NOVA RPCVs Flameworking Workshop Saturday, January 31st 4 pm – 7 pm
Step into the mesmerizing world of flameworking with a special NoVa RPCV workshop: Heart of Glass at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton—the only place in the region offering flameworking. This is not glassblowing or stained glass. Flameworking (also called lampworking or torchworking) uses a focused torch fueled by oxygen and propane to melt and shape glass rods and tubes into striking, one-of-a-kind pieces.
In this hands-on workshop, you’ll create a tornado heart pendant or paperweight using borosilicate glass. You’ll start with the essentials: glass science, flame and heat control, and studio safety. Then you’ll learn how glass behaves in the flame—and how to use that movement to shape a piece you’ll actually want to keep. Time permitting, you’ll experiment with two or three techniques to find what clicks with your creative style.
No experience needed—just respect for the open flame. Required attire: long sleeves, long pants, closed-toe shoes, and 100% (or near 100%) natural fibers only. If toes are visible, so is the hot glass 🔥
This is a small, intimate workshop designed just for our group, offered at a special price of $75 (materials included; normally $100+). Afterward, we’ll head to the Bunnyman Tavern for dinner and drinks.
To register, contact NoVa RPCV President Lisa Martin at [email protected] while space lasts.
Come see just how badass flameworking really is.
Instructor
Dr. Cynthia Izuno Macri is a glass artist creating and now teaching out of the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia. She is a graduate of Lehigh University and Temple University School of Medicine and served in the US Navy Medical Corps for 35 years. Prior to joining a 6-week Beginner Flameworking class for veterans and military members 3 years ago, she had no experience or interest in art other than traditional crafts like counted cross-stitch, needlepoint, and basic sewing. As a US Navy cancer surgeon, sewing seemed like a natural extension of preserving her professional skills. In retrospect, with the increased use of LASERs, electrocautery and the Argon Beam Coagulator in the operating room, FLAMEWORKING now seems like a more modern natural extension of her professional skills! Dr. Macri now teaches multiple Beginner Flameworking 3-hr workshops for the general public (adults 16+ years of age) per quarter and a multi-week workshop for veterans and military families (16+) twice a year.