>Lampworking, torchwork, flamework – all mean the same thing – sculpting glass heated over a torch. You will get hooked on the immediate satisfaction that comes from this form of art! The flameworking program at the Washington Glass School has expanded. Take our beginner lampworking classes and build your skill level (and fun level) with the open studio Flamework Club. Or take the next step – with our Intermediate Sculptural Flamework class.
This class session we have brought on some new special classes with super star instructors: Elizabeth Mears and Michael Mangiafico!
Elizabeth Mears is a full time, award winning artist. Whether representational or conceptual, her artwork reflects her strong connection with nature; often combining glass with mixed media. Liz studied and now teaches lampworking techniques at Penland, Pilchuck and Corning Studio. Her book “Flameworking” was published in 2003 by Lark Books. Liz will draw upon her love of nature for her “Lets Make Leaves” class and her “Building Flowers with Bridges“ class.
Michael Mangiafico (Fig) graduated with a BFA in glass art from Carnegie Mellon University. He has been teaching lampworking and glass blowing for over 20 years. He owns and operates his own glass studio in Pittsburgh, Pa. His work is available in galleries nationwide and has been featured in numerous art magazines and publications. Fig will be teaching an amazing class on creating bugs “Glass Entomology“.
Have a look at the full Fall Lampworking Schedule:
SPECIAL LAMPWORKING CONCENTRATION CLASS SCHEDULE
Class 1032 – 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: Studio Staff
Dates: Saturday afternoons (call to confirm appointment)
Time: 1:30pm – 5 pm
Tuition: $300 for 4 sessions – or included with Instructor Classes (#1033, 1034, 1035, 1036, 1037)
Class 1033 – 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: Session A Sept 18 & 19, Session B Oct 2 & 3
Time: 10am – 1 pm
Tuition: $250 + $50 material fee
Class 1034 – Intermediate Sculptural Flameworking / Working Hollow
This is a student driven class that will promote techniques not displayed in the beginning class. In this 2-day class, students will learn to work with tubing to create glass sculptures. (materials cost of $50 payable at first class meeting) Class Limit: 6 students
Instructor: Robert Kincheloe
Dates: Saturday / Sunday, November 20 & 21
Time: 10 am – 1 pm
Tuition: $250 + $50 material fee
Class 1035 – Glass Entomology – Lampworked Insects with Michael Mangiafico
Students will learn to work with soft glass while observing nature. Students will explore heat control, cane pulling and the basics of soft glass sculpting. His glass insects are some of the finest examples of lampwork worldwide.
Michael Mangiafico has been teaching torchworking and glass blowing since 1993. While his specialty is making glass insects, he also makes beads, marbles, jewelry, vessels, and paperweights. Class Limit: 6 students
Instructor: Michael Mangiafico
Dates: Saturday / Sunday, October 9 & 10
Time: 10 am – 1 pm
Tuition: $300 + $50 material fee
Why leaves you may ask. We will pay homage to Nature’s small factory (Bio 101…CO2 + chlorophyll, + sunshine = sugar and O2) while we learn to control the bench torch, manipulate hot glass, direct the heat, use tools to create shape and texture, and work with different sizes of clear rod and tube. The focus of our endeavors will be to make “parts” which can be incorporated into larger sculpture at a later time. Class Limit: 6 Students
Dates: Saturday / Sunday, October 23 & 24
Time: 10 am – 1 pm
Tuition: $300 + $50 material fee
Class 1037 – Building Flowers With Bridges! with Elizabeth Ryland Mears
“Bridges” are to Flameworking what exoskeletons are to beetles…they hold everything together. We will use the technique of “bridging” to make a daisy-like flower. We will make the flower then add the bridging to hold all the parts in place while we thoroughly fuse the glass together in the flame of the bench torch. This technique is invaluable when larger sculpture is created, so we will practice on a smaller object. The instructor will guide you step by step through the process. The bridging is temporary so will be removed to reveal a small object ready for further creative use. Class Limit: 6 Students
Instructor: Elizabeth Ryland Mears
Dates: Saturday / Sunday, November 6 & 7
Time: 10 am – 1 pm
Tuition: $300 + $50 material fee
For more information about classes – or to register and pay for the class using the online PayPal system, click HERE to jump to the school’s website class list.
Daily Art Muse on Elizabeth Ryland Mears
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Large Bundle of Twigs with Knitted Copper Wrap Detail
Glass, Flameworked, Sandblasted, Waxed Linen, Lusters, Copper, Steel
6″h x 26″w x 5″d
The Daily Art Muse blog most recent posting focuses on our own flameworker extraordinaire Elizabeth Mears.
Says Susan Lomuto about Liz’ work “When I found Elizabeth Ryland Mears’ flameworked glass twig bundles and sculptures they resonated with a place deep inside. And so timely, my discovery of Mears’ work. For the last two weeks I have been gathering and collecting bits and pieces of tree branches, bark, pebbles – thinking about how these fragments are as beautiful as the whole. . .”
The Great Wandering
The blog article continues with some of the collaborative work that Liz creates with her daughter L Lindsey Mears. Lindsey is an an artist in her own right creating art books, prints, and assemblages.
Click HERE to jump to the Daily Art Muse blog posting.
Lampworking Class Gets Hot!
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Photos by Mike Raman
The Washington Glass School’s new torchworking classes started off Session A in fine form. The hands-on class works thru the basics of making objects on the torch. Here instructor Robert Kincheloe works with each student to master using borosilicate glass.
Teddie Hathaway heats up her glass skills.
The next beginner’s lampworking class starts in June – Click HERE to read more about the class & schedule.
Robert Kincheloe wins Emerging Artist Award
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Robert Kincheloe (our new studio coordinator/resident artist/flamework artist extraordinaire) was just awarded Glasscraft’s Emerging Artist Award for his “outstanding skill” and for his “technical and artistic innovation”.
The glass journal The Flow , features a profile article about Robert and his amazing flamework art. Previous winners of the emerging artist award includes Steve Sizelove, Christian Luginger and one of our favorite flameworking artists; Carmen Lozar.
Click HERE to jump to Roberts website.
Introducing Washington Glass School’s New Studio Coordinator
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Robert Kincheloe (right)
The Washington Glass School welcomes its new studio coordinator: Robert Kincheloe. Robert has been working with glass since 1997, with a strong background in borosilicate glass. He has studied furnace glassblowing, flameworking, scientific glassblowing, sculpture, murrini, encasements, casting and coldworking. Over the years he has helped to set up several glass studios
Floral Cube by Robert Kincheloe
photo: AnythingPhotographic
Robert was part of the Washington Post’s article on the opening of the Workhouse Arts Center in 2008 – click HERE to read the article.
Photo: Dayna Smith for the Washington Post.