2 Day Glass Rollups Workshop with Peter Bowles and Keith Dougall

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR JUNE 20-21, 2016 ROLLUP WORKSHOP

Suitable for complete beginners and/or those who have done some hot glass workshops before and who have the skills/capacity to pre-make and bring along 2 kiln-formed (fused) glass plates of their own design which will be 'rolled up' and blown into simple vase forms during the workshop.  Beginner Glassblowing skills will also be taught.

Next Workshops

Our next rollup workshop will be held on June 20 and 21, 2016.  This workshop will also include a bonus demonstration of the 'graal' technique which we hope to offer in a future workshop during 2016.  Please click on the link above to register online or contact us via the "Contact Us" tab above if you have any questions about participating.  There will be other rollup workshop dates announced throughout 2016.  Please join our mailing list (see sign-up area at bottom of our home page) to stay informed of future opportunities.

Description

This exciting hybrid workshop gives kiln-formed glass makers the opportunity to have their fused glass designs realised in a 3 dimensional blown-glass form.  If you have skills in kiln-formed glass but not in 'hot' or blown glass, but love the look and feel of blown glass, then this is the workshop for you!

Ever wished you could acquire the skills of a seasoned glass blower without the many years of effort? Wish you could somehow translate your kiln-formed glass designs into blown forms without having to start from scratch?  Well, look no further!

The glass roll-up technique is an Australian innovation that is now being used all over the world, enabling kiln-formed glass artists to have their designs realised in hot glass - without all the years of practice.  

In this 2 day workshop, you will not only have the opportunity to assist skilled glass blower Peter Bowles to 'rollup' and blow your pre-made glass plate into a simple vase shape of your design, but you will also have the chance to learn and practice basic glass blowing skills with Keith Dougall to make simple solid and blown forms.

Participants are required to bring along to the workshop 2 ready-made fused glass plates (see plate fusing tips below).  Each day, each participant will have 1 of their plates rolled up.  While it's your turn, you will be involved in the making of your vase by assisting the gaffer (skilled glass blower) to make the piece.  The rest of your time will be spent taking turns with other participants to learn or practice basic skills in hot glass making in a similar way to our beginner glassblowing workshop. In both cases you will be supported and guided by a skilled hot glass artist.

For more information on the basic hot glass skills you will be learning when not directly involved in having your own rollup made, please refer to the description of our 2 day beginner's workshop.

All rollup workshops are limited to 4 students.  Workshops may be cancelled if they don’t fill.  Fees/deposits will be fully refunded if classes are cancelled for any reason.  Please note that all the glass pieces you make will need to cool down in a kiln overnight.  Pieces made on the last day of the workshop will not be available to pick up until the the late morning or afternoon of the following day, however postage can be arranged if necessary (at extra cost). 

Where

Our workshops are held in our new studio at the Alethea Mountain Retreat Arts Centre, Poatina, Tasmania.  Poatina is approximately 45mins drive from Launceston and 2hrs from Hobart (via Bothwell).  For more information about Poatina's facilities and features visit www.poatina.com

When

For upcoming workshop dates, please check the top of this page.  Our workshops usually run from 10am - 5pm each day, with a 1hr lunch break from approximately 1pm-2pm.  Participants are asked to arrive at least 30mins early on the first day to allow time for the safety induction. 

Accommodation

Participants may either commute to the village each day or select one of the discounted add-on Poatina accommodation options available when registering online.  Accommodation options include Hostel or Motel rooms at the Poatina Chalet, or a self-contained Mountain Cottage.  

Hostel accommodation offers budget style shared rooms with bathroom facilities down the hall.  Motel rooms with private ensuite bathroom may be enjoyed solo or shared with a friend or partner.  Mountain cottages can sleep up to 4 or 5.  Participating or non-particpating family members or friends may be accommodated with you if you indicate their names when registering.

Meals

Participants may either self-cater or pre-purchase their meals at The View Cafe & Restaurant at the Poatina Chalet when registering online.  Please note that The View Cafe and Restaurant is the only food outlet in Poatina that offers evening meals and breakfasts, for which booking are essential (when registering).  'Walk in' lunches and snacks are available at the Tiers Tea Lounge from Wednesday to Sunday each week, and the Poatina General Store also has take-away food available during the day.

Cost

Workshop cost is $710 per person or $660 for low income or student concession.

The following discounted accommodation and meal options are available from the Poatina Chalet.

