We hear from Learning Connexion Tutor Keith Grinter about his passion for glass blowing and weekend glass blowing class.

What is your background?

I was born and grew up in England and came to New Zealand when I met a Kiwi girl who was on her OE. I have always made art, though have had to find other ways of making a living. These have been many and varied, including running a Youth Hostel and working on a ship.
When I first came to New Zealand I studied horticulture and was a gardener and nurseryman for nine years. After that I worked with computers and studied for a Bachelor of Business Studies and Computer Science. Finally I did what I intended to do when I left school, which was to go to art school. Fortunately I chose Whanganui Quay School of Arts, which meant I could learn to blow glass.

I followed my BFA with a Master of Art and Design at AUT where I ended up building sculptures based on blind contour drawings made while walking. While working on my Masters I was a lecturer for the Certificate of Art and Design at Whanganui Quay School of Arts. For the last year I have been a Distance Delivery mentor at The Learning Connexion.

What do you love about working with glass?

Glass blowing is like the extreme sports version of art making. It is hot and exciting with the potential for disasters. I discovered that there are paints that can be applied to a glass ‘graal’ which is then blown out larger. I was able to combine the painting skills I developed before I went to art school with the glass blowing skills I learned there. The images I now use are based on the blind colour drawings I developed when doing my Masters. They often have art historical references. I also continue to paint on canvas and make sculpture.

What are some of the properties of glass?

Glass is one of the few art media which will last for thousands of years (if it does not fall off the shelf and get broken). It is shiny and bright and refracts and reflects light in an ever changing way in response to the environment. Glass has a magpie effect on people so that they are compelled to buy well-made glass work.

What can students expect to learn in the weekend glass blowing class?

Students will learn the basic principles and processes of shaping and blowing molten glass. Students will learn to work in pairs with a tutor to gather molten glass and make a marble. Once that is mastered, we will help you make a paper weight. Then it is on to blowing a small glass. There should be time to develop a larger blown object with colour. Tutoring will be very hands on so you end up with a few pieces of blown glass to take home.

What equipment, resources are available for students to use?

We will be using the Hot Shop at the Whanganui Glass School, so there is a complete range of tools and equipment for glass blowing. This includes the furnaces which melt the glass at 1180?C, blowing benches, marvers, jacks, tweezers, blowing iron, puntis and paddles. As you can see from this list there is a lot to learn about blowing glass. There is also a fully equipped cold work studio, but we will not have a lot of time to investigate that. This is where glass can be ground and polished.

Do you have a ‘glass blowing’ story to share?

Warning: Glass blowing can be addictive. I went to art school in Whanganui to study print making. One week of glass blowing with tutor David Traub and I was committed to it.

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