Through the filtered safety glasses, the studio of Melynda Schudrich began to glow and warm as her torch reached 2,400 degrees. 

“It definitely gets hot,” Schudrich said.

Spinning the tube with her creation at the end, Schudrich keeps the hot glass in its semi-solid state from dropping under the force of gravity. 

Lifting the tube in the air, Schudrich blew in, expanding the glass before beginning to add a colorful design.

Though only a scrap used for demonstration, Schudrich said she could turn it into a number of items, including a bowl, spoon or vase. 

Schudrich’s studio was one of over 20 in Dartmouth that community members could visit as a part of the 15th annual Open Studio Tours held by the South Coast Artists, Inc. over the Aug. 17 and 18 weekend, which also included studios in Tiverton, Westport and Little Compton, R.I.

For the last 15 years, Schudrich has spent her summers off from teaching in special education taking some classes of her own — specifically on borosilicate glass torch blowing and sandblasting.

“Working with the borosilicate — it’s exciting,” she said. “It’s fast — things come out and nothing is the same.”

Schudrich said oftentimes, she’ll have a vision in her mind of what she wants to create, but her art will never come out exactly as she pictured and that’s what is so “cool” about it.

This year, she looks forward to making more ornaments and glass balls.

In her second year participating in the Open Studio Tours, she said, “It’s a good community. I like that people come out.”

Susan Cabral said she can’t even remember how long she’s been doing the tours, but knows it’s been “many years.”

She said meeting all the people makes her feel “wonderful” and she enjoys helping them, but especially the moment they find the perfect piece they’ve been looking for.

“That makes me feel good — when they leave and they’ve enjoyed their stay here,” Cabral said.

At her studio, Cabral’s oil and acrylic paintings focused on water, boats and related landscapes. 

She said her art goes through “stages,” having previously focused on still life and wildlife, but “the water and the boats have captured me for a while now because it’s always changing.”

Taking photographs along the coast, Cabral hasn’t yet found herself bored with the subject.

“One time I spent an entire day photographing a boat — literally morning, noon and night,” she said.

One painting hanging in a tent outside her studio featured three small boats in the water and was titled, “Freedom.”

Cabral said she captured this moment during the Covid pandemic, untethered; the boats stood as a metaphor for the freedom she desired from her home. 

“The tour is one of the best things ever,” she said. “It’s a collection and collaboration of great artists. All the artists that are in it are really, really wonderful.”