Glass working: watch, learn, then try for yourself.

The demonstrations of glass working techniques were a highlight for many visitors to the 2014 Festival of Glass.

Jacqui Campbell making glass beads

While visitors always comment on the diversity of the exhibits at the Festival's Glass Expo, they relish the chance to see how those exhibits are made. Consequently, when exhibitors demonstrate the techniques they use to make their products, they always attract a crowd.

The 2014 Festival featured demonstrations of an expanded range of glass-working techniques:

• Bead-weaving
• Glass slumping
• Glass casting
• Glass blowing
• Glass fusing
• Glass bead-making



Leadlighting with Lara Glass

• Glass leadlight.

From 'Oh my!' to DIY
The demonstrations can encourage people to try some glass work for themselves and for the first time, the 2014 Festival featured a range of workshops in which to learn glass working. These were held on Saturday 15 February and were booked-out in advance via the Festival web site. To respond to that demand, a further workshop (on bead weaving) will run on Saturday 22 February; again, access is via the Festival web site.

FoG in winter?
The Festival committee us currently considering running some glass-working workshops in mid-winter, aimed especially at people who are thinking of entering the 2015 Drysdale Glass Art Awards. The aim of the workshops would be to encourage newcomers to become proficient at one or more glass-working techniques, so that they have the confidence to create an entry for the 2015 Awards.

The workshops would broaden the range and quality of entrants to the Awards, locate them firmly in local communities and, in the process, maintain the Festival's profile throughout the year. The overall result would be a heightened profile for the Bellarine Peninsula as a centre of glass-working.

The Festival of Glass acronym is 'FoG' - and it's not a proper winter without FoG!
(Photos: Neil McGuinness)