Glass Art

Research Topic: History of Glassblowing

Product: Two glass flowers
Mattingly Brennan
Dr. Carter 4th Block
Why Did I Choose Glass
Art?
I Chose Glass Art Because...
● Material manipulation
○ Glass at room temperature is a brittle material, but when it is
heated to at least 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit it becomes a malleable
substance
● Glass Art is a rare career
○ There are less than 25 glass art studios in Georgia
How Was This a Learning
Stretch?
Personal Learning Stretch
● Glass Art is common, but the process is challenging
○ The creation of glass art is very complex and challenging to learn
○ I had to learn about safety precautions, thermal shock, and the
method to creating glass art

● Wearing safety
goggles is
crucial
What Was I Able To Create?
My Product
● For my product, I created two glass flowers
○ Colors: Fire Mix Purple
My Product
Color Glass Create Petals Create Stem
Who Was My Mentor?
My Mentor
● My mentor’s name is Nate Nardi
○ He is a professional glass artist in Decatur, Georgia
○ He owns Decatur Glassblowing
How Was My Mentor
Experience?
Experience
● My experience was unique and exciting
○ I do not know of many people who can say they mentored with a
glassblower
● I was able to explore how the worlds of science and
creativity can interlap
What Type Of Technology Was
Used?
Technology Use
● The furnace used for holding and melting glass
○ Typical glass furnaces are around 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit
● Glory holes are used for reheating glass while working on
them
○ It is important to continue reheating the glass when it is out of the
furnace
● The annealer that is used for holding completed glass
products and cooling them
Technology Use

Furnace Annealer Glory

Hole
What Was My Research
Project?
The History and Technological Advancements of
Glassblowing
● The creation of glassblowing
○ The technique of glassblowing was started in Syria by a craftsmen
during 1st century B.C.
○ Lebanon, Cyprus, and Egypt adapted the art of glassblowing
around 100 B.C.
○ Glassblowing entered America around 1769 and was primarily
used for glass bottles and jars
The History and Technological Advancements of
Glassblowing
Dale Chihuly Examples of his artwork

“Fireworks of Glass Tower”

The History and Technological Advancements of
Glassblowing
● An important technological advancement
○ The Romans made great advancements in etching, graving, and
coloring glass.
○ They would use raw materials to create natural color
■ Ex: The use of lead and antimony created opaque yellow
What Have I Learned?
I Have Learned...
● Communication skills
○ A crucial part of being successful is having good communication
skills
● Take initiative
○ It is important to be responsible for personal work and when it
needs to be completed
Thank You So
Bibliography:
Much! https://www.decaturglassblowing.com/

Mattingly Brennan https://www.bohaglass.co.uk/roman-glass/

Glass Art