Penland Glass Summer 2011

Classes are open to serious students of all levels unless specified in course description; beginners welcome.

Ché Rhodes, Untitled, 29 x 4-1/2 x 10 in.

This class will help students develop a sound approach to translating complex and abstract ideas into glass art. Students will be encouraged to cultivate an understanding of and respect for the traditional glassmaking techniques that will inform their work. But the true endeavor of this class will be to use glass as a tool for the conceptual and formal investigation of ideas. Technical and intellectual problem solving will be emphasized through the use of class exercises, assignments, visual aids, and dialogue. Basic glassblowing skills required. Code 01ga

Associate professor and head of glass at University of Louisville (KY); other teaching: The Studio at Corning (NY), Scuola del Vetro (Venice); representation: Marta Hewitt Gallery (Cincinnati/ Louisville).

Miles Dreyer, Tribal Necklace, glass, 19 in. long

This class will be a broad introduction to flameworked glass. We will start with soft glass beads and then move on to hollow and solid borosilicate sculpture. Through demos and one-on-one instruction we will begin to realize some of your glass fantasies. We will also cover safe studio setup as well as torch and tool selection. Beginning level. Code 01gb

Studio artist; former production glassblower at Hot Island Glass (HI); teaching: Snow Farm (MA); exhibitions: Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center (HI), West End Gallery (NY).

Earl James, Seaform,

18 x 18 x 18 in.

will begin with the bubble and move forward through the basics of glassblowing, including the introduction of color and the basics of coldworking. As we do this, we will practice safety and good shop manners. Beginning level. Code 02ga

Frederick Birkhill, Montage Bowl, flameworked

glass, 4 x 4 x 2.5 in.

This flameworking class will cover bead making, small figurative sculpture, basic blowing techniques, and mixed media. We will work with borosilicate, soda-lime, and lead glass. For any student who has an open mind. All levels. Code 02gb

Studio artist; teaching: The Studio at Corning (NY), The Glass Furnace (Istanbul); collections: Smithsonian Institution (DC), Corning Museum of Glass (NY), Museum of American Glass (NJ), Detroit Institute of the Arts.

Daniel Clayman, Beacon, glass,

96 x 23-3/4 x 23-3/4 in.

Drawing on my 25 years of experience casting glass into investment molds, this class will help students develop a language for solving problems encountered in creating their own work. Using students’ work as a platform for demonstrations, the class will cover a range of topics including mold recipes, wax-working techniques, rubber mold making, glass sources, kiln requirements, and more. Students will leave with an ability to pursue their own ideas with an advanced knowledge base. Intermediate/advanced level: no glass experience is required, but this class is for practicing artists with a foundation in sculpture. Code 03ga

Studio artist; collections: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Corning Museum of Glass (NY), Milwaukee Art Museum.

Sally Prasch, Pushing Light, flame-worked borosilicate

glass, filled with neon and xenon, 14 x 5 in.

Working with students on an individual basis, we will find personal expression through ideas, form, and color. We will explore a blend of artistic and scientific glass techniques to form glass pieces. The Penland flameworking shop has an excellent glass lathe that we will use to make shapes that can be part of larger sculptures. Projects will also include a casting/flameworking sample using COE 96 and making neon objects with borosilicate glass. We will also cover incorporating precious metal clay into your glass work. Bring lots of ideas. All levels. Code 03gb

Studio artist and scientific glassblower; teaching: Pilchuck (WA), UrbanGlass (NY), Snow Farm (MA), and in Sweden, Japan, Italy, and Ireland.

Kanik Chung, Chick Vase, handblown

glass, 8 x 5 x 5 in.

This is a class for people with no experience who would like to blow glass. Using the teamwork inherent in glassblowing, you will become a self-assured, creative glass worker while acquiring a foundation of knowledge that will benefit you whether you hope to become a hobbyist or a full-time glass artist. Bring ideas with you; a thoughtful introduction to the hot shop through drills, discussion, and constructive play will give you the skills you need to fulfill your dream of blowing glass. Beginning level. Code 04ga

Studio artist and director of the 70John Design Showroom (NYC); 10 years experience fabricating glass for artists and designers.

Carmen Lozar, Cloud Head,

flameworked glass, liquid,

10 x 9-1/2 x 5 in.

This class will focus on visual storytelling through the use of flameworked borosilicate glass. Students will work from personal narratives or established fables to create inspired sculptures. We will cover assembling pre-made components, sculpting with tubing, and incorporating mixed media. This class will place a strong emphasis on what we are making, not just how it is made. One year of flameworking experience required.
Code 04gb

Assistant professor at Illinois Wesleyan University; Corning Museum of Glass residency (NY); former studio coordinator at Pilchuck (WA); representation: Ken Saunders Gallery (Chicago), Foster/White Gallery (Seattle).

