From Izumi glass studio
～Why not make your own original piece of Japanese glass art? Glass workshops
It will soon be summer vacation. When I was an elementary school student, there were many homework assignments during summer vacation, such as general research projects, growing plants, painting, and basic skill drills. Now, at my son's elementary school, aside from drills, he was required to submit one piece of his artwork. While I was working in the studio, my son became interested in glass and started to touch it. His continued inspiration resulted in the pieces you see in the photo attached to this newsletter.
My son’s motivation in my workshop sparked some thoughts of my own. I started thinking about the different Japanese glass art techniques I use, and there are several. The glass workshop at my studio primarily uses fusing and slumping techniques. For those that don’t know what fusing glass is, it’s the process of joining two pieces of glass using a kiln’s heat, and slumping is using the heat of the kiln and gravity to shape glass into a mold. Some people are concerned about children’s safety when working with glass and making Japanese glass art. However, I have several glass workshops experiences that included pre-school children accompanied by an adult guardian. Of course, adults are also welcome. When a person joins one of my workshops, they are allowed to choose from various colors and shapes then place it on a transparent glass plate. After the glass art pieces are fired at the studio, the finished pieces are shipped to the up and coming Japanese glass artists about one month later. The impression of the work changes before and after being baked in my kiln. The heat melts and unites the disparate pieces of glass to form a single shape. The workshops start out with many different conversations going on at once, but slowly as everyone becomes absorbed in the process, and many people become silent while creating their personal work of art. The conversations begin again as the works are finished, and I am very happy to hear the joyful voices return to the workshop. Often, I receive comments from customers after they’ve received their piece of Japanese glass art, and they say things like, "I get to enjoy it again,” and “I remember the time when I was making it.” The most popular items among adult women are original accessories, and many young men make plates. Small bowls and plates are popular among children because they are easy to make. My workshop is always open for those who want to make a commemorative piece, a handmade wedding gift, or a summer vacation piece of glass art. I’d be happy to talk to you about your inspiration, and I hope you will take advantage of this service.