A New Class! And New Exciting Toys!

I just wanted to let everyone know about a new class I've just added to my teaching schedule! I don't often teach night classes, but I've had so many requests for them, that I've added this one. 

Our New Front Door Sign! C'mon In!

Kiln Forming I

Learn the fundamental techniques required for functional fused glass art and sculpture. In this course students will be introduced to the working properties of glass including; compatibility, heating, design issues, and more. Students will work with sheet glass, rods, frit, stringer, enamels, and various inclusions to create a variety of projects. Students will gain knowledge of firing schedules and programming the kiln. Additionally, students will learn about cold working glass and related equipment. Student projects will include jewelry, plates, bowls, pendant lighting, glass wall prints, and cast glass sculptures.

In this course students will experience fusing, slumping, tack fusing, casting and weaving techniques. We’ll work with mold making techniques, drilling holes, and other cold working techniques to refine the work. We will also learn the basics of image transfer onto glass including; gel mediums, screen-printing with enamels, and so much more.

Here are the details:
The class will be 10 sessions and we'll cover A LOT! Workshop Fee $450, Materials Fee $175

Time: 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm 
Thursdays- 2/13, 2/20, 2/27, 3/13, 4/3, 4/10,4/17, 5/8Wednesday - 4/23Tuesday - 3/18

Here's the link to sign up for the fusing class. 

Link to Workshop Sign Up - Click Here

Link to Materials Kit Sign Up - Click Here

One of the links is the workshop, the other is the materials kit.

Looking forward to seeing you!  

Feel free to contact me with questions you might have!

I just wanted to share my excitement over my new toys! I ordered 3 new lap wheels in from Covington Engineering. They arrived a few weeks ago and I'm just getting around to hooking them up! Lisa and I are sharing an 18" wheel, and then I ordered a 12" wheel and a portable 8" wheel. Can't wait to use them!

The 12" Covington Lap wheel! I built a rolling stand for it so I can move it from place to place!

The 18" Covington Lap Wheel that Lisa and I are sharing!

Weaving glass and all that jazz!

Friday I was privileged to have a private class with my old pal Gigi! We spent the day weaving, chatting, and having a generally busy, but good day. Here's some of what Gigi did!

Gigi weaving an awesome design!

another view of Gigi's Weave!

Here's Cathy's weave! She was motivated to do one  when she saw Gigi's!

Here is what I did while Gigi was weaving... Another 25 pounds of glass was smashed all in the name of the City Year glass Vase project! Then each piece was hand clipped with the nippers to get them smaller. Don't you love what a hammer can do to 6 half sheets of glass?

This is 25 pounds of Cobalt Blue tones

Here's how the turquoise ones came out... In case you wanted to know, these were made with turquoise irid, light turquoise, aqua tint irid, clear, and a smudge of light aqua, and a pinch of light sky blue.

These are the cast discs out if the kiln, and the final shape prototype.

Today is Saturday and I taught our Essentials of Glass Fusing Class. Here's my awesome class and my demo pieces. We had a great time! I love it when new students catch glass fever!

This is a dichroic pendant fully fused and a 6" square tack fuse piece
both going in at 1325 F for a little soak!

While my class was working in the cold room I weighed out the next batch of vase discs and put them into the kiln.  Here they are... each disc is 2.5 pounds-give or take a 1/10... if you really want to know.

Hopefully these look like a very different blue then the turquoise ones above.

I'm a tad concerned that they could be too dark. I added lots of clear and lighter tones into the mix, so hopefully they'll be deep blue, but still very translucent and bright. I used true blue irid, steel blue, light sky blue, clear, flecks of turquoise irid and opaque deep cobalt blue, and left over blue gray.  Cross your fingers for me!

The next batch is green, then reds, then plum tones.  So I'm 50 pounds in on the project so far.  I'm going to cast all the disks first, then cold work them all, and then drape them all last. If anyone has any thoughts, let me know. I've never had to do 45 of something before, so any knowledgable input is welcome!

Tomorrow I have a private fine silver/argentium fusing class with a student from Corpus Christi. I'm sure we'll have a blast.