Fleming College

This course explores technical advancement and aesthetic expressions, throughout glass making's 5000 years of History. Lectures, presentations, and a field trip will present an overview, from the discovery of glass making in the middle east to the Contemporary Studio glass movement. Students will investigate historically based technique through individual research, studio exercises, and studio projects.

In this course the students will come to understand the working environment of the hot glass studio. They will implement a team routine in the hot shop and a schedule for maximized practice time. Using more advanced tool handling techniques the bubble will be shaped to achieve a specific form for function. In class exercises and assignments will be supported through demonstration and discussion, along with the continued development of the student's Idea book.

Building on the skills obtained in Intro to Colour, students will expand their skills and techniques for colour application and begin to incorporate the transparent, translucent and opaque properties of coloured glass. Students will explore historic decorative processes through the use of hot coloured cane pulls and pastorelli pick-ups. The finished piece will be enhanced in the cold shop with cutting and polish as well as chemical bonding techniques.

This course will present basic design principles and practice, for the glass blower. Study of historical and contemporary examples of glass through lectures, presentations, and a field trip will provide knowledge and the basis for the analysis of glass design. Students will also explore design in glass blowing by manipulating design elements with planning on paper, and projects made in the studio. Students will explore the integration of a specifically planned design with the execution of work in the studio.

This course presents technique and practices associated with glass blowing in a traditional team to enable students to design and execute objects that can be mass produced. Emphasis is placed on the repeatability of a process or glass project, to encourage refinement of individual glass handworking skills and expressive content in glass blowing. Students will analyze the specifics of a designed object, comparing costs, and energy relative to expressive content, to evaluate the efficiencies during the production of work, in the studio. In class activities will include exercises, project development, presentations, in class discussion and the maintenance of an idea book.

This course establishes the student's drawing skills by using basic techniques to depict line, proportion, light, texture, colour and surface. Through observational, technical, and concept drawings the students will learn to document and express their ideas in the art of glass. Pattern, colour and texture will be explored using various mark making tools. The development and importance of a studio journal will be emphasized. An introduction to CAD software will be covered in preparation for expectations in the `Mould Making' course later in the semester.

Flameworking is a method of shaping glass through the use of a torch. Students will explore both colourful form and functional aspects of afforded by this process. The development of skills will be accompanied by an overview of historic uses of flameworked glass and contemporary torch work. As in all aspects of glassworking, emphasis will be the safe and competent operation of equipment. Introductory methods of shaping and manipulating varied types of molten glass will be delivered through lectures, demonstrations and hands-on practice. Through project work students will integrate both hot shop and flameworking techniques.

This course introduces the students to the equipment used and how to safely work in the hot glass studio. Hand tools will be used to form hot glass into both solid and hollow objects. Daily notations will be used to record a number of procedures and movements necessary for working the hot glass. Once cooled to room temperature, the glass objects will be ground in the cold shop to achieve a level base surface.

In this final course, students will integrate design ideas, concepts, colour and surface treatments to create a series of creative assemblages using techniques and skills learned in the program. The exploration of the students' interests will be the focus of this body of work addressing personal style. Critiques will be used to facilitate development of technique, personal style and expression. Gallery quality finishes will be expected in order to offer a professional presentation of work. Students will work individually in their own process of design proposals, production and critical discussion.

In this course, complexity of the team environment will be explored by increasing scale and production while focusing on surface texture and design refinement of blown objects. Setting form and quantity of glass on the pipe will be reviewed to ensure better control working with larger gathers. With careful consideration to design principles and elements students will examine the plate and bowl form and skilfully execute projects which combine multiple glass pieces. Students will be expected to integrate techniques acquired in previous weeks.

This course offers an overview of colour theory and its relation to thinking about colour in designs for glass. Cold working techniques needed to prepare colour and enhance coloured surface designs will be introduced, along with the demonstration of a variety of colour application techniques for students to practice in exercises and projects. Students will explore the GRAAL technique working through interior and exterior surfaces of blown and solid glass objects. Course work will include project assessment and critical discussion.

Practicing artists can choose from many different paths to advance their personal and artistic goals in artistic practice, education, presentation skills, and promotion and marketing as entrepreneurs. Each student will establish their own specific focus for continuing their artist's practice. In class sessions will involve online research, writing, digital photography, presentation, and critical discussion. Pre-course assignment work will provide the data for artist documents and digital images of their work for the development of a portfolio. Students will show their work in an established campus venue as a culmination to their certificate program experience. Certificate students who have already completed the first two semesters of the Visual and Creative Arts Diploma Program will complete this course mainly as independent review and revision of their portfolio and artists documents in collaboration with faculty.

This course introduces the wide range of possibilities that blowing and forming with moulds can contribute to the repertoires of both the beginner and advanced glass blower. Mould blowing, using moulds made from plaster, sand, wood, metal or graphite, enables the student to repeatedly execute complex and asymmetrical forms. This course is primarily experimental and assignments will emphasize concept development. Drawing, design and critical discussion will be integrated with the studio project work.

This course will afford the students opportunity to reflect on the skills introduced so far and integrate these into designed pieces. Students will present work of an influential glass artist related to their interests, and explore ideas in the development of personal style and refinement of skills. Drawing and revision will guide the student learning process in creating a small series of work by week's end. Critical discussion of works being made will afford a varied perspective of the finished pieces. Group and individual discussions will support the course activities, along with the maintenance of an idea book/journal.