2 weeks of glass college in the Czech Republic

[erik winkler]

Since I visited Praque this year I had the urge for knowledge which never ends.
I have searched and searched for THE glass teacher in the Czech Republic.
Finally after a lot of pain and trouble I managed to arange a master class in Lathe cutting, engraving and HF etching for two weeks by the teachers who teach all over the world including the people from the Corning Museum of Glass, Moser Egermann, Swarovsky, SaintGoblain etc etc etc.

The pricipal of the school has invited me for two weeks of private lessons in his school in the Czech Republic.
Ofcourse for all of us it is pretty far away and not everyone has the time or money to go there.
But if you think you can, I invite you to come along.

Here are the rediculous facts:
1. Price for training 360 us dollars for two weeks (5 days a week, 4 hours of one on one teaching and 4 hours of self pracising overseen by the teachers).
2. Lodging will be in a hostel for 8 us dollars a day.
3. Period:8-19 March 2010.
4. Probably the best glass school in the world.

If you are interested let me know.

Erik

[Doug Bernhardt]

Eric.........me thinks you are in for a real treat with this trip. Would love to see the link (if there is one).

[erik winkler]

No links from me yet Doug.
You'll have to trust me on this one.
Sorry,
Erik

[Kent Smith]

Sounds like a great learning experience. I am sure you will post lots of great photos.

[erik winkler]

Yes I certainly will post the photo's, but it would be better if you would post them yourself.
I think this could be a lifetime experience for everybody and will bring the letterheads to a new level.

[Kent Smith]

The economy would have to make a significant recovery for me to consider the travel. Also I am an old dog and not up to many new tricks.

[erik winkler]

For the whole morning I have the feeling that a stone is in my stomach.
I just heard some bad news that the oldest glass school in the world is maybe to be closed.....
The Czech Republic school which will give the private course in March.
So it is not a matter of taking time to go with me on this trip or not, it is more a matter of the last call!
Just imagine what kind of techniques were used 150 years ago untill now. They know it all.
Most of the knowledge will be lost, it is heartbreaking.
I am sitting here staring to my monitor for the last few hours, I feel phisically sick by this news.
Having trouble to concentrate and work.
Hope to hear some good news soon.
It is up to you if you want to be there in March or not and suck all the knowledge out of them what you can....

Erik

[Patrick Mackle]

Erik,
That is sad news indeed, as more things appear to be fading into history.
But if you look around the downfall in the recent world economy is spreading this effect world wide so it's not surprising.
The reality is some treasures like this glass school may never return. That is why I believe it is important
for people like us who have an intense interest must find a way to visit the school and collect the important information before it is disbanded.
I may be an old dog, but I've got the heart of a puppy!
When I first saw brilliant cutting on glass I wanted to learn the skill. But no one who knew anything about it would teach me. So I built a small
engraving machine and began to practice the cuts I found in stemware and older cut and beveled medicine cabinet mirrors.
Attending a school like this Czech school would save a lot of years of working out methods on your own.
Below are some photos of some pieces I made to repair missing window sections on a antique gypsy wagon that moved around Europe and
now resides in Northern California. The amber glass sections started as clear window glass that I stained with silver stain and fired in a kiln. Then the floral design was wheel cut in and polished smooth with a poplar wooden wheel and cerium oxide. The customer was overly amazed that I had taken an interest in this now nearly obscure ancient craft and had the interest to carry on with it. I guess that's just the puppy in me.
Please let us know any projected dates on attending this school.
Pat

[erik winkler]

Pat, it is allways good to hear your stories of your incredible stamina in learning all the difficult to aquire techniques.
The dates of the actual study are 8 untill 19 March. I think it is possible to go for just a week if you do not have the time for two weeks or think that you allready have your basics in wheel cutting, but than again they can teach you mold making for glass melting and all kinds of crazy stuff.
8 march is a monday and i am planning to go to the Czech republic somewhere on saturday the sixth, by car or plane.
Returning on sunday the 21st. Maybe visiting the Spatzier factory on the way back (it will be just of the road).
During the two weeks I am invited to visit the wheel making fabric just around the corner in the same village.
In the first and second weekend I am planning to make a trip to beautifull Art Nouveau/Jugendstill Praque have a beer and a big bavarian like piece of knuckle of a bone.
From Amsterdam the plain ticket to Praque is 50 dollars if booked now, maybe I will go by car (9 hours drive) and I will be able to cruise around all the museums and villages and mybe Dresden in Germany which is about 2 hours from the school.
(difficult for me to write this, because I feel really sad, broke my second super large test piecetoday aswell )
Will plan lots more and if you come I will make sure everbody who attends will get the possibility to get a completely new kind of cutting wheel that will make punties soooo easy like a Smithtip can gild.

