We had the good fortune to welcome guest artists Osamu Noda, Yumiko Noda and Takeshi Fukunishi (Fuku!) into our studio for a demonstration this weekend. Osamu & Yumiko are the founders and directors of the Niijima Glass Art Centre in Niijima, Japan.
It was very exciting to watch Osamu and the team create one of his pieces using a “hand building” technique. Rather than blow the glass into a hollow form, Osamu sculpts solid wraps into the walls of his vessel. He uses flat crimps and other tools to shape the glass. It is very labour intensive work, and fun to watch.
After the demo, we had wonderful slide presentations from all three of our guests. We also watched a video presentation of the 24th Annual Niijima International Glass Art Festival. (Watch the Video)
We had a great little BBQ party for the members and our guests after the demonstration and a good time was had by all! Special thanks to Mitchell Wren for the muscle and acting as a human heat shield. 
