A Whirlwind of Glass Fusing!

The whirlwind of glass fusing is coming to a close for the time being as I gear up for Eco art classes. I will be at three schools again exploring Eco art-Upcycling with students...Getting creative with 'trash' (glitter is usually involved)- and in general having a great time transforming the discarded into treasure.

Classes at Coleman start on 11/4 (Wednesdays) and classes at Glenwood start 11/5 (thursdays)

Vallecito begins 11/17 (Tuesdays)!

Please sign up soon.. Here is the link: eplay.livelifelocally.com

There are just a few spots left! you can go to the my calendar page for more information as well.

checkers! bottle caps and carboard

unicorn plastic bottle

earrings made from veggie netting

cork bride and groom

Some Personal Sharing....

Over the last few weeks I have been teaching 3 glass fusing workshops a week at three different elementary schools. Sometimes when I am packing all my boxes and loading and unloading the car, loading and unloading the kiln and continually cleaning up,  I get to feeling a bit physically exhausted  and fatigued. I start to wonder if this is the right thing to be doing. Am I where I want to be? Here I am, the traveling art lady with all these supplies trying to fit everything into my not so big car. However, once I get to class I am recharged. The creativity and enthusiasm of my students fuel me up. Also, sitting in my studio with all their wonderful creations, thinking about how they put their pieces together gives me such a feeling of joy and amazement. I love the creative process. I love the way each person comes to their creative zone in class. That special time when the dust settles and all the focus goes into project. I believe that is called 'flow'.  I think I have also been in the 'flow' zone as well during these classes- connecting to the collective flow! I know I am kind of getting cheesy here, but I just wanted to share my gratitude for the last few weeks. Being able to just do this- no second job to distract,  has been eye opening.   I've been excited and revitalized in so many ways the last few weeks. I am doing what I want to be doing and this is causing a wonderful chain reaction of positive actions in my life. The opportunities and choices that have been coming my way right now seem to flow right to the center of where I want to be headed. I am feeling so much more open, willing and brave enough to meet myself in that center. As in...keep on going Nikki, just do what you love!

So...take a look at some of the wonderful glass work that students have been making...

student bowl

student earrings

student vases

Halloween also was a big theme this session....

Halloween designs

Other News and Events...
In my last few posts, I mentioned the wonderful training experience I had at Senior Access. Senior Access is a social club for folks with memory loss and their caregivers here in Marin county. The training explored how art can help create space for enhanced communication and quality of life for those living with dementia AND their caregivers. Senior Access is hosting an event on 11/5 (thursday 5-7pm-). ART, WINE AND GRATITUDE... Join me for an evening of art fun and wine and an auction of wonderful artwork done by club members as well. I will be leading an art project ...Come check it out. 70 Skyview Terrace, San Rafael  RSVP at Senioraccessmarin@gmail.com   Check out their website for more info as well  www.senioraccess.org
I think that is it for now..I could go on about my jewelry classes that I have going on now as well, the girl scout badge parties, the oranament workshop in December and some of the art parties that I have booked that are super fun but I will save that for my next posts. Although, I do want to say...book your parties now! Come make amazing gifts for yourself or your loved ones for this holiday season and have a fun night of creativity, laughter and maybe a little wine!

After School Class Announcements!! Sign Up!

Hello !
I am happy to announce my class schedule for the fall...All classes start the week of 9/21!!
The first sessions are all Glass fusing  and then I will be moving on to Eco Art for the second half of the Fall for most of the schools I am at this season. Sign up!

For those of you who are not familiar with glass fusing, this is a beautiful ancient craft to explore. Students create unique handcrafted glass master pieces. Jewelry, dishes, bowls, mirrors, wall art, vases, sculpture, magnets, ornaments, nightlights etc.... there are so many possibilities!

 I introduce new projects every week, adding on to what students have previously learned and they have free choice as well. We work on learning how to safely cut (score) glass and build designs which will then be fired in the kiln. Students learn about slumping the glass into shapes and what materials we can layer into the glass.

We will also do some flame work as well, which is always exciting. This is a unique, fun class and is coming just in time for the holidays. Students will be able to make many original hand crafted gifts to give to family and friends that they will be very proud of.

