>Its a dreary downtown day; the sky’s a charcoal gray, but here at the Washington Glass School, we don’t need the sun to shine! Below is a quick photo tour around the place on this wet spring Saturday :
Lino-cut Printmaking with Cast Glass panels class powers on:
Instructor Kirk Waldroff checks on a student as he grinds & coldworks his cast glass panel.
Carving into the lino blocks 
Inking the glass panels
Pulling a Print – Nancy Donnelly takes us through the process.
The glass block and the print side by side.
While in the Flameworking studio, test glass color samples being made:
Rob Kincheloe works color combos for a fused glass camouflage pattern background. Here Rob talks of the color options with Kirk Waldroff.
A modern PETA-friendly animal mounting.
In the back studio – artists working on artwork / sculpture components:
Matt Duffy works on his steel and glass sculpture components.
Michael Janis works on a sgraffitto panel to be shown at Glass Weekend in New Jersey.
Call For Artists: Submit Art to New Book About How Artists Achieve Success
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Norwegian-American artist Brit Hammer is well known for her abstract fine art Byzantine glass mosaics and her fresco techniques that use mosaic materials in a new, different way. In addition to her role as artist, coach and teacher, Brit is an independent motivational speaker driven by a passion to inspire everyone to connect with the artist within. She is the author of the bestselling book Breakout! Your Pathway to Success.
Brit has a new book in progress, a coffee table style book illustrated with lots of artwork images in all media.Titled “Rise to Fame”, the author seeks to explain what must happen on the inside to reach the level of sustainable success and one’s highest potential. Brit has announced a call to artists to submit artwork images and information for inclusion.
From Brit’s call for entries: The entries must illustrate an artist’s personal “voice” and be refined, cutting-edge fine art. ALL MEDIA including drawings, fiber art, sculpture, jewelry, glass, paintings, fine art mosaic and mixed-media will be considered for inclusion. NO COST TO ENTER
Up to 3 artworks and 6 images per artist may be entered. All entries must be original works and be created by the submitting artist(s) within the past 5 years.
ENTRY DEADLINE: 29 May 2011
Click HERE to jump to the web link for the book’s call to artists.
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
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Kris Coronado interviews Erwin Timmers
The Washington Post Magazine columnist Kris Coronado spent the day in the Washington Glass School this week, interviewing Erwin Timmers for an upcoming article on recycling and environmentally conscious artwork.
Above & Below: Washington Post photographer Benjamin Tankersley photos artwork made from recycled glass components.
Erwin talked wth Kris about his background in sustainable design, and how the growing awareness of the limits to our natural resources has led to a greater appreciation and interest in work made with environmentally responsible materials. Post photographer Benjamin Tankersley set up a full photo backdrop to properly document Erwin’s eco-artwork. The Washington Post article is due out in the paper in early June.
"Nature’s Elements" opens at Bethesda’s Artery Plaza Gallery
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Curated and organized by Claudia Rousseau, Ph.D., AICA – art critic and art historian, the exhibit “Nature’s Elements: Beauty and Structure” opens this Friday at Artery Plaza Gallery, featuring the paintings of Freya Grand and sculpture by Michael Enn Sirvet.
Freya Grand’s landscape paintings express a deep attachment to the fundamental structures of nature rather than a description of its surface details. As a structural engineer by training and experience, Michael Enn Sirvet brings his understanding of physics and structure to create exquisitely crafted wood and metal works. Both artists’ work encourage contemplation of the relation between art and nature.
Artery Plaza Gallery
NATURE’S ELEMENTS: BEAUTY AND STRUCTURE-Paintings by Freya Grand, Sculpture by Michael Enn Sirvet
April 8, 2011 – May 13, 2011
7200 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, MD
Opening Friday, April 8, 2011 at 6:00pm
Rob Kincheloe’s Flow Magazine Tutorial
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Torchworker Robert Kincheloe has a tutorial on his boro casting technique featured in the latest issue of The Flow glass journal.
In the magazine, he demonstrates how to re-create an object in borosilicate glass using his lost wax casting techniques, and incorporating the cast boro into flamework sculpture.
Rob’s tutorial is also available online thru the magazine’s website – Click HERE to jump to The Flow’s class website.
Erwin Timmers Goes To The Queen City
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Our “guru of green“, Erwin Timmers will be teaching at Cincinnati’s Brazee Street School of Glass, spreading the word of recycled glass artwork.
This April 16 & 17, Erwin will have the students explore using recycled glass to make sculptural pieces, architectural elements and tableware. The workshop will cover a variety of techniques including fusing, casting, and slumping.
Click HERE to jump to Brazee Street Studios website.
The Devil You Say …is Tim Tate!
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Here is a link to Tim Tate’s newest project. After a review of his body of work, Tim qualified for posting on the UnitedStatesArtists.org website. This site’s mission is to provide new directions in private philanthropy, allowing one to invest in America’s finest artists and illuminate the value of artists. The funding sought will allow Tim to realize his most adventurous installation yet. Tim will be creating a Virtual Sculptural Tour of the Nine Levels Of 21st Century Hell.
From the United States Artists website : This installation will re-define Dante’s 9 Levels of Hell for the 21st Century while showcasing the impact of social media and the Internet on the way the world interprets these levels… The show will draw the viewer into each of the new proposed descending circle, such as Wall Street Traders who destroy the economy and Oil Executives who destroy the environment. This will be an attempt to focus on 9 concerns to our present day world… On the front of each artwork pedestal will be words scrolling to let the viewer know the phrases being searched. Inside each dome will also be an LCD screen with video playing illustrating each type of concern on each level… There will be quite a bit of information being displayed, and it will engage the viewer for some time. These pieces will be interesting enough to draw in viewers for every level and keep them engaged for some time. The premise is to make a compelling and timely statement about the concerns of modern man.
