This post is about the week-long class I took in Corning. Should it be broken up into 7 different posts? Probably. Is it? No. Do you have to read all of it? Also probably not. Will you want to? Maybe. I wouldn't suggest you try to read it all at once though, it took me a week to live through, and many days to write.
note: all links open to a new tab
-o- (look, I made a bead)
I'm back, bitches!
Lol, jk. I mean, I was never gone, I've just been "blogging" on Instagram and sometimes on Facebook, too. But this deserves a blog post, that I want to turn into a reel later.
I started lampworking in 2010. Really? Do we need to go that far back? I mean, no, but, how else do I introduce Kristina Logan?
Before I realized I was going to start lampworking (lmao, just hear me out) I went down a rabbit hole (now I know those are called hyperfixations, and hi! I’ve recently been diagnosed with ADHD, it’s fun to try to write the thoughts in my head) and I watched hours of YouTube videos, and discovered Lampwork Etc, the forum where almost all of the lampworking questions I’ve ever had have been answered. I’m still on there occasionally. At some point, back then, I read about an artist called Kristina Logan who was an expert at making beads with dots. Then in 2016 I was in Murano taking a quick class with Davide Penso, and I remember he said “you need more control, and you like dots, you should take a class with the Dot Queen” and I knew who he was talking about. Two years later I opened my Instagram account and I remember at some point I followed Kristina Logan.
Ever since, every time she posts about a class, I think “oh how amazing would that be” … for years. Finally last October-ish she posted about her January class and I noticed the dates and it was on my birthday, and I swooned. I looked at the class information and realized actually it wasn’t prohibitively expensive… and it was on my birthday. Days passed, and she posted about what she was knitting, and I was like –FINE, I MUST MEET THIS WOMAN.
This post is not just about her class, but about the whole experience of visiting Corning for the first time.
Let's go!
The weather was going to be a whole thing, and The Studio at The Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG) started emailing us weeks in advance, to get us all to be in contact with each other for carpooling, since a snowstorm was predicted. As time grew nearer I realized it was a real issue, and would have to make my drive into town immediately after my midnight MIA-SYR flight in order to beat the snow. It was scary but I made it to Corning on Sunday January 25th, at 3:30AM. And went promptly to bed.
The view from my hotel room. If you know me, you know I'm not into sunrises.
And yes, I was very interested in all of the tracks I got to see on the snow.
I got to see the sunrise every day, because sunrise was at like 7:30, and classes started at 9.
My first day in Corning was a snow day, which was actually really cool, because we spent all day hanging out and getting to know each other.
Chadwick and Gwendolyn (not pictured) were in an incredible Weston Lambert class where they would make sculptures joining rocks and glass and polishing through coldworking,
Vicky and Shira (also not pictured) were in Jim Scheller's slumping class where they cut glass sheets into smaller tile, and later would arrange the tile in different combinations to melt into beautiful designs,
Trish and Charles were in Ross Delano's hotshop class making sculptural blown glass with one of the most interesting and fun teachers,
and Linda, Mary Ellen, and I, were in the beadmaking class with Kristina Logan.
We all honestly had such a lovely time bonding and sharing about our different lives and giving each other context, I think it would make us a very special group to spend the week together.
-o-
On Monday, the program began.
I honestly wish I had taken more and better photos of the space in general, but also I will never forget this place. It was incredible. And also, I think I'll return.
The Studio prepared a welcome presentation and there were about 50 of us there, and they explained the general mission and rules of The Studio, and told us "visitors should always watch the classes safely from the classroom windows" "but you are not visitors, you are students". So we would get to experience ALL of The Studio, and I think having bonded on Sunday made it especially cool because we all welcomed each other into our classrooms and showed each other what we were learning and making and introduced each other to our classmates, and it was honestly a dream I didn't even know I had. Like being back in the art building in college, but as an adultier adult, and every class is glass. I, need to go back. 10 times a year. Can I maybe move to Corning? Oh, my goodness.
I'll tell you this story pretty chronologically, so you'll see photos I took of miscellaneous artwork in the building, as well as photos of my friends and their classrooms, kind of randomly sprinkled throughout, as I tell you about my week and my class. And I'll do an asterisk though I'm not sure it's necessary...*
This is what my work station looked like on my first day, lol. I didn't take great photos of the space, you'll kind of see it throughout the other photos, though.
And OH so close to an itty bitty flame. I loved this idea because I can certainly achieve an itty bitty flame at home.
Over the course of the week, we would watch, in awe, how she got into the tiniest spaces and most challenging angles, and make miniature dots without the use of stringer, just super pointy regular glass rods.
*These "rotten fruit" are glass. They were in a display case right next to the cafeteria where we had lunch every day, and there were so many incredible things in that display case but I can't lie, I would always look at these peppers bc I can almost feel their disgusting texture just by looking at them. Thank you Suzuki Sayaka, whoever you are.
As we were in class, these things were just happening outside.
I took a video of this hallway later, which was right outside our class and connects with all of the hotshops, so that they can conveniently come here to "pull cane", and I cannot begin to tell you how delicious that wood burning smell is. You know cane as murrini, if you've EVER read my blog.
Fool-proof summary: it begins as a blob that you create kind of like how a sushi is built, and then you heat it and stretch and when you cut it up you can see the image created inside. Or just click the link. Or just keep reading...
But the following is back to the beadmaking class!
I cannot even with this sweet woman's face. I love her so much.
She taught us the "raking" technique to turn the dots into hearts. This was one of the most amazing things to me, because I thought I knew how to do it, and I did, but
1) I was doing it with the wrong tool, and
2) I had no idea that I could actually be in control. This is always one of the biggest lessons for me whenever I meet a professional artist—as opposed to me, a savage.
First, she made the most incredible bead.
She doesn't have a YouTube tutorial for the specific heart bead, but she picks at the glass in this video.
I was already sad that one day had fully elapsed but so grateful and excited for five more days. Pictured: I had studio shoes and outdoor boots, because I couldn't wear airy sneakers in the -15ºC(5ºF) ice, but I also didn't need to be in stiff boots all day. I hadn't put my outer layers back on yet, I stuffed them into this super cute bag my friend Orly gave me for Christmas and kept it in an open locker every day. (They provide locks, and I'm worldly, but the environment felt so safe it felt ridiculous to rent a lock)
The Studio bead kiln, ft. 8 mandrels sticking out on my side, and more than 2x on my kiln-mate Jerell's side.
I guess our class got out before all the other ones because then I got to walk around the building and see EVERYTHING else happening...
*My friend Vicky in the gray sweater, gazing in wonder at Jim Scheller's incredible bowl. Note in the background on the screen: an example of another bowl, seen finished from two angles, and seen on the left flat as the pieces were still being arranged before slumping. In the black container on the table, you can see the little glass chips which are used for this technique, and behind it, a cookie cutter-looking thing to hold them while arranging them. Here is a closer look at the presentation looping on the TV:
I passed the same hallways over and over each day and every time, I'd see something incredible I hadn't seen the previous time I'd passed... and sometimes I'd snap a quick photo to save the memory and the artist's name. This piece features a lot of "cane" which looks like... candy cane.
Flameworked, class collaboration.
Dan Coyle & Rocko Belloso
Flameworked
Flameworked
This hotshop is adjacent to our classroom. This is Ross Delano's class. You'll see him in the following pictures with a beard and the unicorn tshirt. These guys also supposedly get out at 4PM, but I don't know that they ever had dinner, and they would return to the hotel near midnight every night.
And this is my friend Charles flashing his gather into the glory hole.
OH AND YOU KNOW WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THE HOT SHOPS?!??!?! They just had this open flame going at all times, to light their torches with. Easily, whenever they want. In our flameworking classroom, it's a whole song and dance that I'm definitely not bitter about, José, every time we had to light our torches.
