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Via the glass and crystal portal, free data bases help you find a flat or hollow glass professional, a periodical, a product, a unique glass creation, or a scholarship for glass related study

Glassblowers, stained glass artists, mirror manufacturers, decorators or designers, makers of beads or technical instruments in glass, all the glass trades are represented on this page.

International galleries use the glass and crystal portal to showcase the best in contemporary glass creation by today's most important glass artists.
A useful selection of materials and supplies for flat and hollow glass production.

Arcverre, (Atelier de Recherche et de Création du verre), provides an inventory of some of the best work by the biggest names in architecture and design today.

Art glass reviews, art glass magazines : studio glass, glass international informations.

This association which strives to immortalize the philosophy of Silvano Tagliapietra, brother of the famous glassmaker from Murano Lino Tagliapietra, administers scholarships to students who wish to pursue glass trainings abroad. The foundation is sustained by gifts, and proceeds from the sale of pieces by artists and crystal works.
Crystal and glass news and currents events

 
Glass techniques with Glass Encyclopedia - Sandblasting - Description of the sandblasting Technique : The process of decorating cold glass by removal of material can be done in several ways: direct engraving (wheel engraving and etching) or indirect engraving (acid etching and sandblasting). Sandblasting consists of using compressed air to project sand through a nozzle in order to cut more or less deeply into the body of the glass. The sandblasting decor is carved by this high pressured projection of sand, while the surfaces to remain smooth are protected by a “stencil”. History of the sandblasting Technique : The process of sandblasting was invented in 1870 in the United States by Tilgham and requires compressed air and a sandblasting cabinet. Today sand is no longer used but rather corundum, and special adhesive films for the protected areas have replaced skin glue techniques. Depending on the dimensions of the piece to be engraved, different sized pressure cabins can be required, into which at times one enters wearing a protective suit. Sandblasting Today : Many young artists today such as Ghislene Jolivet continue to explore the aesthetic possibilities of sandblasted engraving. Pressed Glass Description of the pressed glass Technique : Molten glass is poured into a steel or cast iron mold, hinged or otherwise, and firmly embedded to take the mold’s exact shape. History of the pressed glass Technique : This industrial glass technique, a mechanization of an ancient manual process already known 3,000 years ago, made great strides in the U.S. during the first half of the XIXth century. The American process of pressed glass required a team of two glassmakers: one to place the mass of molten glass gathered at the end of his dip rod into the heated mold, the other to operate the plunger that stamps the glass. The glass technique was developed in England and Europe, allowing for the production of very affordable, decorative tableware. This glass technical innovation together with the invention in 1864 of the steam press, gave rise to major mass production. Already in the 1830’s in France, the Saint Louis glassworks, using the pressed glass method, was manufacturing beautifully ribbed and profiled pieces of impressive quality. Baccarat also took full advantage of the new technology. Pressed glass can also be used to form solid glass sculptures in the round or bas-reliefs for artistic or even monumental purposes. Pressed Glass Today : The late XIXth and early XXth centuries remain the artistic zenith of pressed glass, but the technique is still used by many glass manufacturers -- Lalique among others. Lampworking Description of the lampworking Technique : This work consists of shaping, blowing, or stretching tubes or rods of glass using a flame or blowtorch. History of the lampworking Technique : This technique has been practiced since Antiquity in the fashioning and decorating of beads as well as in the fabrication of stills. Afterwards, from the Middle Ages to the present day, this process has been used in the production of laboratory equipment for use in science and industry. Requiring little space and a simple set up, lampworking is relatively easy to practice at home or on the road. Parallel to the utilitarian production for scientific use of lampworking, there has always existed an artistic production of little decorative figurines of spun or “torch blown” glass, animals, Christmas ornaments, even genuine masterpieces like the “filés de Nevers“, or the Art Nouveau chalices of Karl Koepping. Still today there exists a marked infatuation among contemporary glassmakers for this type of conventional handicraft which they are successfully revisiting, sometimes using it in conjunction with other techniques -- for example blowing and casting, incorporating motifs made by lampworking into a mass of molten glass. Lampworking Today Take for instance the lively, baroque and exhilarating work