Jasen Johnsen & Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen

This intensive class will build on time-proven as well as innovative hot glass sculpting techniques. We will emphasize teamwork and focus on the use of the hot garage to construct with glass parts. We will cover torch work, customized tools, and experimental ways of drawing and creating texture with glass frits and powders. We will spend time on essential thought processes as students develop their own dialogue with glass using a newly acquired vocabulary. Three years of hot glass experience plus hard work, perseverance, and fun required. Code 05ga

Studio artists; Karen was a member of the William Morris team; Jasen was head studio technician at Pilchuck (WA) for 10 years.

Joseph Cavalieri, D & G, vitreous

enamel, layered stained, and flashed

glass, solder, 19 x 27 x 2 in.

Translate your style and vision onto glass by learning modern techniques of painting on layered stained glass. We will start with basic cutting and soldering and then move on to painting, airbrushing, and silkscreening on glass. After the glass is kiln-fired, it is layered to create a three-dimensional image. We will discuss inspiration, color theory, digital design, framing, lighting, and shortcuts. All levels. Code 05gb

Studio artist; teaching: UrbanGlass (NYC); exhibitions: SOFA Chicago, Museum of Arts and Design (NYC), Bond Street Gallery (NYC), Sydney College for the Arts (Australia); commission: Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYC); recent work recreates iconic images by R. Crumb as glass panels.

We will start by reviewing the basics: making, shaping, and decorating the bubble. Then we will add elements such as handles, feet, and wraps. We will discuss color, proportion, form, function, and technical issues—all within the framework of geometrical and classical forms. Students will make scale drawings and use calipers to make pieces from these drawings. Bring a sketchbook full of ideas, and we will go from there. Basic glassblowing skills required. Code 06ga

Sam: studio artist; exhibitions: Craft Alliance (St. Louis), Kathryn Markel Fine Arts (NYC), Smithsonian Craft Show (DC).
Kaeko: studio artist; exhibitions: Art & Air (St. Louis), Des Moines Arts Festival (IA), Craft Alliance (St. Louis).

Kaeko Maehata, Murrini Goblets, glass,

7 in. high

Sam Stang, Fractal Murrini Platter, blown

glass, 18 in. diameter

Susan Taylor Glasgow, Eve's Penance, fused

slumped, enameled, sewn glass, 14 x 10 x 10 in.

This class will cover a number of ways to put text and imagery onto and into glass. We will embed halftone photographs, make high-contrast silkscreens from photographs, make stencils for powders and enamels, and manipulate those materials to their full graphic potential. We will make decals and use simple stamps to create texture. We will explore different methods of image processing with an emphasis on digital manipulation plus methods of using a copier. Students will make a comprehensive set of small samples as well as a multi-panel project. Students should bring computers with Photoshop or PS Elements. All levels. Code 06gb

Studio artist; collections: Carnegie Museum (Pittsburgh), Chrysler Museum (VA), Museum of American Glass (NJ); representation: Heller Gallery (NYC).

Dan Mirer, Sunshine Bottles, blown glass, 9 x 8 x 8 in.

Experience mindful and efficient glassmaking. Feel the rhythm of production. Draw. Students will explore the connection between technique and design as they realize personal projects. This class will focus on plaster model/mold making and mold blowing of various types. We will also cover crack-off, bit work, the use of special tools, and teamwork. Bring ideas and objects to cast. Basic glassblowing skills required. Code 07ga

Studio artist; teaching: The Studio at Corning (NY); New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship; residencies: Corning Museum of Glass (NY), UrbanGlass (NYC).

Roger Parramore, That Night in Osaka series,

flameworked glass, tallest piece 50 in. high

This class is about the roots of technique. We will explore topics ranging from basic hand skills to the philosophical nature of heat. Students of all levels will be able to hone their skills as we work on ornaments, perfume bottles, complex vessel forms, and goblets. Come ready to absorb lots of information and share what you know. All levels. Code 07gb

Studio artist; teaching: Pilchuck (WA), Pratt Fine Art Center (Seattle), Canberra Glassworks (Australia), Niijima Glass School (Japan); Niche award; exhibitions: Asheville Art Museum (NC), Kentucky Museum of Craft + Design, Renwick Gallery (DC); collections: Imperial Household of Japan, Kobe Lampwork Museum (Japan), Renwick Gallery (DC).

Mary Barringer, Stacked Bowls, handbuilt

stoneware with multiple slips and glazes,

each bowl 7" diameter

This class is for makers who want to infuse their writing with the sense of process, discovery, and juice they experience in the studio. We will learn to more comfortably and playfully handle the “tools” of language and to become better readers and listeners as well as writers. The class will include short free-writing exercises, time to read and respond to one another’s writing, and work on a longer piece of writing—either a work in progress or one begun here. All levels. Code 07s.

Studio artist, writer, and editor of Studio Potter; ceramic work exhibited nationally; lecturer and writer on the history of ceramics; teaching: Anderson Ranch (CO), Haystack (ME), Peters Valley (NJ).