After School Fusing Bonanza!

Glass Class this session has been a fun, creative whirlwind of Glass Fusing Fun.. With a slightly younger group, abstract designs and color explosion is where its at!

Fused Glass Framed Mirrors

This session, students have been busy learning the fundamentals of Fusing while creating functional and beautiful work. So far, projects have included night lights, mirrors, wall plaques, little dishes, magnets and pendants. Check it out...

As always, working with glass stringers and the flame is a big hit. 
Glass Frit  (ground up glass) is a strong second. There is a festive feel to pieces. Lots of orange and contrasting color. With two 1st grade boys at the helm, a glass enthusiastic 2nd grader and my own think out side the box 4th grader... - wild experimentation is the driving force! 
Our next project is the class auction piece. This will be a collaborative project. We have been discussing ideas as a group and the children are very excited to make something for the school. Now, we just have to agree on what to make. I will keep you posted!

With the holidays around the corner- its a great time to plan a fusing workshop!

give me a call and lets get fusing!

Class is On!! Hooray!!

Starts Today! There is still some room so come on in....

Day: Mondays:  11/5 - 12/17 

Time: 3:10-4:40-- In the art room at Coleman 

Enroll on line:

https://eplay.livelifelocally.com/Start/Start.asp

or call (415)485-3333   class size is limited to 9 students per session.     

  Some pretty fall pieces..

Today we are making night light plaques (see previous blog for example). We will also  play around with free choice projects such as magnets, sun catchers and small dishes. I want to get the kids familiar with the material and possibilities!

Its going to be fun!

For more detail about the class- please check out past blog entries. There are lots of photos and information on past entries and pages. 

Happy Fusing! 

Questions? contact me!

 Lets get Fusing! There is still plenty of time to sign up for the 2nd Session!

Pass this along to your friends and lets make this 2nd session happen!

Fused Glass CityScape

Sample project for glass class

Mondays:  11/5 - 12/17 3:10-4:40-- In the art room at Coleman 

Enroll on line:

https://eplay.livelifelocally.com/Start/Start.asp

or call (415)485-3333  Sign up soon- spaces are still available however class size is limited to 9 students per session.       

For more detail about the class- please check out past blog entries. There are lots of photos and information on past pages. 

  

Check out this cool night light.>

We will be doing a night light project in the fall class.
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Please tell others about this class who may be interested. class size is kept small but I need a minimum of 5 students to make it a go!

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fused glass dish with glass stringers

Also, since the holidays are fast approaching, this is a great class for students to make their own unique hand made gifts and holiday decorations/ornaments.

Fusing Class at Coleman Starts Monday 9/24

I'm very happy to announce that I will be teaching another Fun Glass Fusing Class series at Coleman this fall! Spread the Word!
All classes are on Mondays 3:10-4:40 - in the art room.
(there is a misprint in the after school enrichment calendar that lists class end time as 4:15, that is incorrect)
I will be teaching 2 sessions- Five classes per session.
 1st Session 9/24-10/29  2nd Session: 11/5- 12/17

Enroll on line:
https://eplay.livelifelocally.com/Start/Start.asp

or call (415)485-3333  Sign up soon- spaces are still available however class size is limited to 9 students per session.              

Good News...A student from last year came up to me At school last week, all smiles with the news that she had entered some of her glass work in the Marin County Fair over the summer and won 1st place for two of her pieces!  Yeah! She was beaming and so was I!
Some Class Details....I want to keep the class fresh and plan to introduce some new projects and focus a bit more on functional art work- night lights, clocks, vases, frames are a few ideas. Students will also have the opportunity to make unique handmade gifts just in time for the holidays. Lastly, both sessions will contribute work for a collaborative piece for the Coleman auction. !!!!  

For further class information, log on to  http://eplay.livelifelocally.com  (after school enrichment classes)
Hope everyone had a great summer.

Please contact me if you have any questions! thanks!

SPIRAL INTO YOURSELF AND BLOOM!

            

Reflecting back and Moving Forward

Some Student Testimonials from the after school class at Coleman Elementary this past spring 2012....

This was my first time teaching fused glass at Coleman Elementary. It was a wonderful experience. I've learned so much about how to teach glass. I presented a new project each class to highlight different techniques and materials of fusing glass but also had time for free choice at the end of every meeting. This format really seemed to give students the right balance between instruction and experimentation.

auction platter before firing

 Some of my favorite projects included using fiber paper with the glass to make hand print impressions and of course the group effort and creativity that went into making the glass platter for the auction.

colorful wall hangings using fiber paper and glass

I am excited to teach another class. I am thinking about new projects and materials to add to the curriculum.