 My blog is packed with pictures of student work as well as some of my own art work as well. Please check out older posts and other pages for more images and to get a sense of what the class is like. You can also learn about more about glass fusing, eco art and some back ground about me!
Full class descriptions, times, dates and fee are all online-
To enroll for Vallecito, Coleman or Glenwood Elementary schools,  click:  https://eplay.livelifelocally.com/Start/Start.asp  and get more details.
or by phone- 415 485-3333
or in person- San Rafael Community Center
618 B Street
Sign up soon - class size is kept small for optimal instruction.

To sign up at Hall Middle school, click onto http://larkspur.recdesk.com

- returning students welcome, build on what you have learned!
*** Fusing students at Vallecito can bring any glass beads they have made in fusing and finish them into dazzling pieces of jewelry in the my jewelry class at Vallecito.

 Please contact me if you have any questions! More on Eco art next posting but if you would like to see some of the work from Eco-art classes check out previous posts- Lots of pics!!!

 

Eco -Art and Glass Fusing for your Viewing Enjoyment...and Art For Nepal

Hello Folks...Once again it has been way too long since I have posted. I have been busy with my after school classes and exploring new opportunities. Over the year I have collected lots of photos of new work and I also have some updates I would like to share with you!
But first... Art For Nepal! My last fusing class made a beautiful  platter with the intention of selling it and then donating the money to charity. Given the tragic circumstances that the Nepal Earthquake has caused, we decided to focus on Nepal. I found a wonderful registered non-profit -based in Nepal- NEPAL FREED,  and they are also partnered with the non-profit Cross Cultural Journeys based in Northern California and are doing great work to help communities in Nepal. They are focused on children and education and also do much, much more. Click on the link for more information.
The platter can be found on my Etsy shop- I will post a picture here as well.

The Platter is  unique, colorful, beautiful and functional. Eight of my students from Vallecito Elementary (7-9 yrs old) and my lovely helper for the day, Deanne Wilson, each created a wonderful design on a glass tile which I then fused onto clear glass and then slumped in the kiln to create the Platter. This collaborative effort, -'art for good' -in the classroom adds such a positive dimension to the already great creative vibe flowing in our workshops. I intend to keep that going in all my classes, Giving children opportunities to open their hearts up to world, in communities great and small, I think, is one of the essential keyes to helping our world heal and grow in ways that honor life. Community art builds connection and I love to witness that in my workshops.

student working on her tile

Silly time- Wrapping it up-end of  glass fusing workshops.
Was looking for feedback and  I got it!!LOL

THE LAST FEW MONTHS I HAVE DIVED DEEPER INTO  ECO-ART AND EVEN HAD A LITTLE SHOW LAST NOVEMBER....PEACE, LOVE AND UPCYCLING-- THIS SHOW WAS ALSO A SHOWCASE FOR SOME OF MY STUDENTS ECO ART.. PLASTIC BOTTLES TRANSFORMED INTO BANKS -WHICH ARE AWESOME.
THE SHOW WAS HELD AT GREEN CITIZEN RECYCLING CENTER IN BERKELEY. THERE IS ALSO ONE IN SAN RAFAEL. BRING YOUR ELECTRONICS RECYCLING THERE! THEY RECYCLE AND UP-CYCLE RESPONSIBLY AND ONLY LOCALLY(NO SHIPPING OVERSEAS TO BE DUMPED IN LANDFILL) Check out some photos from this event...

Peace, Love and Upcycling

Symbols of peace and love were at the heart of this show which was about creating art for healing and peace. Imagining peace symbols and developing art and structures that shine light on peace and feelings of love and understanding was my deepest intention. This call and response to the beauty and turmoil of our time was the inspiration for the art work in this show.

student banks..

show mascot- The lovebot! by Nikki Contini

paper towel rolls, caps, bread ties, plastic netting..
peace,love and upcycling

setting up for the show- feeling happy

coiled pape, caps, plastic netting, light bulb, vintage frame

More pieces from the show..

old medicine cabinet and plastic caps

collage, coiled paper, marker caps

old tape rolls

bottle cap mosaic

old medicine cabinet door- bottle caps, glitter

Peace Collage

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I had such a great time preparing for the show and exploring the many ways I might use the materials I had to work with. Endless configurations...I have become quite the collector of 'trash', discarded items and odds and ends- my studio is overflowing. One thing for sure.... 'stuff' just keeps coming. What an awareness builder for me!

