Flamework Glass Beadmaking

Flamework Glass Beadmaking  ~  with Harlan Simon

This class is currently waitlist only for both morning and afternoon selections

Experience the Lure of Hot Glass!

Using small, clean burning, and environmentally efficient propane-oxygen torches, Oakland resident and professional glass maker Harlan Simon takes you step by step through the basics of flamework glass beadmaking. Flamework is the crown jewel of the vitreous arts. More than 4,000 years old, the process involves the magical, mesmerizing winding of molten glass onto hand spun metal rods.

In a safe, supportive environment, Harlan’s workshop offers: glass making history, from its ancient Mesopotamian Past to its modern Present, safety and tool review, numerous demonstrations, and plenty of practice time. By week’s end, participants will have created a multitude of glass beads.

Workshop content varies depending upon participant interest and skill level, but generally includes the following: Basic bead formation and shaping, making and using design components, including glass stringers and multicolored “twisties,” use of design techniques, such as dotting, casing, color shading, air bubble entrapment (“plunging”), pin-wheeling, ancient “Roman”/Venetian raking, discussion of color and design theory, use of specialized tools, sculptural aspects of glass beadmaking, as well as many other topics.

Flamework glass bead making is an unlimited, “scaleable” art form, offering something for everyone, from beginner to advanced alike. The beadmaking workshop may also be suitable for teens, subject to instructor approval.

Due to intensiveness of tools, materials, and instructor time, the Feather River Art Camp Flamework Glass Bead Making Workshop will have two sections, a morning section and an afternoon section.

Extra Afternoon Class

For those wishing maximum instruction & practice time, enroll in the morning class and the afternoon workshop. (The afternoon bead workshop meets for five afternoons from 2 to 4)

TUITION, if you take a second beadmaking section, there is also the additional $160 supplemental (second) workshop TUITION fee. This is selected while registering and included in your registration.

For those wishing a more relaxed experience, register for just one section. 

Fees for Materials

The MATERIALS fee for  the AM workshop section is $90, and $60 for the PM section,   –  payable to instructor in the first meeting. However, if you opt to register for BOTH AM and PM sections, the second additional section MATERIALS  fee is discounted by $20.

(Example: if you take BOTH the morning AM and afternoon PM glass beadmaking workshops, you would pay a combined (AM and PM) MATERIALS fee of $130  (90+$40). This is payable in the first class meeting at camp, by either cash or check to instructor.
Finally, to repeat, with regard to TUITION, if you take a second beadmaking section, there is also the additional $160 supplemental (second) workshop TUITION fee. This is selected while registering and included in your registration.