Glasscaster: Hot Glass Talk in a High-Tech World

If you don't know Tom Philabaum, you should! And here's your chance! This is an artist who's life story reads like an adventure novel….He studied with Harvey Littleton, has worked with Dale Chihuly, and has created immense public installations, including glass waterfalls and flying carpets! Now involved exploring the architectural limits of Dalle de Verre, he's a man of many talents. Have you ever enjoyed a Flame Off? You can thank Tom for that! He's the force behind the Sonoran Glass School in Tucson, where the Flame Off style of team competition originated. He has also given unselfishly over decades with the Glass Art Society. So pull up a chair and have a listen. This talented and laid-back artist is more influential than you ever dreamed!

Be on the lookout for excerpts of this interview to appear in the 1/2013 issue of Glashaus Magazine….

Interview recorded at the 2012 Glass Art Society Conference.

As so many parents and children get ready for “Back to School” and anticipate the excitement of a fresh start and a new school year, I wanted to share some memories of Fairglade, my all-time favorite school. This alternative educational environment, which changed the lives of hundreds of families, was located in Miami, Florida.

Enjoy the recollections of Ms. Karen Collins, who ran the school for many years. This interview will share poignant and cherished memories that will be especially meaningful to Fairglade families and students, but really is an inspiring look at what real education is all about, and is therefore applicable to everyone who teaches and learns.

As “Miss Karen” closes the door on her earthly existence, and preens her wings for skyward flight, I wanted all the world to hear, in her own words, what Fairglade meant to her and to many of us who’s lives were transformed by the Fairglade experience.

Join us on a trip down memory lane as Fred shares his wacky and perilous journey behind the Iron Curtain. Obsessed by the glass of Lauscha, no regime could keep this passionate artist away. Home to some of the most complex glass techniques in the world, Fred risked life and limb to befriend a number of the influential artists who's work was hidden from the world in communist East Germany.

Follow Fred's adventures and learn about the precise nature of the montage vessels created by Kurt Wallstab and Albrecht Greiner-Mai, among others. You'll also come away from this interview with a clearer insight as to the influence of the communist government on the lives of the artists in Lauscha. Within that context, the work of these German artists appears all the more provocative. precise and fascinating.

We would like to thank Glasscraft Inc. for sponsoring this podcast. Learn more about them at www.glasscraftinc.com

Margaret Neher fashions fabulous flameworked flowers using borosilicate glass. Influenced and inspired by the Blaschka glass flowers, her attention to detail allows her to create spectacularly lifelike work. Textures and patterns are her constant companions, and she finds them everywhere! If you have ever worked at making your own glass flowers, you'll get great technical advice here on how to prevent (and cure!) fractures, cracks and other unanticipated separations.

Find out more about her at www.margaretneher.com.

Excerpts of this interview can be seen in the March/April 2012 issue of Glass Art Magazine

We would like to thank Glasscraft Inc. for sponsoring this podcast. Check them out at www.glasscraftinc.com

Join your host, Marcie Davis, and Deborah Carlson, as they explore ways of getting in touch with your inner artist. By getting ego out of the way and reconnecting with the spirit of play, you can find your creative center. Playtime with Deb gives you ideas for getting beyond ego in both individual and group settings. Look for excerpts of this podcast in the upcoming issue of The Flow Magazine. Sponsored by Glasscraft Inc.

Join us for an under-the-sea sojourn with Kimberly Affleck! Her seahorses are delightful and unique. She shares how they came to be and her journey of discovery through glass. You'll also great technical advice on how to work soft glass silver colors; how to get them to "pop" and generate the great effects that they're known for.

We'd like to thank Glasscraft Inc. for sponsoring this podcast. Excerpts of this interview are featured in the November/December 2011 issue of Glass Art Magazine.

PODCAST PERKS: Get 10% OFF your next purchase at www.firelady.com COUPON CODE: PODCAST

Get a rare glimpse into the boyhood memories of Lucio Bubacco and Emilio Santini. Friends since birth, they share some of the hilarity of growing up together in Murano, Italy. Join us as two of the world's foremost flamework artists share their common past.

Find out how Lucio's work evolved, what themes and influences are important to him, and how mythology, philosophy and sexuality converge to create some of the most complex flameworked pieces in the history of the art.

This episode is sponsored by our friends at Glasscraft Inc. Find out more about them at: www.glasscraftinc.com. This interview was featured in the Spring, 2011 issue of The Flow Magazine.

Note: English is not Lucio's first language!

PODCAST PERKS: Get 10% Off your next purchase at www.firelady.com. COUPON CODE: PODCAST.

Join us for the first installment of "The Invasion of the Italian Stallions" featuring Cesare Toffolo. This Muranese Maestro shares his life, his work, and his innovations in glass. As a special bonus, we have a guest appearance by Emilio Santini, our talented and mischievous translator. This interview was conducted at the International Flameworking Conference. You can see excerpts of it featured in the Winter, 2011 issue of Glashaus Magazine.

We would like to thank Glasscraft Inc. for sponsoring this podcast. Learn more about them at www.glasscraftinc.com. If YOU would like to sponsor a podcast, contact me at [email protected]. (Details at www.fireladyproductions.com).

PODCAST PERKS: Get 10% OFF Your Next Purchase at www.firelady.com. COUPON CODE: PODCAST

Witness the birth of the Studio Glass Movement through the eyes of Marvin Lipofsky. As one of the students that participated in Harvey Littleton's first glassblowing class, he was present from the beginning. His work as a glass artist has taken him all over the world, where he was often the first American artist to collaborate with local factory workers. From the Czech Republic to Russia, Japan, Finland and Yugoslavia, this international glass master has seen it all. You'll also hear about the events leading to the formation of the Glass Art Society.

We would like to thank Glasscraft, Inc. for sponsoring this podcast. Find out more about them at: www.glasscraftinc.com. And remember to tell them you heard about them on Glasscaster!

Printed excerpts of this podcast can be seen in the Summer, 2010 issue of The Flow Magazine.

Build your dreams in glass! Engineer Tim Macfarlane shares a bit about the complexities of determining the stress, strain and structural strength of our favorite sparkly material. He brings architects' visions to life, an accomplishment that is no small feat!

You may recognize his work when treading upon sculptural glass staircases at Apple stores around the world. Or climbing the ruby red staircase at Times Square to usher in the New Year.

But it's not all about the modern application of glass as a building material....

He's also working on the restoration of a historic building in Virginia, circa 1769. Replacing missing sections with glass makes it "clear" to all the separation of the old from the new. A conservators dream! Or is it? Find out more in this engaging interview.