrical, whimsical. And as fantastic as we choose. We create our works from glass rods in the torch flame in transparent clear or multi-colored glass, formed with ease and fun. We then further enhance the appearance of our works by painting them, using glass enamels fired into the glass surface. We shall find inspiration from each other, exchanging ideas and collaborating on common projects. We shall be working with rods and canes of borosilicate glass.

This course will introduce students to life-casting materials and processes. We will use silicone rubber to capture an impression of the live figure and transfer that small impression into wax. Using a lost-wax method, students will create a small section of the body/face in glass. This class will cover wax sculpting, moldmaking, glass properties, and annealing. Students should bring a sketchbook and personal sculpting tools. All skill levels are welcome.

Everyone will have an opportunity to stretch their skills and broaden their ideas for creating abstract patterns that can be used in many glassmaking applications. We will explore and practice making murrine which are tiny glass tiles. We will also explore a variety of cane making possibilities for surface design. The materials we make will then be applied to several methods of construction for functional glassware as well as structural applications in sculpture. This class is for anyone who wants to explore intensive design and dialogue in the hot shop. Furnace skills are handy but it’s a class that is applicable to lamp workers, fusers and sculptors alike. All artists encouraged.

Emma will introduce her innovative way of using many Pâte de Verre processes, quite unusual and distinctive from the usual meaning assigned to Pâte de Verre technique.
Eliminating ’glass paste' from her pâte de verre methods and a vast number of shortcuts and simple methods, developed in the past 14 years, made the process quicker and easier and offered many new solutions.

Utilising the natural qualities of transparency, opalescence and opacity within glass, this summertime vocational course will focus on the different ways blown glass interacts with light.

We will explore the qualities of transmitted, reflected and refracted light as influenced by glass. Students will be encouraged to experiment with decorative elements using both hot and cold techniques, embarking on an exploration of form, texture, pattern and light.

Course Overview: Glass Reliefs, 3D Sculptures, and Kiln Casting

During this course, you will learn how to create glass reliefs, open-face sculptures, and 3D forms. We will cover the entire process, from designing simple reliefs to building more complex three-dimensional sculptures. You will also gain practical knowledge in:

Calculating annealing programs for glass.

Making casting molds and selecting the best materials for mold making.

Determining mold content and properly filling molds with glass.

Understanding kiln processing techniques and the fundamentals of glass art and technology.

This engaging 10 days course delves into the classic practice murine with an emphasis on how to compose a image with glass following a plan.
From the ancient Egyptians to the 16th century studios of Venice two new com-temporary takes, we will look at the history. And use the Franchini technique to produce original murrine.
Student will be able to create their own designs by manipulating hot glass with flameworking technique.
We will break down each step in the process and use multiple methods and stages to produce a image in a glass cane we will slice.
Each day we will be able to add steps to the main design growing in size as well as complexity.
By the end of the workshop, students will be able to create unique pieces using several flame working techniques including cold working.

This intensive hot glass sculpting workshop course is designed to help students realize their ideas by building on time-proven and innovative techniques. Experimental ways of drawing and creating texture with glass frits and powders, torch-work, the use of customized tools, learning about the hot garage, will help each student attempt to render items in glass realistically. Fundamental ways of sculpting blown and solid forms parts will be taught with a focus on the use of the hot garage to construct with parts. Teamwork in hot construction will be emphasized. A substantial amount of time will be spent on creative thought processes as students develop their own dialogue with glass using a newly introduced vocabulary of form and technique. Talks, demonstrations, and student time will all contribute to the class experience. Three years of some hot-glass experience would be helpful.  Plan on working hard and having fun!!!