My Dream Studio. Ep 2 - Heather Kremen
For this dream studio interview we’re talking with Heather Kremen – owner and blower at Amokura Glass Studio in Rotorua – opposite the Skyline Gondola. If you haven’t checked out Heather and her team, make sure you pop in and say hi when you visit Rotovegas next!
Heather is a Kiwi-American who fell in love with glass when she took her first glass blowing class in 2007 at Crystal Forge in Omaha, USA. Learning under Ed Fennel, Heather not only learned the basics of blowing glass but was also inspired to look up other glass artists and techniques. Moving to Minnesota for college, Heather began a mentorship under David Royce at Foci, Minnesota’s Center for Glass Art, and then took a year to study abroad at Tokyo Glass Arts Institute in Tokyo, Japan.
Returning to the USA in 2010, Heather spent the next 7 years working and taking classes at the Corning Museum of Glass, New York, at Bullseye Glass, California, at Pittsburgh Glass Center and at Foci Glass, Minnesota. In each of these places Heather was able to learn different techniques— blowing, carving, casting, coldworking, flame working, fusing, murrine, neon, rolling up, sand casting and sculpting—which she has perfected and uses in her work.
In 2017, Heather decided to move back to New Zealand and take over the glass studio De Flute Glass in Rotorua.
Heather Kremen is known for her mastery over a broad range of glass techniques and her ability to combine them seamlessly into complexly patterned work. She loves the round forms made from blown glass and the simple elegance of how the glass flows in the furnace. While keeping her forms simple, Heather creates intricate patterns within the glass using the techniques of fusing, flameworking and casting. Heather’s designs are inspired by living and traveling around the world. She particularly is influenced by the textiles she sees and stories she hears. Her pieces aim to connect people with places around the world.
Your Dream Studio can be anywhere in the universe, where will it be?
I’d like to be close to a beach and ocean, rough ocean and near snowy mountains. Surrounded by pine forest and ferns. In a temperate climate, but sometimes get some snow.
Location would be northern west coast Japan, near Toyama or Otaru, somewhere close to a small town with service shops and a hardware store, and a good engineering shop for all my projects, and a hire store for extra tools. And it needs to be close enough to an airport and roads for supplies. I’m not sure if this place exists or not, but those would be my ideal location needs.
How would you describe the studio like, what’s its vibe?
There would be a complex of buildings joined with covered stone walkways, surrounded by ferns, forest and flowers. Asian aesthetic with gardens, water features, a waterfall and ponds, a bridge over a pond. Walkways with retaining walls made of earth and huge chunks of coloured glass cullet.
Each building is a separate studio, with an open plan for each studio. And the studios have skylights, indoor house plants and good ventilation. My living space would connected to the studios via a walkway, but a separate space. One of the buildings would be a permanently heated Onsen bath.
The main studio would have high 15ft ceilings, natural wood pillars and exposed polished beams with intricate carvings. Floors are stone. A real Scandinavian Viking hall feel. There will be huge floor to ceiling windows along at least two of the walls with stained glass around the top. The view would be over the coast and snowy mountains. The windows open like French doors, letting the wind and smell through the studio.
In the studio will be a big wood table with bar stools, and a well-stocked bar to drink after working, and sharing with those who come to work or watch.
I’d like it to be as sustainable as possible, with the windows be double glazed. Wind turbines, solar, and a water turbine in the waterfall stream to generate power.
Now let’s fit out your studio, for the studio equipment – But we have some rules, you get the first three items for free, then you have will have to make a selection of only six other items. For the first three, you get the choice of a kiln, a glass supplier, and whatever unpowered hand tools you want.
So firstly – what kiln or furnace would you choose?
A Mobile Glass Studio large Phoenix furnace, able to have a 100kg crucible with a door so that I can change out to a 60kg or two 15kg crucibles.
With the add on pipe warmer and annealer kiln/glory hole system.
· Phoenix Furnace - Mobile Glassblowing Studios, LLC
What glass supplier would you choose?
I need blowing glass, and casting glass, and fusing glass. Reichenbach, they have the best colours. But they will need to start making sheet glass too, especially for me to use in my dream studio.
· Reichenbach Colors (glasscolor.com)
And for your third free item, the unpowered hand tools, any particular choices there?
Lots of hand tools, but including Carlo Dona diamond shears and goblet jacks, Maruko jacks, BC Metalworking tweezers, Cutting Edge duckbill shears, Toyo glass grozers, a big glass cutter, a Marver table.
The studio also needs a full set of first aid and health and safety gear.
· Diamond - Carlo Donà (carlodona.com)
· Handcrafted Tweezers for Glassblowers by BC Metalworking
· Duck Bill — Cutting Edge Products (cuttingedgeprdx.com)
Now you have only six other items to fit out your studio with, you will live with your choices forever, so choose carefully.
Item 1
A ‘fridge style’ kiln, tall with a door - Nabertherm
· Chamber Kilns, Heated from Five Sides | Nabertherm
Item 2
Another glory hole, a Wet Dog 24 inch, 2 door
· Glory Holes - Wet Dog Glass (wdg-us.com)
Item 3
A height adjustable glass lathe
· Height Adjustable Glass Lathe with Straight 1 inch Shaft (hisglassworks.com)
Item 4
A 24” Flat Lap, with diamond pads from HisGlassworks. Not the Covington, the Steinert.
· Steinert Industries 24 Inch 220V/50Hz Variable Speed Diamond Grinder (hisglassworks.com)
Item 5
A Paragon Stackable kiln
· Viking28 Series - Paragon Industries Shop (paragonweb.com)
Item 6 - Last item
A Tusk wet Glass saw 14”, with a fine blade
· The Complete Tusk Tile Saw Solution – Tusk Tools
Also in your Dream Studio you are allowed one luxury item, that you couldn’t live without in the studio. Anything at all but it can’t be equipment for making or production.
Ohhh, a huge colourful salt water fish tank
Now that you have your dream studio fitted out, who is one New Zealand artist that you will invite into the studio for a collaboration, and what would that collaboration project be?
Johnathon Percy is a great carver and I love his work, I would love to see what he could do with my glass.
And final question, what is one other artist from anywhere, living or dead, who you would like to collaborate with in your dream studio?
Lino Tagliapetra, I love Lino, he is so innovative in his colour use, and so much skill, I would learn so much from him.
Thanks Heather! It’s great to have a glass blower’s perspective on what’s essential in her studio – there’s a lot of tools and studio crucial items there for us to look up and investigate. I wonder how I can use them in my own practice! You might find them interesting too!