Art collective takes glass blowing on the road with mobile studio

Two Calgary artists are putting some hot air to good use with theirmobile glass-blowing studio.

The brainchild ofMandy Patchin andKai Scholefieldfrom the Glass House Fine Art Collective, the mobile studio is a rolling art creation station built into the back of a moving truck.

"One of the walls opens up into a stage for us to do gigantic shows for festivals and such so everyone can see the inside of a studio and what goes on,"Scholefieldtold the Calgary Eyeopener.

The mobile studio has three main pieces of equipment inside that generate a lot of heat. This includes molten glass burners that reach 1,200 C.

Hot hot heat

The artists were inspired to create the mobile studio after multiple requests from clients and students forclasses to come to them.

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Scholefieldsaid the mobile studio adds even more flair to the already theatrical art form of blowing glass.

"And we decided we were going to start really, really small, and eventually it got biggerand bigger, and now it's gigantic,"Scholefieldsaid.

Although the studio is mobile,Patchinsaid it can't be set up at the drop of a hat.

"It takes about 30 to 35 hours for the glass to heat up," Patchinsaid."So we can't quickly move around but we can definitely come to a location, when planned and set up, and do a show."

Burning down the house

Even though the artists work with molten glass and extreme temperatures, Patchin said people shouldn't be afraid to try their hand at glass blowing.

"Generally, we burn ourselves on our tools because all our tools are metal,"Patchinsaid."So you get that burn once and a while but Iwouldn'tsay it's too dangerous."

From Aug. 16 to 20, the mobile studio will be set up atcSpaceKing Edward, an artisthub and venue located in theKing Edward School building on29thAvenue S.W.

Patchinsaid the Taste of Glassintroductory classes run on Friday from 5to 9 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

Classes arehalf an hour long and students learn to make eitherawine glass, two ornaments or two paper weights. Classes cost$70.

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With files from the Calgary Eyeopener