Mind-Blowing Glass

Color and light explode with brilliance in hand-blown glass! Design an elegant sculpture reminiscent of Dale Chihuly’s spectacular, luminous creations.

• 1.

  Dale Chihuly is a glass sculptor born on September 20, 1941, in Tacoma, Washington. Chihuly began his career at the University of Wisconsin, where he studied glassblowing as a graduate student with Harvey Littleton. He later went to the Rhode Island School of Design, where he established and taught in the Glass Department until 1983. Chihuly then returned to the Pacific Northwest, where he worked with the Pilchuk Glass Studio, which he helped to create in 1983. It was at this studio that Chihuly began to explore the team approach to glass blowing that he discovered during his studies in Murano, Italy.

• 2.

  The art of glassblowing involves heating glass to a very high temperature, where it begins to melt. The glass blower then blows air through a long metal tube while turning the hot and heavy molten glass. This requires a great deal of skill, strength, and patience.

• 3.

  An automobile accident in 1976 left Chihuly with the use of only one of his eyes. Soon after that, he began to work with William Morris, who became his chief gaffer (glass blower). Morris was an exceptionally skilled craftsman and very strong. These skills enabled Chihuly to design larger pieces.

• 4.

  Chihuly’s art is usually based upon forms found in nature, particularly flower forms and sea forms. His series’ names provide clues to his inspirations: baskets, cylinders, floats, ikebana, macchia, Persians, putti, seaforms, soft cylinders, stumps, and Venetians. Most of Chihuly’s installations are created to be illuminated, using the transparent qualities of colored glass to show off their elegant, organic forms.

• 5.

  To create a sculpture of your own, which includes bright colors and organic form, look closely at living natural forms such as flowers, seaweed, and sea creatures. Use white Crayola® Model Magic® to make several shapes that these forms inspire, much as Ch

• 6.

  Cover your art area with newspaper. Tear brightly colored tissue paper into small pieces. Mix equal parts of glue and water in a small bowl to make a glaze.

• 7.

  With a Crayola Paint Brush, moisten a small part of your sculpture’s surface with the glaze. Use your paintbrush to pick up a piece of tissue paper, and apply it to the moist surface. Coat the tissue paper with more glaze. Overlap tissue paper slightly as

Benefits

• Children study the life and art of internationally known glass sculptor, Dale Chihuly.
• Students recognize organic forms in Chihuly’s massive body of blown-glass work.
• Children create an organic sculpture of their own, based upon Chihuly’s luminous style using natural forms.

Adaptations

• Examine pictures of Chihuly’s work to see how unique it is in style, size, and scope. Children with special needs and those who are younger will especially benefit from exploring the variety of his work as well as forms in nature such as shells, butterfli
• Research Chihuly’s various series. Create a sculpture of your own that is similar in form and color to each of his series.
• Research Chihuly’s more recent installations. Visit them, then write about your experience. Create an artwork in response to the art you saw.
• Explore the art of glass blowing. Watch glass blowers in action if possible to gain a fuller understanding of the entire process.