Jennifer Wood of Riot Designs!

My traditional training in silverwork began in 1995 with a part-time basic jewellery design course, the following year I completed a metal casting techniques program and attended a level 2 metal techniques class. The part-time courses solidified my decision to continue in the artistic discipline of silver, as a result in 1997 I began a two-year full-time program at Vancouver Community College and in 1999 graduated with a diploma in Jewellery Art and Design. During the jewellery program I longed to work in a second medium in order to create more innovative work. I have always been fascinated by glass and its unique characteristics; as a result I decided to learn flameworking using Moretti glass. In 1998 there was very limited resources on small-scaled glasswork so I gathered what information there was available, purchased the equipment needed, and began to teach for myself the art of flamework. I have now been flameworking for 7 years and am completely self-taught.