Of course I was inspired by a ton of things and these were in the gift shop. don't we love these?!
That's Kristina's necklace on the far right!!! How often do you get to be with the artist in a MUSEUM?! (never)
I stole this photo from José, bc why would I attempt to photograph something in a museum, rofl. Here's the official photo.
I actually got pretty tired and didn't take many photos in the museum that night. And I do believe I crashed from exhaustion when I finally went to bed.
-o-
Tuesday.
On Tuesday morning, I made some content for my Instagram, which, honestly, just go look at it over there, or write me if you don't have Instagram, and I can share the videos with you.
During our lunch hour, they made a quick tour and presentation of the Rakow Research Library, where they explained what they have available and how to access it, as well as a small sample presentation of rare and very old objects they have.
When you take a class at The Studio, it includes a one year membership to the museum and library. And the library resources are insane, and they are online, and they are available internationally. And in fact, I'll just quote their email that they sent me when I wrote them to ask them for help getting a link for this post: "Just so you are aware, our library services and materials are available for everyone, so you can ask us questions, borrow books through interlibrary loan, or come to Corning to use the library in person no matter if or when you took a class. The things that are only available if you are here in person are using our subscription databases because of licensing reasons and using rare books and special collections because we can't loan them to other libraries through interlibrary loan."
Back in class, Kristina taught us how to encase colors. Finally. I had no idea how to do this, I thought you just melted one color on top of the other and didn't realize the skills and tools necessary to achieve this because of course I got bubbles, weird shapes... wasn't properly controlling the heat of the inside and the outside layers... just. It's crazy the things we don't realize we need taught to us.
In another basic lesson, she had us just practice making the initial wrap. 40 times. No fixing, just make it over and over.
I forgot to take a photo of mine on the mandrels so my new friend Leah let me take a photo of hers, and then the beads on the right photo are the beads I made. I didn't count them.
I didn't take photos of every single demonstration so I am really glad to have these, because spoiler alert, I got to keep this bead! And it is, INCREDIBLE.
And melt.
And you don't have to marver it, you just threaten it with the marver.
Ok sometimes you do have to marver it.
*Our super cool TA helped me figure out striking colors... because my brain just wasn't understanding "cool it, heat it". Sounds simple, but try to get me to understand that. He did. And it was super funny because he took the mandrel I prepared for a stud earring and just made an itty bitty bead on it! So cute lmao. Thank you Jordan. Jordan, is super cool.
(those are two separate links, bc I find Etsy links don't last forever)
Here are some photos I took of Jordan, bc I love him. :) I didn't post these to Instagram because I was saving them to put them all together there and do a thing about him but then I still haven't done it. I know I will though. ADHD. Patience.
On Tuesday night, there were the teacher presentations, which were super entertaining.
They are all incredible artists, and getting to meet and learn about incredibly talented and professional artists is just, everything to me.
They're all linked at the top of the blog and I really can't sit here and do links all my life, thanks for your patience.
Oh, and Ross Delano is, a freak. And I'm here for it. I don't know that I will ever take his classes because I don't believe I will do large-scale blown glass in this lifetime, but I can't describe the feeling of being in his presence. Hilarity? Respect? yes...
He's had an incredible hot air balloon life (literally) which includes randomly living in the Amazon, and we spoke in Spanish, and, um, he told me he had had a hard time with his last name, and I hadn't even thought of that. I won't explain further.
Oh and I just realized that is an Instagram screenshot, so I just found it, and you can see this photo here. If that link is broken, he changed his Instagram handle again, ugh.
Important information.
Weston Lambert's presentation was also super engaging and he's such a pleasant and friendly guy. Just look at his face.
His work explores the juxtaposition of beautiful rocks with manmade glass... Incredible.
