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megram - 55JulGTA - Index

Young (416 347-1437), a professional
engineer and graduate of Ontario
College of Art and Design, creates
abstract, nature-inspired shapes and
animals. Mary Ellen Farrow
(www.mfarrow.com) uses broad,
rounded lines to capture human form
in almost-caricature simplicity. At this
studio, visitors are invited to touch
the tactile art. And if the work lined
along free-standing shelves in the centre
of the space inspires you to try
your hand at carving, the Halton
Carvers Association (519 833-2881)
is in the studio next door. Beginners
are welcome at the club and members
meet Monday afternoons and Tuesday
and Thursday evenings on a regular
basis. The facility is equipped with
workstations, power tools and most
everything else you need to learn and
develop carving skills in a social environment.
But there’s one more stop on this
visual arts centre tour: the Glen
Williams Glass Studio (905 873-
4092).The art of glass blowing hasn’t
changed much in 800 years and that
suits the artisans at The Williams Mill.
Tools of the trade include primitive-
looking iron pokers and pliers and hot ovens maintained at continuous temperatures
of about 2,000°F. A glob of molten glass at the end of a rod is
blown,rolled and hammered repeatedly by a trained artisan who knows just
when to pop the molten glass back into the fire for re-softening.
The glass studio is the highlight of a visit to Glen Williams. Half the
space is a well-lit showroom displaying the intricate and diverse work of the
artists who share the facility and the other half is a working glass-blowing
studio on view to an interested public. On almost any day of the week, one
or more of the artists that share the studio space are busy firing and shaping
new glass pieces using the blazing kiln that fills the space with heat.
Glass blowing is a meticulous, repetitive process that tends to have a mesmerizing
effect on those gathered around the perimeter.
Currently there are seven glass blowers in the studio: Andrew Kuntz,
July/August 2008 • 45 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine