This focused skills workshop concentrates on the foundational techniques required to establish a stable and well-centered starter bubble. Students will learn methods for introducing and controlling air within the gather, with attention to timing, pressure, and evaluation of early form.
Instruction will emphasize the blow-and-cap (also known as thumbing) method, along with strategies for assessing bubble thickness, symmetry, and proportion. Through demonstration, repetition, and individualized feedback, students will practice gaining control over the gather, trapping and releasing pressure effectively, and making informed decisions about whether to proceed, adjust, or reset a piece.
This workshop is structured as a skills-and-drills session; students should not expect to complete a finished object. The primary outcomes are improved consistency in starter bubble formation, increased confidence in early-stage decision-making, and stronger foundations for later forms such as cups, cylinders, and vessels.
This multi-level workshop is open to students who have completed Introduction to Glassblowing at Waterfall Arts or an equivalent 16-hour introductory course at another studio. More experienced students are also welcome and may use this session to isolate and refine a core technique that continues to develop throughout a glassblower’s practice. Students may benefit from attending this workshop more than once.
Students who are new to glassblowing and have not yet worked with hot glass should begin with an Experience or Introduction to Glassblowing class before enrolling in this workshop.
Additional Information:
About the instructor: Brier-Rose Werner Brown is a self-taught torch work artist who specializes in botanical jewelry. She has been blowing glass for 10 years.
You may also like the following events from Waterfall Arts:
Also check out other
Workshops in Belfast,
Arts events in Belfast.