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WHAT ELSE IS NEW??..I HAVE BEGUN A TRAINING TO DO ART WORK WITH SENIORS  EXPERIENCING MEMORY LOSS AND DEMENTIA... I am completing a 10 hour training with hands on activities working with seniors. I have been doing my training at Senior Access  an awesome social club for folks with memory loss and dementia located in San Rafael.More on this later..but I am hoping to begin workshops soon! 

 We communicate with ourselves through art (in its many forms) and we also create to connect with others. Creative expression is a vital and essential part of our human experience and as we age and perhaps enter the forgetful realm, the thought of losing the 'juice' and or opportunity of creative expression is quite a loss. I hope to bring some of that 'juice' back for however long it lasts. Studies show that making art does indeed, positively impact quality of life and sense of purpose with those experiencing memory loss and beyond.

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Lastly...I am posting some pics of student work from Coleman Elementary and Vallecito this past Spring....

egg carton owl

totem like mask- wine packaging

cork bride and groom- pop the champagne

from plastic bottle to unicorn

cork horse- on guard!

cap face

amazing elephant - plastic bottle and paper towel roll

shoe box or home???

I am planning to begin classes again in the fall- look for a new post with dates in the next few weeks.
Contact me if you want to do something over the summer- aglass party or eco art- birthdays, ladies night, work party etc..! 

Have a great Summer!!!!

School is in Session

bottle cap magnets

Welcome Back Everybody to the school year. It seems like the summer flew by. I have enjoyed hanging out with family and friends, and besides a few getaways, I have been busy updating my studio, teaching and developing projects for both my fusing classes and my eco- arts classes. 

I haven't blogged in awhile- so please excuse this more lengthy addition. Keep on scrolling down for more news and pictures if you have a moment!

Also, check out my calendar page to get the great list of classes I am offering this fall. Basically there are 3 different locations- 

Coleman Elementary- Mondays(after school) , 

Vallecito Elementary -Tuesdays (after school) 

The Falkirk Cultural Center - Thursdays (after school -teens/tweens), Saturday morning classes for younger children and 2 workshops in December for adults. 

My calendar page has all the dates, times, course descriptions, course numbers and the link to sign up.

new fall colors plate - Nikki Contini

I had an opportunity over the summer to teach several eco- art classes to some wonderful children in their own living community. At times I had up to twenty students per workshop which was a lot of kids to work with but they were very eager and interested in the projects that I brought to them.  The mutual enthusiasm that we all had for the up-cycling projects has propelled me to continue on with teaching Eco- art classes as well as my fusing classes this fall.

I have been collecting 'trash' such as plastics, aluminum,  lids, cardboard, cork, wood scrap- almost anything that I can think that can be turned into an art project and saved from landfill and our oceans all summer.  I continue to do so. My garage is overflowing with with all my collections. It amazes me how much upcycleable 'stuff'  one family can collect in a few months. I am more aware then ever how much trash, especially  plastics, that I use and the legacy of pollution that I am a part of just by living my daily life. I am especially obsessed with plastic lids. There are so many! Thankfully, they lend themselves to numerous projects. I think of an eco- class not only building environmental awareness but also stimulating the creative juices as to how 'trash 'can be re-worked into art and other functional uses. There is lots of room for experimentation. There are also lots of amazing blogs and websites as well as Pintrist that offer great inspiration and ideas. Here are a few sites that I like to check out- www.upcyclethat.com
love2upcycle.blogspot.com   upcycleus.blogspot.com

my sample for students- coiled paper and plastic caps picture

animal banks made from plastic bottles.

Picasso inspired recycled self portrait.

 My fantastic jumbo kiln has also been getting a lot of action lately. So although, I have a new passion for eco-art, my glass fusing is in full swing. It feels good to be busy in the studio- doing my thing. ;)
If you want to book a fusing party, please contact me. Its fun, creative and unique. See my workshops page for more information. Questions? contact me!

checkerboard bowl- Nikki Contini

sample for students- mosaic plastic tops framed mirror