Cool clocks, wind chimes, masks and wearable art are some of the new projects we may be exploring in the next series. I'm keeping it fresh so returning fusers should come back and build on what they have learned.

I will be holding a few glass workshops this summer but still figuring out dates and times. Some summer fun in the garden of glass is on the way. I promise for those of you who have been waiting patiently.  

Meanwhile...if anyone would like to host a fusing party - kids or adults- lets make it happen! Just contact me with your dates.

Now that summer is here and I have my kiddos squared away at camp and daycare- glass is back in session!

Fused Glass Mirrors!!

A wall of mirrors.... !  I  am pleased to announce that after weeks of studio time, in a creative whirl, I was able to produce over fourteen beautiful fused glass framed mirrors in various designs and shapes.  Back in March I was approached by a wonderful store in San Francisco called Kumquat Art to get together a collection of framed mirrors for the store. Kumquat sell beautiful art and home accessories-almost all from local artisans and designers. I was grateful for the opportunity and thrilled to get back into making framed mirrors- with a deadline no less!

Just as my after school class was wrapping up- this new project came my way. I love when life gives us these golden nuggets. Do what you love, do what you  love, do what you love.. I feel lucky (see above mirror- ha ha!)

In my mad rush to get all the mirrors done, I was not able to get great photos of all the mirrors but if you would like to get more of a peak, check out Kumquat on Clement Street and 3rd ave in San Francisco(inner Richmond). I also have about a dozen pretty dishes in the store as well! Yeah!

I am still deciding on dates for the next class series for the summer. If there are specific days/dates that work  best for the summer months- please contact me. I know summer days can get booked up fast between camps and vacation plans. My idea is to do a class one day a week in a series of 3 sessions so that students can get a chance to make some special projects!!

Frames Galore!! Auction Item!! wrapping things up...

Check out these fun frames! A few of the students created words with their glass pieces. I love the "looking good" frame and the frame that says Daddy really showcases the students increased skill level with working with stringers in the flame to bend the glass stringers and make shapes. Much thought and creativity went in to these frames!

I am happy to showcase this amazing platter made specifically for the Coleman School Auction.

Eight panels were made by the students with a garden, animal or nature theme. I then fused the panels on a large sheet of clear glass and framed each panel with some colored stringers. I must say, I think this is a lovely piece. There are flowers, a praying mantis, a penguin, turtle/ladybug design and bright inviting colors. Functional and Beautiful.  Great work!

We had our last class this past Monday. I have had so much fun and enjoyed getting to know this wonderful group of kids. I am going to miss our group. I hope to get another class going- if not this month for sure in the summer. I am thinking Fused Glass Summer Camp! Stay Tuned! 

Also...Look for upcoming posts of some new work that I am doing for a fabulous store in S.F. called http://www.kumquatart.com/shop I am making fused glass framed mirrors- my special niche in fused glass. I am so excited to get this opportunity to get back to making mirrors.

Having Fun with Glass Frit and Fiber Paper!

Students made colorful wall plaques using fiber paper and glass frit. Fiber Paper is an amazing material to work with- it comes in a variety of thicknesses and has a cardboard like feel to it although it does not burn or melt in a hot kiln. Wow!
In one of our latest projects, I had students trace their hands or make words of their choice and then cut out the shapes. The next step is to lay the shapes on sheets of glass and fire them in the kiln. After firing, pull the fiber paper off the glass and voila!- the shapes of the cut fiber paper are embedded into the glass. The final step is to fill the shapes with glass frit and add some colorful pizzazz! Glass frit is just ground up glass. Frit can be very course or very fine- Very fine frit is called glass powder. We used a medium course frit for these projects.

What an amazing display of creativity! Yeah Fusers!

Glass Fusing in Action

The after school fused glass classes at Coleman are rockin' with creativity and flair. Students are really owning their unique designs and letting themselves explore the many different dimensions of working with glass. Some are drawn to patterns or abstract designs while others go for a more literal composition. Bending glass stringers with a candle flame seems to be the big experiment of the session. The challenge is to bring a form to the bending. Sometimes its like watching clouds and seeing shapes appear. So far, this class has been a really fun group and I am enjoying their enthusiasm and imaginations.

Check out some of their work in the photos below....

Basket dishes are so cool!