Watch as Heat & Gravity Transform Glass Rods into Objects!

The Flamework Studio features the art of making glass objects from colorful glass rods over a torch flame. Once limited to scientific glass, the technique is now emerging as an accessible glass process. It is adaptable to a limited number of education programs for students and adults throughout the year. 

The Creative Process of Flamework
Flameworking involves working with glass over a concentrated flame and typically results in smaller-scale glass works like beads, marbles, and small sculptures. However, flameworking is also used extensively in the scientific world for glass instruments, tools, and devices like test tubes and more complicated lab equipment. Flameworkers hold either solid rods and cane or small hollow tubes over the concentrated flame to heat specific areas enough to join pieces or sculpt them. Other than the glass, torch, and a large set of tweezers, not many different hand tools are necessary. However, many artists have added tools to add them with their techniques.

Each artists’ process varies, but all agree that trial and error is part of the process. As in many artistic endeavors, the challenges in flameworking come from both the technical aspect of working with glass and heat, and the realization of visions and goals in the medium. Each of our resident flameworkers gain inspiration from different sources—from real-life observation, experiments, and even from visitors who ask questions and make comments about what they see.