[noelbweber]

Hi Erik,
What a great reason to go back to Czech Republic. If this workshop can still happen there will be two of us from Boise. Thanks for your efforts.
Noel

[Larry White]

Hey cool shirt Pat!

Some are born to sweet delight...

Some are born to gild all night!


Figures you ended up with that one. What's keeping you up all night this week?

Aho...and jeez...take a little time off!


Nice glimpse into Pat's Rat Hole too! ....I love ya, man!

[erik winkler]

Ok here is the update.

I have many requests about the workshop and to be honoust I feel the heavy responsabilty for making this happen and it to be really worthwhile.
I have email the principal about the extra attendies, but he is on christmas vacation and will not reply the mail yet.
For me it is very exciting to know if the workshop will continue or not, but he already planed my/our dates so it should be just fine.
Here te extra information you wanted and must know before you confirm the trip:

1. I sugest that everybody sends a private mail in wihich you state that you want to attend the teachings with Erik between 8-19 march.
2. The perfectly (way better than me) English speaking principal can be contacted by two different email adresses, for now I suggest CC your request of confirming to both.
3. Frantisek Janak M.A. (principal) email: janak@supss.clnet.cz and storic@volny.cz
4. This is the website for foreign students and from there you ca browse and discover a lot about the teachings that can be given: http://www.supss.clnet.cz/stranky/studium/en_staze.html
5. I requested brilliant cutting for large panels, but they do not use systems that can go bigger than sheets of glass exceeding 50x5cm; I must emphazise that clearly, so that you will no be disappointed afterwords.
6. Eventhough we will learn cutting and engraving on medium sized glasses it is THE introduction I and probably so many others (besides master Dave and Pat Mackle, sorry if I missed someone) need.
7. As you can see the costs are not high, but keep in account that most of you have to travel from far and have to take those extra traveling days in acount (remember the terrible jetlag when comming from the west I do not want soppy faces the first day ).

8. If you look at this page: http://www.supss.clnet.cz/stranky/en_galerie1.html you will notice that they can teach a lot at the school. As I stated above I have requested cutting glass, engraving and acid etching techniques (which are not done officially at the school ). Please let your mind go wild and suggest a technique you allways wanted to learn on the forum so that we can ask the Principal as a team.

9. Lodging, will be done in the hostel they recommend.

10.. Traveling.
As can be seen on the website, you can go by plane directly to Praque and take a bus or a train to the village of Kamenicky Senov
http://www.supss.clnet.cz/stranky/en_kontakt.html
If you would come to Amsterdam Nederland, it is possible to go by car (I can only take 3 passengers in my VW Golf) or by plane for now the plain tickets are 40 euro's (I hope we will get more information from the Principal soon so we can order the tickets early if needed).

11. Everybody is invited to come to Amsterdam prior to travel to the Czech Republic, ofcourse I have to work on the days before I will go, but I can arange some beds in my house instead of a hotel, we can go to Amsterdam by night and I could be the guide.

12. If you would attend the same days as I will, keep in mind that the city of Praque is a beatifull one and I personaly will visit the city in all it's spring glory.

13. People who showed interest so far are, what I heard on the street (I hope they will not be offended by putting it up here):
1. Erik
2. Pat Mackle
3. Doug Bernhardt
4. Noel Weber
5. John Studden
6. Dave Smith
7. Inga Mäger Renault
8. Kelly Thorson
And maybe some more...


Hope you have enough information by now and if there are any other questions, just let me know.

Erik

[erik winkler]

Just minutes I go this email from Inga (who already contacted the Principal):

Erik,
I heard back from Frantisek yesterday.
(He said he had emailed me back before as well, but I never received it, so he resent the reply)
Here is the message I received:


Dear Inga!

