Tag: flameworking

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Kimberly Thomas’s Flamework Combines Realism and Fantasy

Meet Kimberly Thomas, Penland Resident Artist.

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Hey! I’m Kimberly Thomas. I’ve just started my residency at Penland!

Over the next 3 years I plan to invent new contraptions, stack miniature piles of trash, and create on an entirely different scale. Swing by The Barns to see me and my work in person or check in on IG for updates on what’s happening in the studio!

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Applications for the Penland Resident Artist program are open through July 2.

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Please enjoy a selection of Kimberly’s finished works:

Cloud Riding Contraption #3, flameworked borosilicate glass, steel, wood, mixed media, 2022

Cloud Riding Contraption #3, detail

The Grassy Knoll, flameworked borosilicate glass, steel, wood, grout, mixed media, 2022

The Grassy Knoll, detail

The Deeper You Go, The Darker it Gets, flameworked borosilicate glass, steel, wood, grout, mixed media, 2023

The Deeper You Go, The Darker it Gets, detail

Maiden Voyage, flameworked borosilicate glass, steel, wood, grout, mixed media, 2023

Maiden Voyage, detail

No Fishing, flameworked borosilicate glass, wood, grout, mixed media, 2022

No Fishing, detail

Regulatory, Warning, and Guide Signs, flameworked borosilicate glass, steel, wood, grout, mixed media, 2022

Regulatory, Warning, and Guide Signs, detail

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Discover more of Kim’s work HERE.

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New Neon Setup


Flux capacitor? Nope! This is a processing manifold for working with neon and making plasma.

Teaching “Plasma, Neon, and Beyond” in the Penland glass studio this past week, Wayne Strattman and David Wilson put this new, permanent Penland equipment to excellent use.

Student Kerik Kouklis made some awesome drumsticks!

The manifold was made to spec for this class and future Penland classes by Morgan Crook and studio coordinator Nick Fruin over a period of several years. It’s got valves, gases, gauges, and a kiln for baking out any moisture before glass tubes are evacuated and then filled with inert gasses (neon, argon, xenon, and krypton) that make them glow so beautifully when in their plasma state.

With this sweet setup, you can expect neon classes at Penland for years to come.

David and Wayne have taught at Penland countless times and have been instrumental in growing our neon program. Indeed, David was the studio assistant for Penland’s very first neon workshop in 1993 with Jacob Fishman!

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Coming Right Up: Glass

two students at the torch in the Penland flame studio

For those who are new to it, glass is one of the most mysterious and mesmerizing materials we work with at Penland. It’s always thrilling to introduce students to our glass studios and help them transform glass from something rigid and fragile into a material that’s flexible and open to a world of possibilities. And the good news is that the learning just keeps going—there’s always something new to pick up and explore, even for experienced glass artists!

This spring, students in our studios will have the opportunity to approach glass from two different vantages. In the hot shop, glass is fluid and fast, a full-body team effort. Next door in the flame studio, glass is layered, additive, zoomed in. Whichever angle you take, and whether it’s for one week or eight, a Penland glass workshop is a chance to dive in head first and push yourself with new ideas and techniques alongside a studio full of like-minded peers.

Registration for both of the following workshops is open now for students of all levels, including beginners. Sign up today!

two glass sculptures by Ben Elliott
Ben Elliott, “Bandwagon” (left) and “Stitch” (right), both flameworked glass with mixed-media

Ebb & Flow with Ben Elliott
One week – March 22-28, 2020
Join glass artist and instructor Ben Elliott in the flame studio for a week of building stories with borosilicate glass. Students will spend time at the torch learning and refining techniques like creating solid and hollow forms, applying color, using blow molds, and assembling pieces. Together with a class emphasis on narrative and imagery, these techniques will become the building blocks for creating pieces that speak with your own artistic voice. Come see just how much inspiration a single week can spark!

glass sculpture and wine glasses by Dan Mirer
Dan Mirer, “Bubble Orb” (left) and “Burgundies” right, blown glass

Intentions & Inventions with Dan Mirer
Eight weeks – March 8 – May 1, 2020
Go deep with thoughtful design during eight weeks of intensive glass work in the hot shop. Instructor Dan Mirer will use his expertise to guide students in creating considered, refined objects. The workshop will encourage a curious, problem-solving mindset as students blow glass and create a variety of molds to bring their designs to life. Students will also be encouraged to bring cold working, kiln forming, and flame working into their processes. Both beginners and experienced glass artists will discover challenges and possibilities that stretch their work in new directions.

We still have one partial scholarship available for Dan’s workshop!