With just a few puffs of air, a blob of glass can become a work of art.

Artists use a variety of mediums and techniques to create their works of art. Glass sculptors make their creations with specialized tools, hard work and lots of sweat.

Glassblowing is a technical process that allows the glassblower, or gaffer, to shape a molten blob of glass into a piece of art, said Angela Bisanti, president of the Gaffer’s Guild, a glassblowing club at Iowa State. She has been active with glassblowing since the fall of 1998.

Brenda Kutz, Gaffer’s Guild member, said her first project was a simple one – a paperweight.

“It’s not hard at all – you just have to practice,” said Kutz, academic adviser for electric and computer engineering. “Angela showed us how to do things, and then we tried it ourselves while she watched and told us what we were doing right or wrong.”

Kutz said she and her husband got interested in the club after watching a glassblowing demonstration during Veishea 1999.

“It looked like fun and something we could do and be artistic about,” she said.

Abby Pearson, secretary for the guild, said glassblowing is very therapeutic.

“I was into my art and design [for class] but wanted an output that would let me be creative,” said Pearson, senior in art and design.

The guild makes money by having two public art shows a year, one at Christmas and the other at Veishea, she said. The artwork for the sale comes from its club members, Pearson said.

When a member makes a piece of artwork to take home, they must also make one to sell, she said.

The Gaffer’s Guild is unique to Iowa State because it is the only one in the state and one of the few in the country, said Bisanti, junior in liberal studies. It is made up of 60 students from a variety of majors and community members, some of whom come from as far away as Des Moines, she said.

“People have a curious nature of glass by default – glass is all around us,” Bisanti said. “It is a fascinating process to learn.”

The guild has relocated and expanded its workshop over the past few years. It is now located in Sweeney Hall, and club members now are focusing on getting some new tools to replace the current tools that date back to 1969, she said.

The Government of the Student Body passed a bill to give the club $3,000 to help it purchase new tools for the shop, Bisanti said.

“We are very excited,” she said. “What we are trying to do is create an atmosphere where tools are on hand for people to get a hold of and work with.”

One of the essential tools used in glassblowing is a hollow, stainless steel pipe, Bisanti said. The gaffer puffs small amount of air into the pipe expanding the molten glass into a bubble, she said. The glass is then cooled.

Before members can begin making art, they must go through a semester-long, not-for-credit safety class taught by the guild’s members, Bisanti said. The class teaches aspiring members how to be safe, how to use the tools and learn the techniques behind glassblowing, she said.

The club takes its show on the road, offering demonstrations to organizations and schools around the Ames community.

“It’s a really interesting club to join, and you can actually produce something in the end that is tangible,” Kutz said. “It is something that all kinds of people can enjoy.”