I hope, that we can work it out. Our school is going now through a very complicated period of time. The owner of our school - Liberec county - is short of money and their idea is to safe some on closing our 153 years old school! They are absolutely short minded as most of other politicians. We are working hard on it now and I hope, that we will keep our school going. Everything should be decided in the second half of January. Cross our fingers for us and if everything is going well I will see you here! Visits of the foreign students will help us a lot to facilitate a financial support for our school in future!

Look at this petition:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/SenovPreservation

Best regards!

Frantisek Janak M.A.
principal


Did you know about this before?
I wonder if we should write Liberec county on the school's behalf? What do you think?

Merry Christmas,
Inga

I just signed the petition and donated my bit, I suggest that everybody who feels for the heritage should sign the petition.

Erik

[erik winkler]

Just got mail back from principal Frantisek Janak:

Hi Erik!

Everything should be clear in the end of January. I already got one mail from Ingrid Mager. I hope, that our school will continue and we can open the door for your friends. Just tell them to contact me please.

Best regards!

[erik winkler]

It is on!!!

Just two minutes ago I got this mail:
Hi Erik,

everything will be decided on January 26, when the Liberec county assembly will vote about our future. If their plan will go through, our school will close its formal existence from the 1st of April 2010 and I will not be in here anymore. Education will continue till the end of the school year June 30. Then everything should move to N. Bor. So actually even if everything will go bad, you and your friends still have possibility to come overhere. But my presence at school will definitely end on March 31.

Frantisek

We can book our free days definatly, make reservations for plain tickets etc.
And please inform me whoever wants to go, so I can inform Frantisek and the hostel where we will sleep.
Maybe I will hire a bus for mutiple people if you are interested, so we can make a safe roadtrip and have transportation if we want to see the countryside?

[Patrick Mackle]

That's great news. Time to start clearing a path through the jobs. I can use a break and see some new sights.
Pat

[erik winkler]

Pat and other attendees.

Now that the die was cast it is necessary to get things going.
The principal want to know the following details:

Please, I need to know number of the people, their gender/sex, their wish, what to do here, when they arrive and where to.
We need to prepare room for their work, to arrange accommodation and food and to help them to get over here from Prague.
Do it soon please!

Frantisek

If you want to mail me with this information, I will combine all the data and inform him.

Erik

[erik winkler]

Here a video of the school and the village:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7AkG8tODr4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WpMA-tpRgs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbvRkH7RFvA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT2jMAL1zYg

[erik winkler]

I thought it would be nice to inform you guys about our trip to the Czech glass school.

Tomorrow morning Pat will arive at Schiphol Amsterdam airport, I will pick him up.
After crashing at my place, I will guide him to the wooden shoe places, cheesfactories and windmills.
Heck if he is here HE IS HERE.
Maybe at night we will drive across Nederland to another nice city called Deventer, which has an nice medieval citycentre, have some dinner etc and drive back to Diemen/Amsterdam.
Friday we will start in making a very short visit to my firm by bike after which we will cylce to the centre of Amsterdam making a grand touristic route.
I will try to show him the nice typical Dutch style in signmaking and architecture of our previous centuries.
Maybe do the Anne Frank House, visit the Red Light district, try some 16th century Amsterdam liqours, visit the coffeeshops, Van Gogh Museum and the Rembrandt house where they have a great metal etching setup (vero eglomise).
Then we will make a cycletour through our old workingclass neighbourhoods (really nice atmosphere) and we will make a boattrip through the beautifull canals of Amsterdam.
Afterwards we will end up in an old dark nicotine brown café were some of my friends await us and who want to blame Pat for me not showing up anymore these last two years, because I am a Letterhead junkie....

At 8 O 'clock at night we will go to my house, crash a few hours get some rest so that I am fit enough to do the 9 hour drive to Praque were we will arive on saturday at about 9 in the morning.
There we will have Kelly and Inga welcome us, because they took a direct flight to Praque.
In Praque we will cruise through the streets, museums, castle and bars.
And on sunday, late in the afternoon, we (the four of us) will drive the two hours to the village of Kameninky Senov where the school is and our student dormitories.
So that we can start learning at 8 the next morning.

Can not wait!

