An exciting workshop on glass casting. Angela Jarman's pieces are very inspiring and some of her work is on display in the V&A. After having experimented with glass casting on a very small (jewellery related) scale it is amazing to experience the process on a much larger scale. Just a few hours into the workshop it dawns on me that I am going to be hooked to this process. The range of possibilities and the precision and control over the material glass opens up a whole new pla

What an inspiration. Nora Fok speaks about her experience with nylon. It is lovely to delve into her design process. One of the objectives of the workshop is the dyeing of nylon thread. Great fun! I love the 3D printed pieces. This is going to be another path to try... #Fok #nylon #colour #3D #masterclass

The goldsmithing masterclass with Felix Urs Stuessi and Norbert Mack took place in the lovely city of Freiburg, Germany. We enjoyed a few days of techniques for making clasps and locking mechanisms. I would have loved to stay much longer! The studio is really spacious and really well-equipped. #Stuessi #Freiburg #goldsmith #studio #masterclass

So this will be the last day our our journey. We decide to spend most of it in Venice. Again, we are lucky to have another sunny but cold day. Our short boat trip takes us to the north of Venice and we do not have to search for long until we find the shop of Maestro Vittorio Constantini. He welcomes us into his studio and invites us to have a look at his fabulous collection of glass insects, fish, birds and other animals that he has created over the last years. After explai

Today we are going to visit Burano. The little island close to Venice that is known for lace-making and its picturesque colourful houses. We will not be dissapointed. Our trip starts at Murano's lighthouse, where colorful ducks of glass greet the travellers. Soon we approach Burano. The houses are really colorful... We stroll around and enjoy the wonderful weather. Though it is still freezing cold, the sun allows to take some nice pictures. One of the little shops special

The day starts with a look out of the window and onto the canal at Fondamenta Venier: Snow!! Unbelievable, but true. It is so cold that the surface of the canal freezes in some areas. This day is the last day of teaching in our schedule. It is packed full of techniques, demonstrations and practice. This has been a fantastic workshop! We have learned so much and the location can honestly not be topped by anything... ...and I was quite chuffed by one of my resulting pieces... #

Today we only stay in Lucio's Studio for the morning. In regards to the Carnavale that starts in Venice today, we witness the creation of a harlequin. ********** We finally head for the "bus" to Venice and spend a wonderful afternoon despite the terribly cold weather. This has been another fantastic day full of inspiration... #Colour #Bubacco #detail #carnavale #masterclass

This day starts with some practice on the men's torso. Lucio gives us some tricky bits to practice when he demonstrates a centaur. Especially the composition of the body and the correct posture of the legs prove to be a challenge. Inconceivable how detailed such a small statue can get. Just look at the bow and arrow! ********** We then take a brake and pay a visit to Pino Signoretti's workshop where we witness the creation of a beautiful piece of art. The sheer size of the gl

Our second day starts with some details that need to be practised in order to manage the larger pieces. We watch how legs can be made using different techniques. In addtition, we see how to achieve the correct proportions of a torso... ...and, of course, the human hand. (This piece was very interesting not just because of the perfect shape of the hand itself, but also due to the curlicue that finished it off.) We spent lunchtime in Carlo Dona's Workshop which proved to be

After showing the group around in his workshop, Lucio introduces us to the world of sculptural lampworking. What a great challenge. In a couple of mindblowing demonstrations Lucio Bubacco shows us how to control heat and how to use gravity in order to create his fantastic creatures. For lunch we are joined by the famous lampwork artist Vittorio Constantini and his wife. They spoil us with a delicious risotto! After lunch Vittorio demonstrates the creation of a little bird. Wo

Looking at some of my own beads it is easy to see that Kristina is a major inspiration for my work and I admire her style and attention to detail. It was a real pleasure to meet her in person in the Volkmann's studio in Hamburg. I was amazed to see how calm and concentrated Kristina works on every single detail. She draws a lot of energy and motivation from doing yoga. I love all the pieces she brought into the studio. The oblong beads will sometimes be ground and set into a

It was a real pleasure to meet Michael Barley at the Volkmann's studio in Hamburg. I was interested to see how he works with regular Effetre glass and achieves effects that one would normally associate with the use of silver glass. I love the soft transitions between the subtle colours. The slightly irregular oval is one of my favourite shapes. A lovely example of Michael's swirl beads with an abundance of colour. I like the depth. Michael's caterpillar bead. The striations a

A course I have been longing for: Complex murrini with japanese master Akihiro Ohkama. The work on the japanese lamp needs some getting used to. The flame shoots straight up instead of pointing away at a 45 degree angle. The use of Shitake glass complicates matters since it flows like water once it is hot. These are the butterflies we are supposed to produce. The murrini in the above image have been ground and polished. The master only incorporates polished murrini into his b