HOT GLASS @ Crystal Lotus Studios!

We offer introductory, intermediate and masters courses in hot glass blowing and hot glass casting, as well as kiln, furnace & glory hole (gas forge) construction. Each course takes place over three days and includes a "scrumdilyumptious" vegitarian lunch daily. Convenient accomodations on the premises are available for early bookings, and there are nearby B&B's.

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Autumn 2003 Winter 2004

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Studio Construction on a Shoestring Budget

Studio construction is a must for anyone interested in taking on any flame oriented art as a hobby or a profession. Be it blacksmithing, glass blowing, glass casting, ceramics, or warm glass(fusing and slumping), this workshop will cover all the basics in building an electric or gas fired furnace, kiln or forge construction.

In the three days we will build one forge or furnace using gas firing, and one electric oven or kiln. We will also discuss the materials, safety, and applications of constructing such equipment.

This course is ideal for any level of knowledge in the flame arts and recommended even if you purchase such equipment rather than buy it, as you will learn techniques that can save you money in repairs or rebuilds.

3-day furnace building workshop..............................£220.00stg

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Introduction to Hot Glass

The course you should take if you want a taste of what hot glass is all about!

This course will cover all of the basics of what you can do with hot glass: from blowing to sculpting to hot glass casting.

After the three days you will go home with arm-loads of finished work, all having given you an insight into the molten goo! From sculpted glass flowers & blown cups to cast glass hands, faces and feet, and culminating in group blowing sessions allowing you to make your choice of works from a library of inspirations form other artists.

3-day hot glass intro course.............................................£185stg

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A Creative Adventure January 21st-24th..... A class by Elizabeth Swinburne

This class is about exploring your dreams and your ideas in glass. Through a series of games, exercises and conversations the class will endeavour to make some beautiful objects that communicate without words. The class is not specifically about learning a ‘technical process’ but will be based predominantly in the hot shop. It is not about learning to be a ‘better’ glassblower but more about being a more expressive artist. Although previous experience in glass is helpful it is not required.
Students will be asked to bring: some ideas - preferably drawings,something (an object) that is ‘special’ to you, your imaginations, your humour, and your joy of life!
Elizabeth will bring her time, talent, energy, patience, inspiration, knowledge, laughter, and sweet self!

British born Elizabeth Swinburne has been the co-ordinator for the glass department at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, the Senior Tutor for Glass at the Royal College of Art in London, The appointed artistic Director of Northlands Creative glass, the Senior Lecturer of the Glass Department at the Unversity of Wolverhampton, and the Head of Glass at Staffordshire University.

Very recently Elizabeth has juried the first major exhibition of contemporary Irish glass, and has held solo exhibitions throughout Europe. Elizabeth’s work can be found in collections in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Musée du Verre, Sars Poteries, France, the Museum of Applied Arts, Prague, Czech Republic, the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Japan, and other reknowned collections around the world.

Elizabeth will draw from her wealth of experience through having worked with mumerous artists and many years of guiding others as a tutor and lecturer that Elizabeth will draw from to create a lively and inspring workshop.

5-day Master's course.......................................£420stg

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Studio Construction on a Shoestring Budget

Studio construction is a must for anyone interested in taking on any flame oriented art as a hobby or a profession. Be it blacksmithing, glass blowing, glass casting, ceramics, or warm glass(fusing and slumping), this workshop will cover all the basics in building an electric or gas fired furnace, kiln or forge construction.

In the three days we will build one forge or furnace using gas firing, and one electric oven or kiln. We will also discuss the materials, safety, and applications of constructing such equipment.

This course is ideal for any level of knowledge in the flame arts and recommended even if you purchase such equipment rather than buy it, as you will learn techniques that can save you money in repairs or rebuilds.

3-day furnace building workshop..............................£220.00stg

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Richard Meitner Master's Course- May 19th-23rd

The workshop will consider the reasons why we make glass and how we arrive at the best possible expression of our own private visions.
How do we create?
Each of us has very different concerns and methods, quirks and care-and-use instructions. So how do we get the best out of ourselves. This presumes that we first figure out WHAT it is that we want to do! It will be obvious that concentration on this issue, precludes spending our days blowing glass...it is either one or the other.
Assignments geared at answering our deepest probing questions about what it is we might have to say, and how we can best set about finding the right way to manifest these statements in glass, will be undertaken, involving use of the material, location and facilities. But owing to the limitations of the course duration, please do NOT expect to create your Magnum Opus at the furnace during this session. If you walk away knowing what you SHOULD be doing, you will walk away RICH.

Please join us for this fascinating and profitable experience.!

American born Richard Meitner lives and works in Amsterdam. He has shown his work proficiently around the world and has his pieces in over 40 public collections. As well as teaching in the Gerrit Reidveld Academie in Amsterdam for 19 years, he has taught in workshops throughout the USA, Europe and Japan.
It is Meitner’s spirit that allows him to approach glass with an unconventional eye. An intellect in his own right, Meitner’s work is layered with a variety of influences and ideas. Over the course of his career, his use of glass has been so multifaceted that one might not believe the same artist created them all. Series have varied with influences from Japanese and Italian artwork to that of science, animals, age and decay. that is blown with a “lamp” Meitner takes advantage of the pliable aspects of this glass, covering the clear surfaces with materials such as rust, enamel, bronze, tile, paint and print; as well as incorporating dyed water and fish.

5-day Master's course.......................................£420stg

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Private courses in all aspects of Hot Glass and studio construction-by appointment

Private Courses in all aspects of contemporary glass and studio construction.

Rates on request

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Intro casting glass