[erik winkler]

Ok, a quick note before we go to our fourth day of glass school.
On thursday Pat arived to the airport and I picked him up.
Driving to my house only took 15 minutes.
The Californian dude immediatly wanted to go out and check out everything to see.
We went to my firm, because I had some loose ends to fix before departing for 2 weeks.
I showed him around and gave him a look at some of my test pieces.
After that we drove to a castle just 10 minutes from Diemen in the city of Muiden.
http://maps.google.nl/maps?f=q&source=s ... 2,,0,-2.79
After that we walked about a little here, because it has some nice fortresses dating from back to the 12th century.

Then we went to the former island of Marken, where the typical wooden shoes are worn and we ate some raw fish named haring. http://maps.google.nl/maps?f=q&source=s ... 8,,0,-7.87


Then we took trip to the city of Volendam and went back home.
There we hoped on my two bikes and cycled to to the centre of Amsterdam. On the way I was telling Pat a lot about the history of certain places, geogrphical facts and organice growth of the city.
We visited a brewery which is situated in an old windmill. Beers there have some high alcohol percentage.
Some of them have 9 percent! We probably tasted to many different ones, because when we drove back late at night we were looking so much around us and to the buildings instead of the road that Pat fell and hit his face the sidewalk hard. That was a bummer. The next day Pat had an purple nose and a blue eye.

In the morning we went to Amsterdam again with our bikes and visited a lot of interesting places in town. Pat went to the Anne Frank house. My friend Marlies joined us and we took a canalboat trip. After that walked to a pub nearby where some of my friends were. One of them is an plastic surgeon and he looked at Pat's nose and said it was not broken. Thank god.
At eight we ride back home and I went for a short sleep before driving to Praque late that night.
At 12 we packed our bags and took the car for the 9 hour trip.
After 30 minutes it started to snow, after one hour more snow so I could harldy see the road. After two hours even more snow and I could not see the markinglines on the highway. So after three hours my car strated to skip and slide, it was horrible! I stopped called my brother and asked what was going on here in Germany with the snow. He said it would go even worse a snowstorm was on its way. We were stuck in the middle of Germany on the side of an highway. I made the decision to go back to Nederland, so after 7 hours of driving we were exactly where we started in Diemen.
My brother and Marlies searched for an alternative way to go to Praque and came up with a train connection the same day at 7 in the evening.
We bought the tickets online and went for the 14 hour trip on beds in the sleepingtrain.
The next morning we found Kelly in her hotel and walked around a bit. Hired a car and picked up Inga and drove to the city of glass.

More to come later.....

[Kelly Thorson]

Prague in itself is an incredible visual feast. Walking the cobblestone streets between Erik and Pat makes me feel as if I am between the covers of an encyclopedia. I've learned so much from doing the museums with them. I have taken over 1000 pictures, many which will need to be culled because I'm just clicking and shooting. Both of these guys are well over 6 ft tall and I'm doing a lot of high speed photography. The architecture here is mind blowing.
I've had the opportunity to try my hand at wheel cutting, mold making, and glass casting. We have seen what I suspect is the most beautiful glas in the world, I'm particularily taken with the enameling workshop.
We have found a great little restaurant with amazing food and a glass blowing studio that we can watch through big picture windows. It's fascinating to watch the people creating vessels, goblets and chandelier glass while enjoying an excellent meal.
Off to class, we are going touring today, I believe to see a glass museum, a place where they make pigments as well as brushes, and I'm not sure what else. It's all a bit hard to keep straight with the language barrier, and although most of the teachers speak english we often get tripped up on the translation of a word which makes the flow if information a bit harder to absorb.

