| By Christine Melnyczenko
Looking for a way to take the chill out of a frosty autumn evening? This fall, the Banana Factory is presenting a variety of exciting flameworking classes and workshops that are sure to warm up your artistic side.
Offerings range from a flameworking introduction course to new classes that explore the exciting art form in more depth such as “Flameworking Studio-Under the Sea” and “Flameworking Studio-Flameworked Vessels.”
There are also several weekend workshops covering flameworking fundamentals, marble making, jewelry beadmaking and lampworking using cane. All courses and workshops are taught by professional glass artists in the state-of-the-art GlassWorks flameworking studio.
Flameworking is the art of making beautiful glass art using specially designed torches. Each flameworking course at the Banana Factory is structured to help students gain a better understanding of this sometimes overlooked art form, while promoting creativity and fun. Artist and flameworking instructor Terri Seitz stresses flameworking fundaments in the courses she teaches with her husband, flameworking and glassblowing artist Greg Seitz.
“We want the students to get as much time as possible using the torch and practicing hands-on,” she says. “It can be difficult for some people to pick up on, and you have to have a feel for how the glass moves, but we’re hoping to make it basic enough in the beginning that anyone can feel comfortable.” |
Flameworking in the GlassWorks studio
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Flameworking artists sometimes work on a very small scale, such as in beadmaking. GlassWorks Studio Manager John Choi, who does both glassblowing and flameworking, raves about the artistic challenges and creativity involved with the art form.
“Flameworking is great for people who are detail-oriented and who are very patient,” he says. “It’s very different from glassblowing. You can spend as long as you want on a flameworked piece and keep coming back to it.”
Like many mediums, flameworking dates back thousands of years. Even before the first lamp or burner was invented, people used the flames of a fire to create and manipulate glass. Flameworking first became widely practiced in the 14th century in Murano, Italy, but it was not recognized as a serious art form until the late 1960s.
The craft has certainly evolved since ancient times. Today, artists use gas-burning torches to melt and shape the glass - usually either soda-lime, also known as soft glass, or borosilicate, known as hard glass. Even with the use of a torch, Seitz says that the craft is not dangerous.
“Flameworking has its minor safety hazards but we emphasize correct procedures and safety in class,” she says.
One of the most fascinating and rewarding aspects of flameworking is starting with a piece of raw material and crafting it into a beautiful vase, delicate drinking glass or other fabulous work of art.
“I think it’s so cool to just watch something change completely,” Seitz says. “The glass is clean and then it can change in so many ways.”
If playing with glass and flames spark your interest, a course in flameworking may be just right for you. As Choi says, “It’s exciting! It’s fun! And you get to use fire.”
About the Author:
Christine Melnyczenko is a marketing intern with ArtsQuest. She recently graduated from Rowan University with a bachelor's degree in communications and is pursuing a degree in eco-tourism at Warren County Community College. |
