British born artist and designer Joanna Manousis, lives and works in the United States, creating literary works in glass and mixed media that speak of human emotion, memory and the passage of time. Joanna has won numerous scholarships and awards for her individual approach in glass sculpture and installation through residencies at The Museum of Art and Design, NYC, Corning Glass Museum, NY and The Cité Internationale des Arts, France.

“My work captures and animates liminal moments, revealing a world in which objects, beings and places are interconnected and in flux.  I re-appropriate objects that exist in the world as a device to lure and engage a universal audience….I make intuitively, however, the technical ramifications of my chosen mediums propel me to a systematic way of working.  This results in a seamless rendering of surface that appears free from human touch.”

Explore the use of ‘hanging-core’ and ‘surface-core’ refractory moulds as a means to create residual details within solid kiln cast glass.  Basic through to advanced kiln casting strategies will be covered.  Students will create original structures from found objects and hand sculpted clay, acquiring the skills necessary to assemble finished models for refractory-core and lost wax casting investment.  This workshop will introduce you to polyurethane mother moulds, hand built refractory moulds, hot wax construction, wax finishing, sprueing and firing techniques, along with de-investment tips for core moulds.  Various cold working methods will also be explored during this 6 day workshop, to polish and reveal the internal cavities within finished glass castings.

Some glass work experience is preferred but not required.

You can see more of Joanna’s work on her website www.joannamanousis.com