[DAVE SMITH]

Sounds like your having a great trip Kelly,I knew you would appreciate Prague as it is such an incredible place to be.
How is Pat doing after that nasty fall that Erik spoke about?
Look forward to seeing what you guy's have been upto.
Dave

[Patrick Mackle]

Hi Dave,
How does that old Irish song go? "May the road rise up to meet ya?" Well, I met that road wit me face!!
Let me tell ya laddy, beware o' the three B's-- bikes, beer, an' BRICKS!
There I was, mind'in me own business enjoyin' the lasses and he sites, when me front bike tire matched up aside a line o' bricks shorter than a Leprechaun. Being that those sleek tires had no knobs like me own bike, they couldn't scale the wee brick step. I dove onto the downhill grade with my hands outstretched ready for the impact. My velocity was too great, and I smacked the brick roadway with me forehead and nose. My good fortune was the purchase of a woolen knit watch cap that warded off a trip for stitches, however the crunchin' sound that accompanied the crash proved to be my septum. Menno, a good medical friend of Erik confirmed the deviation on that nasal detail. He said that it should be corrected before a day or two passed. I wasn't fond of searching out an M.D. to fix things up, but after a while of looking like Jack Palance after an auto crash I began to give it some thought. As it happened, Erik and I got caught up in a snow storm on the way to Prague. We stopped in a rest area and while Erik went in to check the road conditions I sat in the car. While watching the snow fall, I began to concentrate on my nose and I'm glad to say that I was able to get it back in position and with the swelling subsiding it looks all the bit like it did before.
Now if I can only get the vision of those bricks rising up to meet me the whole mishap will be passed.
Pat

[Kelly Thorson]

You were so right Dave!
Last weekend we took in the Mucha museum and the Museum of Decorative Arts. Both were fantastic.
I had been warned that I might be disappointed by the Mucha Museum but I wasn't at all. It gave me goosebumps to see the original pen and ink and watercolours of the posters and images that I have loved for so long. There were also wonderful pencil sketches of furniture, lighting and jewelry designs, oil paintings etc. I could have spent a lot more time there and may return next weekend if I find time. The Museum of Decorative Arts was full of beautiful pieces, furniture, glass, clocks..... Doug B if you are reading this and you have not been to Prague, you must make that a stop if you ever come. I wish that I had paid the extra to bring in my camera, but I was running low on battery and wanted to save it for the castle, which ended up closing just as we got there. If I have any extra time I might return there and buy a photography pass.
Navigation in Prague is not the easiest for me. I found the cobblestone roads and walkways rough walking, especially when I was trying to soak up all the surroundings. I easily loose my sense of direction and the road signs are small and on the side of buildings. Getting lost isn't such a bad thing though especially when you are in such a beautiful place.
Today the others have gone to see the Pulpour and Vit Dias wheel making factories. I don't have any plans to purchase any wheels so I decided to take a down day and regroup. That should give me the energy I need to complete the trip.

[DAVE SMITH]

Kelly and Pat glad to hear you are both having a great trip, It sounds like Erik is being a good host and tourist guide.
Pat I hope your vision of close up bricks slowly dwindles into insignifacance, I just hope you make it back in one complete piece mate. Your probably starting to look more like Donald Sutherland than ever!
Maybe next year you guy's may want to go again with a few more keen artists.
Enjoy the rest of the trip and don't forget to rub your hands on the statue on St Charles Bridge...

Glad you got to see Mucha's work, sure is incredible...
Dave

[Kelly Thorson]

Although I was reluctant to leave the Czech Republic (Europe agrees with me), I am glad to be home, it's funny how such a short period can alter your perception so much. I don't doubt that after a few weeks here, the stress levels will escalate once more as I try to deal with the spring rush, but for now I feel relaxed and capable.
A big thanks for Erik for this lifetime opportunity. I know how concerned you were that this trip met our expectations, and although it was far from what I expected, it was no less wonderful and I feel it was well worth the money I spent. It was a genuine pleasure getting to know you and I hope our paths will cross again. It was great spending time with you again Pat, as well, and thanks for all the information you fed me. I'm not sure how much I will retain of it, but I know there is a friend just a phone call away if I need clarification.

[DAVE SMITH]

Glad to see you had a good time Kelly.
Look forward to seeing what you guy's got upto .
Dave

[Doug Bernhardt]

Everyone home safe and sound a looks like a good time was had by all as well. Thanx for the heads up Kelly as you obviously have my "travel photo interests" figgered out. Prague is high on my list of places to visit although am far from being done with English Pubs. Am concidering another trip there in the near future although things are still very busy here.

[Duncan Wilkie]

Welcome back Kel. I look forward to the stories and pictures.

[Pat Welter]

Welcome back Kelly and Pat... looking forward to seeing some pics of what your learnds as well as of your trip.