Bronwen McKnight WHAT Glass Artisan WHERE Kiss My Glass Hot Gallery, 109 Brock St. W., Merrickville 269-4102, kissmyglass@sympatico.ca SHOWS Merrickville Artists' Guild Studio Tour & Sale, Sept. 25 & 26, Oct. 2 & 3, 10-5; Toronto "One of a Kind" Christmas Show WHY "My studio helps create community."   See samples of Bronwen's work	Previous Artist Trading Cards

Bronwen McKnight - Kiss My Glass
By Sally Hansen

"Kiss My Glass" - the name of Bronwen McKnight's glass gallery and studio in Merrickville - has irresistible appeal for someone with my penchant for playing with words. McKnight's glass objects appeal to almost everybody. Our interview session at the store was punctuated repeatedly by customers' exclamations of delight as they explored the glass bowls, ornaments, vases, oil lamps, and other decorative objects on display.

Maybe it's because she has to blow so much hot air to produce her glass pieces that Bronwen doesn't waste words when I ask her about her fifteen-year love affair with glass. "I'd prefer to be called a glass artisan - not an artist," she replies to my standard "What?" query for the information in the Artist Trading Card above.

One of the reasons McKnight is proud to be an artisan is because of the hard work that goes into learning a trade. She spent several years working in an apprenticeship relationship, followed by more than a decade of practice, experimentation, and trial and error. "You really have to want to do it. Unless you have a vision, dedication, focus, you won't survive the learning process."

That's one of the reasons she has created a work and learning environment that she shares with other glass blowers, both experienced and novice. She offers two-day "Hands On" general interest classes, and she frequently provides demonstrations to interested groups. Bronwen particularly enjoys offering a supportive, affordable work environment to other glass blowers who are launching their careers. "It's really difficult when you graduate from one of the three-year programs like Espace Verre in Montreal or Sheridan College near Toronto because it's very expensive to set up a hot glass studio. It took me years, so I especially like mentoring female students."

Go With the Flow
Bronwen's favourite medium is clear glass. She welcomes the pure design challenge of fluid sculpting, working only in positive and negative space without the distraction of colour. Her first career was in window display design, moving to interior design and sales at various locations in Ottawa. "One day I was at a craft show and I decided I was going to take a glass blowing course. I always envied this other life style of following your muse; of creating beauty with your hands."

Over the ensuing fifteen years she discovered that her muse was multi-faceted. "I love the creative aspects of my work, but I'm also proud to be a business person who contributes to and helps to build community. I really enjoy what happens in my classes - people get an opportunity to stretch the limits of what they can do." The studio also gives her the opportunity to share her enthusiasm about her chosen career. "I love explaining how hot glass is blown. It's fun to develop an appreciation for the dedication and hard work that go into glass making."

It's a lot of hard, dirty, heavy, satisfying work. Her hot glass furnace is always on (at about 2200ºF) to keep the molten glass in the crucible at the proper stage of fluidity. It needs to be almost as liquid as water, and it solidifies quickly if the propane delivery is late. The bags of silica sand (quartz) she pours into the crucible require her to wear safety equipment and run noisy air filters. She crushes coloured glass bars made in Germany and New Zealand with a metal mortar and pestle, and she handles hot, heavy materials constantly.

She loves it, and so do her students. The hood of her furnace is covered with graffiti contributed by students who have attended classes over the years. One says "It shrunk!" Hot glass blowing teaches patience; pieces have to cool gradually overnight, so when you see your piece the next day, there can be a disjoint between what you see and what you thought you made. The only actual shrinkage is in your mind's eye.

Fortunately Bronwen's muse is also practical. She tells me, "My second grandchild was born this week, and I'm consciously building a business that I can continue when blowing glass becomes too physically demanding for me." That business plan includes teaching, mentoring, running the gallery and leasing studio facilities.

Don't Miss Her Glass
You may not want to kiss it, but everyone who dropped in at Bronwen's Kiss My Glass Hot Gallery while I was there really seemed to enjoy it. Located at 109 Brock St. W. in Merrickville, her Gallery is Stop 8 of the upcoming 20th Annual Merrickville Artists' Guild Studio Tour & Sale. Bronwen is hosting guest Chris Van Zanten, flat and hot glass artist, at her Gallery during the Tour on September 25 & 26, and October 1 & 2, from 10AM to 5PM. Click here for a preview of her work. Her phone number is 269-4102, and her email address is kissmyglass@sympatico.ca.