• Hostel Accommodation (Per Person, Per Night) - $25
• Motel Accommodation Unshared (Per Person, Per Night) - $80
• Motel Accommodation Shared with Partner or Friend (Per Person, Per Night) - $40
• Continental Breakfasts (Per Person, Per Meal) - $7.50
• Light Lunches (Per Person, Per Meal) - $12
• Evening 2 Course Meals (Per Person, Per Meal) - $22.50

Registration

Online registration is will open soon via 'Register Here' links at the top of this page.  Clicking on these links will take you to our online booking system.  Please join our mailing list (at the bottom of this page) to receive updates and to be notified of when registrations are open for future workshops and events.  We are currently converting to a new system, so we appreciate your patience as we all become accustomed to using it.  

Payment

Payment is encouraged at the time of booking via credit or debit card.  Please have your card handy when registering.  If you are unable to pay via card, at the completion of the online form you may instead elect to pay offline by direct bank deposit, using the bank deposit details below.  Please note that places are not confirmed until full payment or at least 50% deposit is received.  Fees and Deposits will be completely refunded if the workshop is cancelled for any reason, including insufficient registrations.  Fees and deposits paid are not refundable for any other reason.   

• Bank: Westpac 
• Account Name: Poatina Arts
• BSB: 037012
• Account #:  110695
• Description: ‘Surname4Rollups’   eg: Smith4Rollups

What to Bring

Participants are required to bring 2 fused glass plates for rolling up into 2 vases.  A third plate may be brought if you wish as a backup.  All other necessary materials and tools for basic hot glass tuition will be provided, including safety glasses.  Participants will be responsible for their own meals (unless booked online when registering) and snacks.  Tea and coffee will be provided.   Further details of appropriate clothing to wear/bring will be advised upon registration. 

Glass Plate Fusing Tips

These are some helpful tips for designing and fusing a rectangular slab for a rollup. They are by no means the exhaustive list but hopefully will help get the best outcome for your work.

• An overall thickness of approximately 15-18mm is ideal. (6 x 3mm layers =18mm) This gives plenty of glass to shape and work with.

• 180mm high x 320mm wide is the overall dimensions that will work with the equipment in Poatina at this stage. 

• Think about creating interest in different layers to make the most of the technique. Create areas that you might look through to something deeper or on the other side of the vessel once it is blown.

• Avoid large contrasts in colour as they move differently at high heats. For example, a vessel that has large areas of black then white might blow out unevenly, although small parts of black and white throughout the piece would probably be ok.

• Design an area at the top and the bottom that can be sacrificed (minimum 30mm) during the pick-up phase of the process. This is where the collar is joined to the fused panel for the roll up. The work is originally rolled up from the top. The collar and the attached glass is cut off when the work is moved onto the punty. The base has an area that is pulled in to form a bubble. 

• Design your piece with the join in mind – lots of horizontal lines around the piece will make it harder to disguise no matter how skilled the glass blower.

• Dam the walls of your work. Ensure that the edges that will join are straight, vertical and the same height so that you will get the best join.

• The end that will be joined can be bevelled at 30 degrees to help make the join less obvious, although this is optional - see diagram below:

Interstate Participants

At just a 1hr flight from Melbourne or less than 2hrs from Sydney, travel from interstate to participate in on of our workshops is becoming more popular - particularly if you'd like to bring a group of friends.  Please contact us if you'd like to arrange a private group beginner's workshop.  The ideal group size is 4 people.

For those travelling from interstate, the cheapest and fastest way to get here is by air.  The closest airport is Launceston, situated approximately 40mins away, where we offer a free airport pickup and drop-off service for those registering.  The on-line registration form asks for your flight arrival and departure times and flight numbers, so ideally make your flight booking prior to registering and have these details handy when you register.  Alternatively, if you are not in a position to book flights now, you can email us your flight details later on.  Using a website like I Want that Flight is a good way to compare airfares from all available airlines and third party sellers and book fares without incurring extra booking fees. 

Arrival Time:  If flying, please aim to arrive at Launceston airport the day before your workshop, or at least by 8.45am on the day of your workshop.

Departure Time:  If flying, to allow time to travel to the airport and check bags in after the program finishes at 5pm, the ideal would be to choose flights the following day or at least 7pm or later on the last day of your workshop.  

For those needing to bring a vehicle across, you will need to travel on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry from Melbourne which arrives in Devonport each morning or evening.

Extra nights and/or meals

If you wish to stay extra nights either before or after your workshop, you may add and pay for any further nights and/or meals to your meal and accommodation numbers when registering.