Blown Bird in Soft Glass: Sculptural Flameworking with Shane Fero

Shane Fero 3: Blown Bird in Soft Glass
Runtime: 40 minutes
Skill level: Intermediate–Advanced
Glass: Soft glass tubing
 
An intermediate–advanced sculptural blowing E-demo exploring hollow construction, colour layering, heat, gravity, solid-to-hollow joins and balance through Shane Fero's signature blown soft-glass bird.
 
Zurich Glass School is pleased to present internationally recognised American glass artist Shane Fero, teaching his distinctive approach to blown soft-glass sculpture through one of the forms for which he is best known: the bird.
 
This intermediate–advanced E-demo is designed for lampworkers ready to move beyond solid off-mandrel sculpture and begin thinking with air, pressure, wall thickness, rotation, gravity and carefully distributed heat. Shane demonstrates the construction of a hollow sculptural bird, but the real subject of the lesson reaches considerably further.
 
The finished bird is the project. Learning to think like a glassblower is the lesson.
Working with soft-glass tubing, Shane builds the bird progressively from a hollow form. He demonstrates how colour and surface decoration can be layered before blowing; how the head and tail are established and controlled; how rotation and gravity can be used together to develop an asymmetrical body; and how hollow and solid glass can be successfully combined within a single sculpture.
 
What you will learn
How to control a hollow form through heat, rotation, gravity and air pressure
How wall thickness affects the behaviour of blown soft glass
How to use powders, frits, shards, canes and layered colour as part of the sculptural process
How to establish and refine an asymmetrical blown body
How to constrict and thicken areas before further shaping
How solid-blown seals allow solid components to meet a hollow form
How to manage heat around potentially stressful joins
How to create the bird's eyes, beak, legs and finely worked feet
How to assess balance throughout construction rather than correcting it only at the end
How Shane's techniques can be taken beyond the demonstrated bird and incorporated into your own sculptural language
 
Shane's approach to colour is particularly painterly. Layers of powders, frits, shards and canes are used not simply as decoration, but to create tonal variation, depth and surface character. These layers also change the physical behaviour of the glass, requiring the maker to remain attentive to heat, thickness and compatibility throughout the process.
 
As the bird develops, large-scale blowing gradually gives way to increasingly precise localised heat. The legs introduce solid-to-hollow construction; the beak, eyes and feet demand control at a much smaller scale; and each claw is developed in relation to the balance of the finished object.
Throughout the demonstration, Shane emphasises observation, repetition and correction. Blown glass responds differently from solid sculpture, and success comes through learning to read the material rather than forcing it.
 
Expect uneven bubbles, difficult joins and the occasional failure. They are part of learning to blow glass.
 
You are welcome to reproduce Shane's bird while learning, but the wider purpose is not to become good at making Shane Fero birds. Once these techniques become familiar, change the proportions, surface, colour or subject. Combine them with skills already present in your own practice.
 
The goal is for Shane's way of working to become another language available within your own glassmaking.
 
This E-demo can be followed entirely at your own pace and is fully subtitled. Supporting educational materials accompany the Standard and Mastery learning options.
 
Your learning resources
 
This E-demo includes the Blown Bird Course Notes & Student Guide, together with downloadable supporting material designed for use alongside the demonstrations.
 
With Tier C you will also receive a complimentary 30-minute Development Session with Shane Fero, giving you an opportunity to discuss your own work, troubleshoot difficult areas together and receive individual guidance as you progress through the course.
 
Basic and Standard E-course access (Tiers A & B) is provided for six months, allowing plenty of time to watch, practice, repeat difficult sections and return to the demonstration as your skills develop, should you need lifetime access choose our Mastery Tier C. After purchase, access may take up to 24 hours to activate. Learning options and access details are outlined in the Learning Tiers section.
 
Runtime: 40 minutes
Skill level: Intermediate–Advanced
Glass: Soft glass tubing
Instructor: Shane Fero
Focus: Sculptural blowing, colour, hollow construction & heat control
Requirements: Your own torch or access to a flameworking studio
Resources: E-demo Notes & Student Guide + supporting technical materials
Accessibility: Fully subtitled
Learning options: Tier A — Watch Only | Tier B — Standard | Tier C — Mastery, Mentored & Certified

Strengthen your foundations: Shane Fero 1 — Back to Basics Develop blowing further: Shane Fero 2 — Introduction to Blowing with Soft Glass Develop your own artistic direction: Shane Fero 3 — Finding Your Artistic Voice 
 
Related blowing: Eric Goldschmidt blowing/tubing E-demos Need individual help? Focus Sessions Explore more teaching: ZGS Learning Channels Learn with ZGS throughout the year: Membership