2012 Teaching Schedule

Class Descriptions:

Loren I (5 days)
This course will be divided into three parts: Murrini, Sculptural Techniques and Encasement. Murrini will result in a Franchini-style shaded face and your signature cane. You will start with color mixing and blending which will be used to make shaded colors for a face. Eyes, nose and mouth cane will by built in the flame and then pulled down to a smaller size for component parts to construct the final face. In a like manner, letter canes will be assembled to create signature canes. Sculptural Techniques will examine several different methods for achieving human body and animal sculptural forms. The techniques include cold assembly, hot sculpture, detail overlay, temperature control, tool use, drilling holes with hot tungsten pick, and the correct application of murrini. Encasement will produce a small floral paperweight. Floral setup techniques include using blended colors, ribbed cane and overlays as components for creating leaf stock, stems, buds, ball flowers, petals, and stamen.  You will then assemble and arrange the floral components into a "setup" with a quick lesson in frit making to use as a background. A Stumpsucker will be used to vacuum encase a sculptural or floral setup in Schott crystal.

Loren II - The Butterfly Class (5 days)
For people who have already taken Loren I or have extensive flameworking experience. The techniques covered are similar to the Loren I class but at a more difficult level. The Murrini portion of the class will concentrate on creating repetitive patterns which will be used to construct a butterfly. Murrini cold working techniques includes sawing and polishing Murrini chips to be included in the paperweight. Sculptural techniques will examine several different methods for achieving human body and animal sculptural forms that offer more challenges than the Loren I class. The techniques include cold assembly, hot sculpture, detail overlay, temperature control, tool use, drilling holes with hot tungsten pick, and the correct application of murrini. Encasement involves a larger amount of Schott crystal and several layers within the paperweight so the butterfly appears to be hovering over the floral setup.

Theme Classes - Under the Sea / In the Jungle / In the Garden / In the Desert (5 days)
For people who have already taken Loren  I  and  II and want to come back again for something new.     Each themed class will include Murrini, sculptural and encasement projects related to the theme of the class.  For example, "Under the Sea" includes several kinds of fish Murrini.  The sculptural portion includes several kinds of sea creatures with tentacles and fins.  The encasement portion involves creating a paperweight of an underwater scene with rocks, coral, shells, fish and sea creatures created in the other two portions of the class.  "In the Jungle" covers frogs, lizards, bugs, tropical foliage and other things you find in the jungle.  "In the Sky" covers birds, bugs and other things you find in the sky.  "In the Desert" covers lizards, tortoise and other desert things. "In the Garden" covers bees, dragonflies, flowers, etc.

All Murrini Class
For people who have already taken Loren I and  II .  All Murrini includes adding torso and clothing to a fully shaded face to complete a full portrait murrini. Color mixing to match the various shades of the face you choose to create is covered in detail.