Kristina's presentation was of course, as inspiring as being in her class. She talked about growing up in a family of artists, and how her art has evolved over time. I loved these photos showing the work she's done inspired by her travels, and nature.
One of my passions in life, is sitting behind tall people.
-o-
Wednesday.
Here are two photos of the beads I made on the first two days. In the order that I made them.
As a reminder, Monday was dots and raking, and Tuesday was encasing.
More on the class:
Then she started taking out her more recent work...
I didn't have a banana for scale, so here is my XS hand next to these giant beads, which are available for sale, with sterling silver coring, for $350. In case anyone wanted to get them for me for my birthday...
Then she did the demonstration for "four beads at a time". Which was one of my favorite things, because she draws it on the board and the explanation includes what she's thinking about as she is making the beads, I don't believe any other demonstration has this.
And this is one of the techniques that she has a video for on YouTube. And the end of the video shows her juggling, lol! But I do have to say, seeing this in real life, with the explanation on the board, was so much better than the video, as good as the video was.
Somehow, I also got to keep one of these beads. I found it, and went around and around looking for the owner, and nobody claimed it, so I have it. If you're reading this and realize it is yours, contact me, and I will send it to you.
This photo also doesn't look like much, but making a tube like this was also something that I had taught myself, and not particularly badly, but she also taught us a better way.
And I got a picture of her getting a picture of her bead, and then José getting a picture of her getting a picture of her bead. Great times were had with new friends lol
During our studio time, I asked her about one of my encased beads that had cracked, and she asked me if I knew how to do a compatibility test, and I said I did... Which, wasn't a lie because I thought I did. But then she showed me how to really do one. You need two pieces of the exact amount of glass of both kinds, to squish together really perfectly and evenly, and then pull apart without twisting at all, for over two feet.
She said experts actually measure this curve to grade incompatibility. In this case, I learned that they are not completely incompatible, and I can use the outside color for the outside of the bead, but not for the inside, as it expands more than the other color, which is what caused my inside-out bead to break.
-o-
I think it was on Thursday, that my depression began, when I realized we were halfway through the week. We got the nice hotel lady to take this photo of us on our way to class.
Me, Vicky, Shira, and Gwendolyn.
I already linked that demonstration, but here is that link again, in case you didn't click on it. ;)
At lunch that day, we were taken to the museum again, for a tour specifically about beads, but I took this photo of these Blaschka mushrooms (not beads) because they were so teeny tiny and incredible and I wanted to make sure Kristina saw them.
Back in class, Kristina demonstrated making teeny tiny encased stringers, and applying them. The most remarkable part about it for me, was of course the explanation about where to work them in the flame.
It's not so much about melting them, but about getting them warm enough where they stick to the bead and start bending...
We got to go to the headquarters of Corning Inc., which is not to be confused with the Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG), or the town of Corning, New York. They are the company that used to make Corningware, which you're likely to be familiar with and even own some plates; they no longer make those but they make the Gorilla glass which is on the screen of your phone, and the optical fiber that has your internet working, as well as super important lenses that are used for studying the universe, etc... they're kind of a huge deal. And they have very impressive glass artwork within the mazes of offices at their headquarters, by super important glass artists of which you might only have heard of Chihuly. Well, I don't know who this blog post will reach.
I stole this image as screenshot from the page of the designers who made the building. This is Chihuly's piece as we saw it in the Corning headquarters. It's on water.
But because I wasn't allowed to take photos, I'm linking similar pieces to the ones I saw to the name of each artist featured. I managed to find the list of names of the artists online:
-o-
Friday.
My beads from the previous day
Photos of Kristina's bead from the previous day. Which are stills from a video where Tracy and I are laughing at how perfect this bead is.
Kristina demonstrated making a bead on a ring mandrel. And this picture is awful because I took it with my iPhone. So don't zoom in too much.
During lunch we got to go to a photography presentation where we were taught really incredible tips for photographing glass, specifically. I can't wait to improve my product photos!
