Glass art from the Bavarian forest

Glassblowing starts with a small lump of glass. It gets bigger and bigger as more and more is obtained from the molten glass. Glass behaves like honey: when it's very hot, it is so fluid that it almost flows away. So it needs to be kept in constant motion.

Finally, air is blown into the mass of liquid glass using a hollow blowpipe. Once it's really hot, even a gentle breath is enough for the job. The artist blows a bubble that she then shapes using wooden tools.

The glass needs to constantly be warmed up in a heated oven so that it stays malleable.  The longer it's out of the glass oven, the colder and more brittle it gets.

Once the material has been separated from the blowpipe, there is a small opening where the pipe was attached. This will become the opening of the receptacle, and is widened using wood or scissors.

Glassmaking is a profession dominated by men. It is of course a physically demanding profession, but a glassmaker doesn't just need physical strength, they also need to have a feel for the material and fine motor skills.

Magdalena Paukner lives in a small farmhouse in the middle of the Bavarian Forest National Park—surrounded by animals and a big garden, she can find countless inspiration for her creations.