XTRA FACTOR BRANDS: Smelt Glass Studio Opening

Custom made art and design pieces

THE ART OF GLASS BLOWING

I attended the Smelt Glass opening and watched the very talented team of artists melting glass in a furnace and shaping it in their hand using water soaked newspaper as well as blowing through a metal pipe to give the glass pieces their unique shape! Thereafter the newly formed glass ware was left in the oven to set for a final twenty-four hours.

artists Mike and martli gave an overview of the process at hand

While apprentice artists Thabiso and Sabelo showed their skill in the design of a blue vase. Thereafter Bongani an experienced glass blower who will be attending a two week workshop in Turkey in September this year shared his skill in producing an orange glass platter art piece. The audience sat intrigued by the display of craftsmanship. It can take ten years of training, study and practice to master the skill of a glass blower.

ARE YOU UP INTERESTED IN A glass blowing experience

It is recommended that interested parties start with a glass blowing experience where they are assisted to make a paper weight and / or wire mold piece. After this introductory phase one can enroll for a group workshop, followed by a more intense 10 level training program.

find the artist in you - group workshops offered

Group workshops will run on Saturday afternoons. The first will include an introduction to glass blowing and participants will design and sand-cast a piece with the assistance of Smelt’s glass blowers. The second group workshop experience will give participants the opportunity to design and make a more complex paper weight.

10 level individual training program

Each level consists of four weekly 2 hour slots, one a week over a month. Participation in two group workshops is a prerequisite for enrolling for the individual training program. Each level builds on the skills learnt in the previous level.