If you know Tim’s work…you know it will be quite a ride! Tim also has exclusive perks for some key pledge amounts. Watch Tim’s explanatory video….and give if you can. Click HERE to jump to Tim’s USA.org posting.
Seeking Artist Studio Space?
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Would you like to be part of a fun, dynamic group studio?
Flux Studios – adjacent to the Washington Glass School (near the Rhode Island/ Route 1 Eastern Ave border of the District) is now accepting applications for two studio spaces:
(one is available May 1, 2011- 10 x 16 ft- $400 a month; the other available June 1, 2011- 14 x 17 ft- $595 a month)
Flux Studios is a 3000 square foot arts space in the Gateway Arts District that houses the studios of six professional artists. Each individual studio has ten-foot ceilings, concrete floors and walls of finished drywall over plywood. The studio offers a friendly and collaborative atmosphere, 24 hour access, free on-site parking, a large flexible common area available to all members for projects, installations or teaching, an exhibition area with gallery lighting, a computer controlled studio kiln available for rent and a loading dock with garage doors.
If interested in applying, please contact Novie Trump at novie@novietrump.com
Click here to jump to the studio website: http://www.fluxstudiosdc.com/
Flux Studios 3708 Wells Avenue, Mt. Rainier, MD 20712
Collaborative Art Project to Commemorate WGS’ 10th Anniversary
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from drab…
to FAB!
Artists from the Washington Glass School are working together on a collaborative outdoor artwork to commemorate our 10th year anniversary. Artists, instructors, teaching assistants, and friends of the glass school are helping create a wall installation that, while being a singular work of art, expresses the individuals that make up the glass school. This weekend, the glass school held a “play date” to get many of the school’s artists together to make the artwork and have a great time socializing. Here are some pix from the day:
Laurie Brown working with recycled glass.
Leslie Beil working on her design.
Kay Janis gets extra special attention from the instructor. She also gets points for wearing earrings made from “panda-glass” (the remnants from the dichroic glass that was used in the making of the Washington, DC Commission on the Arts 2004 public art project “Pandamania” – where the Glass School had made a glass mosaic covered panda that sat in front of the Corcoran Gallery of Art.)
Anne Plant carefully aligns her glass elements prior to fusing.
Erwin Timmers works with recycled elements to reference …recycling.
Some of the tiles after fusing.
The installation of the exterior grids will happen at the school’s anniversary date. More images of the panels will be added as we continue with the making of the artwork – the fun will be the guessing on which artist made which panel.
New Flamework Class Schedule
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Now that Spring has sprung – its time to get busy! Below are the new Spring/Summer Torchworking class offerings –
Class 1108 – Flamework Club – Open Studio For Flameworkers
Already know the basics of flameworking? Want to join others in a social atmosphere while you work? Our Flamework Club gives each student the opportunity to work independently in a world class studio while meeting some great new friends! Materials extra. Class Limit: 6 students
Instructor : Robert Kincheloe
Dates : Sat/Sun afternoons (call to confirm appointment)
Time : 1:30pm to 5pm
Tuition : $300 for 4 sessions (or included with instructor classes)
Class 1109 – Flameworkers Weekend Workshop
Develop your sculptural voice through working with glass at the bench torch. This 2-day workshop will focus on advancing your individual skills while allowing you to work on your own personal sculptural projects. In this free-form workshop the participants will be able to not only learn techniques necessary to accomplish their personal projects, but also be able to learn the techniques required by others. The materials fee provides student with an initial pack of glass, fuel for the torches and the loan of a full set of hand tools. Additional glass and supplies are available for purchase as the class progresses. This is a fun way to reinforce your skills while working with other great artists! Class Limit: 6 students
Instructor : Robert Kincheloe
Dates : Session A Sat/Sun April 23 & 24
Session B Sat/Sun May 28 & 29
Session C Sat/Sun June 25 & 26
Time : 11 am – 5pm
Tuition : $250 +$50 material fee (pay material fee to instructor in class)
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Class 1110 – Beginning Sculptural Flameworking
Learn the basics of making objects in the flame from borosilicate (Pyrex) glass. This 2-day class will focus on skills that are the basis of working with glass on the torch. You will come away with knowledge and some fine objects too! Rob is an energetic, knowledgeable instructor and artist who is ready and willing to help anyone learn this fascinating art form. The materials fee provides student with initial pack of glass, fuel for the torches and the loan of a full set of hand tools. Additional glass and supplies are available for purchase as the class progresses. Take this class more than once to reinforce your skills! Class Limit: 6 students
Instructor : Robert Kincheloe
Dates : Sat/Sun May 21 & 22
Time : 10 am – 1pm (the 1:30pm to 5pm open lampwork studio directly following the class is free to any class member)
Tuition : $250 +$50 material fee (pay material fee to instructor in class)
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Class 1111 – Coldworking 101 – How to Grind and Polish
Learn how to incorporate coldworking techniques into your glass art. This 1-day class will focus on skills that are the basis of coldworking glass on the flat lap grinder. You will come away with knowledge and the ability to work safely and effectively with coldworking equipment! Robert will explain and demonstrate how the various pieces of equipment in the studio are used so that the students gain familiarity with what tools are available and how they can be properly utilized for glass art. The materials fee provides student with several “Blank” forms that they can use to practice these techniques. Students are also encouraged to bring small glass items that are less than 2″ in surface are to experiment with. Class Limit: 8 students
Instructor : Robert Kincheloe
Dates : Sat May 7
Time : 1pm to 5pm
Tuition : $130 +$20 material fee (pay material fee to instructor in class)
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