of the Venetian maestro Lucio Bubacco, and dissimilarly, the pure Japanese-inspired creations of France’s Jean-Pierre Baquere. Glass Sculpture Description of the glass sculpture Technique : To approach glass by direct carving, as is usual in the sculpture of stone, marble or wood, was for many years impossible. Sculpting cold glass or crystal is a recent technique, not feasible before the technological advances of the XXth century, and derives on one hand from carving with grindstones, and on the other hand from sandblasting. As for carving, certain glassworkers are currently using enormous grinding wheels, diamond saws, or even hammers and burins. Others practice sandblasting using a sandblaster supplied with a very fine abrasive material called corundum (aluminum oxide) which has all but replaced these days the traditional use of sand. Glassmakers have at their disposal pressurized nozzles of sand and air to tackle the material. For larger pieces, the sculptor must enter into a sealed booth wearing a protective air-fed suit and gloves. History of the glass sculpture Technique : The pioneer of sculpted glass remains the French master glassworker Aristide Colotte (1885-1959). In 1929 he perfected a new personalized technique, a synthesis of glassworking and metalworking techniques, utilizing the crystal carver’s wheel and the metal engraver’s burin, as well as a wheel mounted on a flexible support, much like a dentist’s burr. With this innovative process he could carve deep grooves into the thick walls of his massive crystal vases using a wheel, and finish his work with the aid of a burin, dividing the material into fragments. He also applied this technique to the sculpting of crucible dregs which he salvaged from the crystal works of Lorraine. Taking cold glass and branding it with his powerful aesthetic, he created for the first time in the history of glassmaking, works of sculpture in the round. In the 1970’s and 80’s during a resurgence of interest in glass, young artists began to take a new look at this material, noticing its specific sculptural appeal, linked to light and transparency. the Austrian artist Jutta Cuny, trained as a painter and sculptor, began to sculpt glass by sandblasting in 1976. The direct approach to glass sculpture demands intense physical involvement with the material and gestures that leave no room for error. Glass Sculpture Today Staining Description of the staining Technique : The process of staining consists of coloring the surface of a piece of glass by covering it with metal oxides applied with a brush. After firing, the surface emerges covered with a translucid layer of yellow (silver staining) or red (copper staining). History of the staining Technique : This glass technique is the legacy of the Bohemian glassmaker Friedrich Egerman (1777-1864). Painter, technician, and an avid researcher, he performs several experiments with blanket coats of color like the opaque white enamel called “mother of pearl” before discovering silver staining in 1816 and copper staining in 1832. Egerman remains the sole keeper of the secret of producing copper staining until 1840, when the secret is forcibly taken from him by unscrupulous competitors who then flee to France. This explains how the staining technique was sold to the Saint Louis glassworks after 1840. The staining process was also put into practice by Baccarat beginning in 1860, notably for the World’s Fair of 1867. Reverse Painting on Glass Description of the Technique : Reverse painting on glass is a process of representing pictured subjects on window glass bearing in mind that the viewed image is reversed in relationship to the actual painting, just as the steps of painting themselves are reversed, since the painter must begin with the details before working on the background. The pane of glass serves as both support and varnished surface, protecting the painting and giving it a uniquely smooth appearance. Before undertaking the execution of this technique, a sheet of glass must be cut to the desired size using a glass cutter, then carefully degreased. The pictorial work happens in two steps : first the painting of the outlines using gouache mixed with pigment and gum arabic. Then the filling in of the areas outlined in gouache - a sort of “coloring”, executed in oil. Hot Glass Techniques - Sculpting a Solid Form - Hot Glass Sculpting - Glass Casting - Sand Casting - Casting - Core Forming - Pressed Glass - Glassblowing- Hand Blown Glass - Blowing in a Mold - Industrial Mold Blowing - Decorative Techniques - Bitwork, Wraps - Filigrana - Graal - Incalmo - Lamelles, Plaquettes - Marquetry - Murrine - Interposed Painting - Powders - Crackle Glass - Aventurine Glass - Metal Leaf - Bubble Glass - Cased Glass, Overlay - Cold Glass Techniques - Shaping - Pate de Verre - Slumping - Lampworking - Kiln Casting -decoration by Removal of Material - Acid Etching - Diamond Point Engraving - Wheel Engraving - Sandblasting - Glass Sculpture - Cut Glass - Decoration by Addition of Material - Staining - Enameling - Reverse Painting on Glass - Iridised Glass - embling - Dalle de Verre - Fusing - Tiffany Glass - Mosaic Glass - Stained Glass
 
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