Book: The Starving Artist's Lampwork Project Book

I can't recommend this book.


While this book is described as:
The Starving Artist's Lampwork Project Book includes 18 illustrated step-by-step lampworked glass projects for the beginning to intermediate lampworker. Starting with a brief tutorial of basic lampworking methods, the techniques and projects included here were originally created for use in rehabilitation centers for soldiers returning from overseas after World War II. Also known as scientific glassblowing, lampwork is a method of manipulating glass rods and tubes in a gas torch flame to construct a variety of practical and artistic items. No furnace is required, and the necessary tools and materials can be readily obtained at reasonable cost.

You actually get a better sense of the book from the description inside the front cover: 

The Starving Artist's Lampwork Project Book  includes 95 pages, filled with lampwork projects that originally appeared in a series of training manuals that were created during World War II for use in the rehabilitation of veterans returning from military service overseas.

Each project includes a list of all the materials required and detailed, step-by-step illustrated instructions for creating your own lampworked masterpieces.

We've digitized the illustrations from one of those rare, original volumes, enlarged and cleaned them up where necessary, and reset most of the original text. We also updated the contents and added a new section of resources for today's lampworker.

This book is effectively a reproduction of a glass working book from the late 40's, early 50's. And that's exactly what it looks like. And reads like. And while it might have value for scholars who are researching WWII rehabilitation programs - I think those people (both of them) would be better served by tracking down the original copies.

 

If you have never picked up a glass bead or seen a torch - this book is not going to help. I thought I might find some ideas for projects that have fallen by the way side and could be resurrected, but, no.  If you have, it's still not going to help.

If you must buy it - bear it mind that it is cheaper on the publishers' website than it is on Amazon. But 30 seconds of googling and a trip to youtube are going to get you way better info than you will find here. Give it a miss. Sorry.

Contemporary Lampworking Volume III

If you didn't get this for Christmas - then you want to put it on your wish list for your birthday, Valentine's Day, or what-ever-you-can-think-of day.

If you have, or have looked at, Vols I and II in this series, and found them to be very technical and a little intimidating - this is a very different book. It has matured into a much more accessible book.

Included are essays and interviews with contemporary glass artists, much eye-candy and photos, historical tidbits, and some full-on step-by-step tutorials. There is a section devoted to kinetic glass sculpture, and a section on Lauscha.

Not lightweight tutorials either, but step by step photos of items like the hollow skull (lifesize) in boro by Christopher McElroy, a Dragonfly by Michael Mangiafico in soft glass, or Kimberly Affleck's signature Seahorse bead.

There are a few surprising tutorials too - such as the spun sugar pterodactyl and the glass tube sausage cooking.

Part travelogue, part philosphy, this book is an amazing testament to the glass renaissance that we live in, and the amazing spirit of sharing that has made that renaissance possible.

It is a hard cover, spiral, stay-flat binding - so you can take it to the torch, 320 pages. Richly illustrated.

Here's some pics - this is the tutorial on making eyes - artificial eyes, in the traditional blown glass style from Lauscha, by Walter Hellbach.

Here is a stripey, ribbed style bead, by Norikazu Kogure.
Kimberly Affleck's Seahorse.
These are the stunning insects by Emanuel Toffolo. Yes - those are glass.


Seriously, if you aspire to be a better flame worker, or if you consider yourself to be an artist who works in glass and you want to stretch your abilities - then this book is a must. It's the next best thing to hitting the road and taking classes with the masters.

New Book - Glass Beads by Louise Mehaffey

A new lampworking book for beginners. This is an excellent beginner book - with one caveat. One massive caveat. Sorry - I'm probably going to make some enemies with this one.

Beautifully presented, and packed with ooodles of great pics - this is a hard cover book - spiral bound - so you can lay it out flat next to you, or stand it up, and refer to it while torching.

It starts out with an introduction to the author, and the obligatory "history of beads" - which is well done and well presented.

Setting up a studio is covered, torches, kilns, and basic tools are all covered. The detail is not excruciating, but just about right - so that you have enough info to get started - not so much that you feel overwhelmed.

Here are some photos of the book - see - nice, clear pictures.

Anything about the pictures make you feel like, well, you're looking in a mirror?

Way back in the intro - there is a tiny little paragraph that says "Warning - I'm left-handed - so that's what all my pictures show."

If you miss that, (and I asked someone else who had also looked at the book - they had missed it) and you are teaching yourself from scratch, and you are right-handed - you are likely to get all the way through the book - struggling - without realizing that you are doing it the hard way.

While I grant you that the artistic population probably contains more left-dominant-handed people than the general population - current statistics indicate that about 90% of the population is right-handed. To me - this just seems like a major oversight in publishing. Surely it would have opened up a bigger audience to flip the photos - and just make notes in the text to point out places where this was obvious - like when the knobs are on the wrong side of the torch. (Either that, or honkin' big warnings all the way through the book. )

I'm pretty sure, by now, all the left-handed people reading this are throwing rocks at me - to say nothing of the author. I'm sorry - but I calls 'em as I sees 'em.

Other than that - the book is great. It covers all the basics for getting started. You could learn from scratch from this book (but take a class too - lampwork instructors need your money - and you will learn stuff too. ;-) ).

If you are thinking of starting teaching - I would suggest this book as well - to remind you of all the items you need to cover.

Even if you have taken a class - you'll benefit from this book, as it will serve as a good reminder. It really is text-book quality. Except for the handedness thing.

Of course, if you are left-handed - you absolutely have to buy it. No question. Go. Run. Right now. ;-)

just plain beads - Book

A new book from by Deanna Griffin Dove, partnering with Marjorie Langston. This is a slender volume that is big on good stuff.

Covered are lots of things, very basic, but very frustrating for the novice bead maker with maybe 10 - 20 hours of practice - who is starting to notice that their beads aren't quite as nicely shaped as they would like, bead holes aren't perfect, and how do you actually get the bead to be round, instead of donut shaped?

Gratifyingly, most of what I say in my remedial classes is right here, and with great photos to boot. If you are getting frustrated and want to go further, getting some control over your shapes and getting them to be the shape that you wanted (instead of what the glass wanted!) - then this book is definitely worth checking out. I would also suggest checking their website too: Beadmaking Books.com.