Creative glass skills highlighted at Lybster event

By David G Scott

Published: 03:00, 12 April 2019

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A PUBLIC event in Lybster was deemed a great success by the organisers who were very transparent about the creativity of glass art.

The two Emmas work together to create the various components of the goblet. Pictures: David G Scott

The launch for the Community Design House (CDH) at North Lands Creative (NLC) studio involved explanations to the public about future projects and demonstrations of glassblowing by the latest artists in residence.

Speaking on that Friday evening, learning and engagement officer Merran Gunn said: "Tonight was the official launch of the Community Design House – an arts project that covers an area stretching from Berriedale to Mid-Clyth. It's basically all about teaching transferable glass skills to the public."

The purpose of the evening was to act as part of a community outreach initiative to get local people interested in the fine art of glass-making. Merran announced that further to that purpose NLC will be creating its own newspaper.

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Alexandra Muresan from Romania with her seaweed-inspired glass artworks.

Emma Baker at a public demonstration of glass-making in the workshop.

Carefully does it! Emma is about to snip off a molten blob of glass to add to the piece.

Recent graduate Emma Goring turns a molten blob of glass with great skill.

Numerous skills go into making the goblet, as shown here by artist Emma Baker.

Emma returns the piece back into the glory hole so it can be reworked.

Emma Goring explains the glassmaking process while Emma Baker works tirelessly away at the glory hole furnace.

Glassblowing involves three furnaces. The first, which contains a crucible of molten glass, is simply referred to as the furnace. The second, shown here, is called the glory hole, and is used to reheat a piece in between steps of working with it. The final furnace is called the lehr or annealer, and is used to slowly cool the glass, over a period of a few hours to a few days, depending on the size of the pieces.

Ta da! Emma holds up the finished goblet for the audience to look at.

Emma demonstrates the fine art of glassblowing at the public demonstration.

Julie Ross and Merran Gunn from North Lands Creative have a laugh after their presentation.

A display of finished artworks on show at the public event in North Lands Creative Glass in Lybster.

North Lands Creative glass studio in Lybster held a recent public event to promote a new initiative.

Project co-ordinator for the CDH is Julie Ross, who said that the evening had been a great success with the public given ample refreshments and delighted with the glassblowing demonstrations by the young artists currently working at the studio.

"The event kicked off with a video message from our director Karen Phillips. then Merran and I explained to the public how the CDH started."

To a gallery "filled to the gunwales" with enthusiastic local folk, Julie explained the "visions, aims and objectives" of the initiative and talked about the ambassador training programme.

The ambassadors are local people who have been taught some basic glass-making skills who then use that knowledge to teach others.

After an informative PowerPoint demonstration the public were invited to stand behind chalked borderlines in the workshop to avoid getting burns as the artists in residence showed off their dexterity in manipulating hot glass.

Artists Emma Baker and Emma Goring worked together to bring various components together to make a goblet.

All agreed to "raise a glass" to their skilful results at the end of the event.

Creative glass skills highlighted at Lybster event

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