A point is the basic building block of many flameworked glass pieces. A point is a section of glass tube with stretched “handles” or points on each end. One of the handles is open on the tip and used as a blow tube. (The “handles” and the completed unit are both called points.)
This sketch illustrates the process of making a point, and photos of me making a point follow.
First, the artist heats and softens the center of a glass tube while rotating it in the flame. The tube is pulled apart to stretch the softened area into a long, thin section, which is then cut in half with the flame. This leaves 2 halves of the tube, each with one “handle” or point.
Working with one half of the tube now, the tip is broken off with a tool to produce a hole. This becomes the blowpipe into which the artist will later blow while making the desired object.
The artist now heats the tube one to three inches away from the beginning of the first point, softening another area. When soft enough, the tube is again pulled apart to create another long, thin section on the other side. Again, this long, thin section is cut apart using the flame.
A point has been created. This point can now be made into the bowl or the foot of a wine goblet, a vase, cup, head or torso, a bird, balloon, clown, or in my case, a fruit or a set of leaves.
Pulling points is a basic and relatively easy task; however, pulling points well is a difficult skill to acquire! In order to make a symmetrical, balanced goblet bowl or foot for example, the points must be completely symmetrical and balanced. On a good day, 5% of my points are symmetrical and balanced. Luckily, fruits and leaves do not require perfect points, so I have not had to perfect my point making.
Here are two artists who have mastered the art of flameworking and who, on a good day, make 100% of their points perfectly symmetrical and balanced, then go on to make extraordinary, elegant pieces out of them.
Cesare Toffolo http://www.toffolo.com/gallery/
Roger Parramore http://rogerparramore.com/indexhp.html