TEACHERS:
Giovanni Nicola
(glass blowing)
Francesca Merciari
(fusing)
Diego Bottacin
(lampworking)
Glass Masters
OBJECTIVES
A 3 week program allowing the participants to go through the main glass working techniques, working in a furnace with skilled glass masters, expressing their creativity with fusing and discovering the world of glass jewels with lampworking.
TIMING AND CONTENT
WEEK 1 – FURNACE WORKSHOP
Day 1
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE FURNACE
Introduction to Murano glass history and techniques.
Introduction to furnace equipment, tools and materials (introduction to glass composition).
Cutting hot glass mass with scissors and diamond cutters.
Day 2 to 4
THE BLOWING PROCESS
First raise: taking hot glass from the oven.
Marbling: preparing the core of the glass object.
Giving a first shape to the vitreous mass.
Opening the hot vitreous mass with hand movements.
Turning the hot glass to the master.
Glassblowing:
• Free blowing: inflating molten glass into a bubble with the aid of a blowpipe.
• Mold-blowing: a glob of molten glass is placed on the end of the blowpipe, and is then inflated into a wooden or metal carved mold. In that way, the shape and the texture of the bubble of glass is determined by the design on the interior of the mold.
Pontello technique: preparing a pontello for hanging. (Pontello is an iron rod to whom the craftsman attaches the object after blowing in order to add final touches).
Day 5
MAKING OBJECTS
Realization of simple objects such as a glass, a vase, a plate or a bowl, first with a help then by themselves.
Using of different decoration techniques.
WEEK 2 – LAMPWORKING WORKSHOP
Day 1
INTRODUCTION TO LAMPWORKING TECHNIQUE
Introduction to equipment, tools, materials and safety info.
Modeling technique with the realization of the first elementary objects.
Day 2
MAKING GLASS BEADS
Realizing glass beads using rods of different colors and sizes.
Day 3
GLASS DECORATION
Decorating glass beads with the use of different type of decorating techniques.
Day 4
SPECIAL TECHNIQUES
Realizing beads with the “sommerso” technique and with the use of precious materials such as gold-leaf and silver-leaf.
WEEK 3 – FUSING WORKSHOP
Day 1
INTRODUCTION TO FUSING AND SANDBLASTING TECHNIQUES
Introduction to equipment, tools and materials.
Designing a glass plate to realize with the fusing technique.
Designing a glass tile to decorate with the sandblasting technique.
Day 2 to 4
REALIZING THE GLASS PLATE
Cutting glass with diamond cutters.
Fusing the plate through one the following techniques:
•“tack fusing”: fusing technique in which the pieces of glass are heated until they are just hot enough to stick together and retain many of their own original characteristics;
•“full fusing”: fusing technique in which glass is heated until it becomes molten.
Day 5
PLATE THERMOFORMING AND GLASS TILE DECORATION
Plate thermoforming with the use of different types of molds.
Glass tile decoration with the sandblasting technique.
