| Art glass are basically items produced where glass | | | | By choosing certain colours and tones some |
| is used as a purely artistic medium, to produce | | | | beautiful pieces can be made. |
| three dimensional works and sculptures. | | | | 3. Beadmaking |
| The versatility of modern art glass is now vast | | | | The making of glass beads dates back thousands |
| and some of the effects which can be achieved | | | | of years, at least back to the Egyptians.There are |
| are stunning. Objects made from this medium | | | | three types: |
| range in price from a few hundred pounds | | | | Wound beads: This technique involves winding |
| (dollars) to several thousand. Many items are now | | | | molten glass around a steel mandrel,shaping it into |
| mass produced too be big companies, so owning | | | | a bead shape. Once the desired shape and cool |
| art glass is really open to everyone. | | | | the bead can be slid off. |
| Some of the techniques used in creating these | | | | Drawn beads: This involves stretching some |
| creative objects are: Fusing, Glass blowing, | | | | molten glass within which an air bubble has been |
| beadmaking and lampwork. | | | | placed. As it stretches so does the bubble |
| We shall go through each method and describe | | | | creating a form of hollow tube. Once cooled this |
| what the technique involoves and what effects | | | | tube can be cut into individual pieces or beads. |
| can be produced using it | | | | Molded beads: As the name implies these are |
| 1. Fusing | | | | created by pressing the molten material into pre |
| This is where individual quantites of glass and silica | | | | formed templates. Often some sort of aparatus |
| are fired in a kiln to very high temperatures, the | | | | is then used to punch a hole in the material before |
| effect is to melt the substance until the seperate | | | | it cools |
| pieces become permanently bonded to each | | | | 4. Lampwork |
| other creating one solid object where previously | | | | This is a type of work where a gas fueled torch |
| there were several.By stacking thin sheets of | | | | or lamp is used to melt tubes and rods of clear |
| diffent colours a whole range of beautiful color | | | | and coloured glass.Whilst still in a molten shape, it |
| mixes can be created. Some of the objects | | | | can then be manipulated by shaping and blowing |
| created this way include jewellery, tiles, bowls and | | | | with various hand tools. The lampwork method |
| dishes | | | | became popular in the creation of paperweights in |
| 2. Glass Blowing | | | | France in the Mid 19th Centuary. |
| This involves inflating a semi molten bubble of | | | | 5. Stained Glass Mosaic |
| glass on the end of a blowpipe. By blowing into it, | | | | This involves adhering stained glass mosaic pieces |
| rotating and swinging the molten material | | | | onto clear glass using a clear drying glue. In doing |
| consistently, a skilled person can create objects | | | | this, light can still pass through the glass allowing |
| such as vases, drinking utensils and all manner of | | | | for a range of colorful light and color effects. |
| decorative items. The real artistry comes where | | | | Many of these items are still very collectable |
| special effects are incorporated into the object | | | | today and it seems likely that high quality glass art |
| such as bubbles, textures and mixtures of | | | | items of one sort or another, will remain highly |
| differently colored glass or This is done by using | | | | sought after well into the future. |
| 'cane' which are premade rods of coloured glass. | | | | |