Glasscaster: Hot Glass Talk in a High-Tech World

Join Robert Mickelsen on his journey through the ever-evolving world of fine flameworking! In this interview we discuss his entrance into the functional glass world, and the fabulous collaborations that followed. 

I'd always wanted to interview Lisa Vogt...she was the first artist I knew who made glass sinks, which were high on my bucket list at the time. She's been working glass since 1988, has published 14 books and numerous articles. Her work has been exhibited in major cities throughout the US.  She's done plenty of Art in Public Places, many commissions, and she's a terrific instructor. We've produced quite a few Glass Expert Webinars™ together. We ran into each other recently at a glass industry event, and finally had the opportunity to do this interview while hiding out in a somewhat cavernous and echoey back room.  You can find out more about Lisa at www.lisavogt.net And you can access her recorded webinars here: https://www.glasspatterns.com/glass-patterns-quarterly-store/category/209-recorded-webinar-links.html?page=2 Enjoy the podcast!

I was lucky enough to interview Bert Cohen, known to the world as Marble Bert, by phone back in 2011 for a magazine article. Bert believed it was way better for kids to shoot marbles than drugs or each other! He collected hundreds of thousands of marbles in his lifetime, and gave away almost as many! I just located this interview file after all these years....it was missing in action on an old laptop. Sadly, Bert passed away in 2015 at the age of 83. Here he is, digitally immortalized for your listening pleasure. Enjoy this insight into the history and world of marbles!

Join us as we take a trip down memory lane with glass fusing artist Richard La Londe. You'll delight in hearing how fusing has transformed since the early days. Reminisce about kilns with no digital controls and shoot-from-the-hip firing schedules. Remember the days when frit was smashed by hand! Find out about the origins of Bullseye Glass and the efforts of the original artists that made it all happen! Fusing wouldn't be where it is today without the adventurous spirit of Richard and his creative cohorts. Have a listen and enjoy!

If you've ever wanted to throw caution to the wind and shatter your glass before you play with it, you've come to the right place! Tony Glander loves breaking tempered glass and reassembling it, then popping it into his kiln for transformation. In this interview he'll tell you about his "Shatterglass" technique, his photographic screen printing, evolution as an artist, and what inspires him.  He thinks in marvelous and mysterious ways, loving to break the rules that we've come to think of as norms in fused glass work. Enjoy this Glasscaster podcast. And if you'd like to take a 2-hour online webinar workshop with Tony, you can Find Out More HERE   

If you've ever wondered how traditional old-world ornaments were made, here's how! Michael Haberland, a third generation ornament artist from Lauscha, Germany, shares the entire process with you. In addition to finding out how traditional European ornaments are created, you will also find out first-hand what it was like for this young man growing up under Communism, and how life has changed since the Wall came down! An insightful look into glass, history, and the politics of our times!  If you'd like to meet Michael, or enjoy one of his Christmas ornament workshops, come with us to Lauscha, Germany! We host a small tour every summer.

Join Glasscaster as we share an exciting look into the world of Peggy Pettigrew Stewart. Her work with fused glass, kiln casting and Verre Eglomise has brought the world some phenomenal glass art. We discuss at length her current project casting the faces of some of rock and roll's greatest legends in glass. Focusing specifically on the San Francisco Bay area bands during the Summer of Love, she has cast the faces of Big Brother and the Holding Company, (Janis Joplin's Band), Country Joe McDonald of Country Joe and the Fish, some members of the Jefferson Airplane, and all of Santana. These complex pieces of glass each take several painstaking months to create, and are all a labor of love. There are many more stars to immortalize, and Peggy shares her concepts and methods in this insightful interview. Rock on, Peggy!

Edith Franklin was one of the lucky few to participate in the   legendary 1962 glass workshop with Harvey Littleton. This momentous occassion heralded the beginning of the Studio Glass Movement.  In this interview Franklin shares her memories of Littleton, Nick Labino and the humble beginnings of studio glass. A potter by trade, she was one of Littleton's ceramics students. He had a profound influence on her career; she continued in clay and eventually co-founded the Toledo Potters Guild. Known as the Grand Dame of the Arts  Franklin was one of the earliest board members of the Arts Commission in Toledo. She was an ardent activist for arts-based programming for inner city youth. Edith Franklin passed on just a few weeks after this interview. Her intellect, enthusiasm, and fiery spirit will be sorely missed.

Travel from Paris to Pakistan with glass artist Milon Townsend! Hear about his early adventures with fire and glass, and how how path led from flameworking to casting and back. Enjoy thoughtful discussions about teaching, webinars, and intellectual property. Plus....a little bonus content on homemade explosive devices and how glassblowers like to make things go "boom!" Join us April 30th and May 2nd for Milon's first online workshop! This first webinar, "Flameworking Dichroic Glass" will be an exciting exploration of some of his newest techniques, developed just for this LIVE EVENT! Find out more (and register) at www.glasspatterns.com. This podcast is sponsored by Glasscraft Inc.

You're going to love this interview with the Great Santini! One of the most talented transplanted Italians to grace American shores, Emilio's comedic antics will have you rolling in the aisles! You'll learn about life, love and the pursuit of happiness from one of the foremost flameworkers of our times. We'd like to thank Glasscraft Inc. for sponsoring this podcast: www.glasscraftinc.com To see some of Emilio's work and find out more about him, go to: www.santiniemilio.com Ciao!