Then at one point, it was my turn for photos of my work in the photography room. I didn't feel like I had much to show for myself, so I didn't waste too much of their time. Also, I kind of plan to like POLISH all of my beadholes from now on, so I felt like none of my work was quite finished at the time.
I love that my beads appear to be floating
It was cool to see their lighting setup, but clearly there are issues with focal length here...
Some people, like José, took very good notes as I was only taking names, I mean, photos.
By now, Chadwick and Tracy had finally met... if only Tracy hadn't slept on joining our WhatsApp group before getting to Corning, lmao.
And just like that... our trip was almost over.
Chadwick sent us this cute selfie with his finished rock sculpture.
And I finally finished knitting my sweater that I started two years earlier.
-o-
Sunday, was my birthday. And our last day.
My beads from the previous day. I made a bunch of beads in amber because on the next week, we would stay at my aunt Ambar's house for a visit, and I would give her those beads.
Linda, one of my favorite people that I met, did a demonstration on her snail shell beads, of which she gave me one for my birthday. From left to right: Kristina, José, Linda, Mandy, Tracy, and Jordan.
Shira walked by and just how my friends had all invited me into their classrooms, I invited her into ours and insisted she learn how to make a bead, which she did, and it blew her mind. She said she had never even wondered how glass beads were made. She couldn't believe how hard it was. That made me really happy.
The bead release cracked and started to stick to the bead, so I told her she had to stop, or we would not be able to save the bead because it would stick to the mandrel, which was disappointing of course.
Then we had lunch and took some group pictures.
Jordan, José, Leah, Jerell, Jodi, Tracy, Mary Ellen, Amy, me, Kristina, and Linda.
Kristina prepared a plate with little bunches of paper towel and instructed us to each pick one at random, without feeling around. And they were the demonstration beads, which is why she had taken such great care to make more than 11 demonstrations.
This is the bead I got, and I have been wearing it a lot, on this chain.
José, Tracy, Jodi, Linda, Kristina, Jordan, Leah, Jerell, Amy, me, Mandy, and Mary Ellen.
And Jodi got us cupcakes, and I showed them the weird thing we do in my family.
After lunch, Kristina came over to make me a birthday bead!!!!!!!!!!
She asked what I wanted and I said MAKE WHATEVER YOU WANNNNTTTT lol
And that day ended very very quickly. Most people left before 3PM. Octo arrived around 4:30 and there was almost nobody left. We had dinner with a handful of people and didn't take photos.
-o-
On Sunday, we were allowed only to come into the building and grab our work.
I found my beads in a cup that Jordan made for me. :)
Sorry about these photos.
And this is Kristina's bead that she made me for my birthday.
And she was gone so I got to clean her bead as well as mine. No pressure.
Here I am showing my "sweater bead" with my sweater. This is probably one of my favorite things I made. Those perfect wraps are one of the hardest things I've managed. Here's Kristina's YouTube tutorial on concentric rings.
And Tracy also surprised me with a bead that she made for my birthday.
Everyone who has seen it has remarked about how special it is.
I loved these trees, by Katherine Gray
This lamp was also one of our favorite things, and I think it's the museum's too, as it's currently all over its home page.
After having Jordan explain to us how mushrooms are made, this becomes infinitely more impressive.
Guys, I need to be told to stop, because now I want to get into coldworking too.
This work is for sale at the giftshop, and is made by one of the artists who we got to meet and was teaching a class about cane that week. Chris Giordano. I don't think I actually got to meet any of his students.
I snapped this photo on our way out as the museum was closing and Octo was practically pulling me by the arm, I was very close to buying one of them. I might go back for you, frog.
Octo and I continued our trip to Niagara falls, then to visit my best friend Mari in NYC, and then my aunt and my grandma, in Jacksonville. I cannot possibly make this blog post any longer. Thank you so much for your time.
