My days have always started early in Bildwerk, way earlier than I’m used to. In my average days, I’m working late in the evening and let my mornings be idle. Here, my mornings started with a brisk walk in the sparkling golden sun and the soothing, spacious panorama of the Bavarian Forest. I took a tiny train that was like a small bullet through the untamed, intact nature that surrounded us. These moments alone were my ritual to tune in to the lively, loud, vivacious atmosphere that Bildwerk offered.
Julie, our teacher, was somehow nothing like I imagined, and everything that I was hoping for, in one person. The very first meeting we had with the team, she brought the energy and sociability of three people in one short lady. The team consisted of six people whose lives and backgrounds were quite different, and yet, compatible. I was the youngest, and quite frankly, by my long passion and experience for flameworking, the most qualified as well. I was quite pleased that I could hold value in the class community by helping others with tips and tricks that I learned and observed through my own practice, and Julie has been grateful as well, because she had not been allowed to bring a teaching assistant for her class even though it would’ve been necessary.
When we met Julie the first time, she asked what we’re looking for in the coming two weeks, what we’re expecting and where we would like to end up by this experience. I told her that I want mentorship. I want to learn not only the techniques but to observe the way how she approaches the material and all its implications. The side of running a business, managing a workshop, choosing ways to work is something rarely discussed in art schools. By meeting successful glassmakers and artists really is inspiring for me in this sense. One hears everywhere the hardships of the artist-life, and rarely can get close to the ones who have really made it work. In my current state and period of life, that is one undeniably impactful encounter and inspiring on a deeper level to have the drive to move forward and leave the doubts behind.
We started each day with a demonstration – where Julie showed us a tutorial of a shape or technique on the torch. For my biggest surprise, we worked with two types of glass: soft glass and borosilicate. I didn’t feel so confident with the soft glass before, it requires a faster pace and can easily crack. On the bright side, it is a cheaper material and has a wider palette of available colors. I never dared to touch this material before – it literally can explode if not treated well, it can create small shards that fly into your skin or clothes, or bubble up in a second that leave your piece shattering after you’ve worked precious time on it. I lacked a trustworthy mentor that showed me how to do it. Until now. Julie refers to this as being “bilingual” in flameworking. It helps her effectively manage the cost and size of her artworks and/or products (borosilicate sculptures can be bigger, but are also way more expensive). I strive to do the same in my own workshop, as it opens up new paths for me and my work.
Scholarship Granted by the Alexander Tutsek Stiftung for Emerging Glass Artists
