My Account
Inge is a well-established flame artist in the area after settling in Puhoi six years ago
Inge Chappell ditched a high-pressure job as a marketing manager in Auckland and taught herself how to work with molten glass at her home studio in Puhoi.
Glass is difficult to work with, requiring temperatures of between 540 and 650 degrees centigrade. The type of glass, and even the colour, has a bearing on the amount of heat used, for instance blues and greens require less heat than silver and pink.
“It’s not easy, because glass is both creative and technical,” Inge says. “You need an eye for colour, form, and an understanding of the alchemy of glass. It has a temperamental nature.
“Because I had worked as a marketing manager, I have an analytical and creative brain. I think that gives me a natural affinity with the process.”
Inge mostly uses glass supplied from Italy which has oxides added to produce colour. She also works with recycled glass and is a big advocate for up-cycling and minimising wastage. Buckets of thin glass rods adorn her studio in Puhoi, along with finely detailed jewellery.
“I always wanted to live in Puhoi. I think it’s because it has a diverse community made up of artists, writers and travellers. The European Bohemian heritage gave me a connection to the community. I think that might be because I was born in the Netherlands,” she says.
Her studio, Kleurglass offers ‘glass class,’ distributes to galleries, and serves as a gallery.
“Puhoi is a beautiful and peaceful place to work, it helps me create beautiful work for galleries. It’s also a great place for me to teach my ‘glass class’ for budding flame artists.”
Inge also has a retail outlet in Warkworth
