Classes offered at Taonga Glass

The goal of this public access glass blowing studio is to educate about art, its relevance to our culture as it molds our perception of time, and the importance that glass, in particular, has played in our society for the last five thousand years. Through teaching classes, I intend to open up a historical world unknown to most about glass while teaching the glass making process. In addition, students will also learn teamwork, decision-making, the physics and chemistry behind the process, as well as design and color theory. Unlike any other experience in the world, these courses are intended to not only educate the student, but allow them to take home creations from the course, and make new connections within the community. The group learning dynamic is to allow a greater education environment, with multiple teachers and students for each course. International renowned master artists will be visiting and teaching intensive week long workshops focusing on specific aspects of glass. Courses in are intended to be accessible for a range of students, from 6-100 years of age. The variety of classes are to accommodate full time professional glass artists, artists of other mediums, collectors, and simply the loved one who is fascinated by glass. Classes are not the only way to become involved in the glass world, but have been a great hands on experience for those I have taught over the last eleven years. Some of my students have ended up working in the field of glass with great success, while others have maintained the hobbyist enthusiasm of making glass to fulfill happiness. Regardless of what you do with what you learn, you are sure to get hot and excited by playing with hot glass, and it is hard to stay away after you have taken your first gather of molten glass. Below is a list of classes offered this fall, as well as some samples of average classes to expect in the future. Hope to see you in a class soon!.

Glass Classes at Taonga Glass

January – July 2012

Contact Edward Clark at 808-228-9575 edwardclark@taongaglass.com

Image to the left is of one students work during Through the Thick and the Thin Workshop in August 2011. Image to the right is just a sampling of the pieces a couple made during the same workshop October 2011. What a day of learning for students with no prior experience in glass!

Hot Date in the Hot Shop; Join us for Date Night

Offered on Fridays of March 2, April 6, May 4, and July 6

2 Hour Sessions scheduled between 5-11pm,

$125 per couple for the 2 hour session

Do you have a hot date and no ideas on what to do? Forget the old diner and a movie, and put some fire in your relationship by taking a two hour experience in glass where we make fiery hearts. Students should come prepared to learn how to sculpt hearts in glass, while learning about the basics of the hot sculpting process in the hot shop. Date Night includes chocolate and cheese, some non alcoholic beverages while working, and a night cap of wine or beer after your session to cool down and get you in the mood. Come get hot and sweaty with your loved one, or even your first date, for this is a date no one will forget.

Through the Thick and the Thin Intensive:

An Exploration of Glass through the Solid and Blown Processes

Offered on Sunday Mach 11, April 1, May 6, July 14, 9am-5pm

$200 per student (3 students max)

This program is intended to be an overall exploration of glass, experimenting with solid and blown glass together. This day workshop is geared towards a student that wants a general understanding of the hot glass process. In the morning we work with solid glass. Through gathering, color application, and creating simpler solid objects such as snow men, students will learn how to get material and begin working with reduction and additive designs in glass. Later that morning students will begin sculpting glass, learning how to take and bring bits to each other while focusing on teamwork. The afternoon of the workshop is about blown glass, we use the gathering skills from the morning and then add air into the solid material. Students are encouraged to manipulate the bubble into more sculptural forms and add solid forms to the blown object. Discussions about the history of glass and its importance to our everyday lifestyles will accompany demonstrations of certain forms. Come learn some glass basics, with a morning of solid working and afternoon of blowing glass.

Glass Blowing Course

Meets for 4 days through March 10,17,21,31 9am-1pm

$400 per student (3 students max)

This course is set up to teach more in depth about blowing glass while teaching about process and history. Students will gain hours of hands on glass blowing experience and come out of the course with the basic necessary skills to make their own visions in the glass studio. Students should expect hands on work, making items from blown utilitarian objects like dishware. The course includes access o the hot glass studio, as well as an introduction to the cold glass studio for work made during class.

Glass Sculpting Course

Meets for 4 days through March 10, 17, 21, 31 2pm-6pm

$400 per student (3 students max)

This course is set up to teach more in depth about sculpting glass while teaching about process and history. Students will gain hours of hands on glass sculpting experience and come out of the course with the basic necessary skills to make their own visions in the glass studio. Students should expect hands on work, making objects from paper weights, figures, and small animals. Topics of reductive and additive sculpture will be discussed. The course includes access to the hot glass studio, as well as an introduction to the cold glass studio for work made during class.

Exploration of Glass: Blowing and Sculpting

Meets over 7 Weeks April 14, 21, 28, May 5,12,19,26, 9am-1pm

$700 per student (3 students max)

Exploration of Glass is designed as a longer course for people who have taken some workshops and are looking for more, or want to spend more than a day tease in the hot shop. Exploration of Glass will go through a brief history of glass, blown and sculpted. It is a glass 101 course essentially, to give the overall view of the glass making process and give the students the tools necessary to come and make their own work. Students should expect to make blown and solid work, from utilitarian objects to sculptural forms. Topics of reductive and additive sculpture will be discussed. The course includes access to the hot glass studio, as well as an introduction to the cold glass studio for work made during class.

Mothers Day Flower Making Event

Sunday 13 May , 2 Hour Sessions scheduled between 9am-6pm,

$150 per pair of students for the 2 hour session

Celebrate your mother and treat her to an exciting and unusual experience, while still allowing her to bring home pretty flowers. We will be offering two hour workshops all day for mother and loved one teams. This glass sculpting class will allow the family to create beautiful hand blown glass flowers to cherish for a life time. No experience necessary.

High school Glass Class

Meets for 5 weeks, July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 9am-1pm

$500 per student

Exploration of Glass is designed for our younger, budding artists. We will discuss a brief history of glass, both blown and sculpted. It is a basic glass 101 course, to give the overall view of the glass making process and give the students knowledge necessary make their own work. Students can expect to make blown and solid work, from utilitarian objects to sculptural forms. The course includes access to the hot glass studio, as well as an introduction to the cold glass studio for work made during class.

Color Application Workshop

July 21, 9am-5pm

$200 per student (4 Students Max)

There are countless ways to apply color in the glass making process. This day long workshop will introduce a variety of techniques, allowing the artist to gain the color effects desired to create a masterpiece. We will play with powders, frits, overlays with color bar, and cane application. With these techniques students will be able to apply crackle designs, stripes, and other decorative color applications. Students must have prior glass blowing experience.

Cold Working Basics

July 28, 9am-5pm

$150 per student

This day long program is intended to teach student about the cold shop, how to use the equipment, and use grinding techniques for design. Students will learn the lapidary wheel, the belt sander, glass lathe, and engraving foredoom. Using diamonds, students will learn how to grind the glass while wet, and go through the necessary steps to polish the glass back to optical beauty. Students will gain access from this course to rent the cold working studio. Not only to use on blown and sculpted glass, but for use for stained and fused glass makers as well.

Above images of Students Work, during Through the Thick and Thin day Workshop in September where they made snowmen and utilitarian vessels. These are the first pieces these students made to take home during a one day workshop.