A number of visitors to our Art to Harmony Fused Glass booth at fairs in the Bend area, including Sisters, Sunriver, and Terrebonne, have asked me about whether I teach a glass fusion class. I’m happy to say that starting 2024 I will!! I have been approached by DIY Cave in Bend to teach such a class at their facility. We are in the process of working out the details of the class. However, I’ve decided that in the meantime, I would initiate a multi-week class teaching the “how to” of doing various techniques of glass fusion combined with demonstrations and your own glass art fusions. These would occur at my studio in Bend with access to Bullseye glass, frit, tools, and my kiln. The techniques that I will present are Mosaics, Baskets, Pattern Bars, and Drop Pots.
“Mosaics” are pieces where hand cut glass is arranged on a base piece of glass to be fused to create a design of interest. The design might be an impressionistic picture, or a pattern of interest, or an abstract. Examples are shown below.
“Baskets” are pieces where hand cut strips of glass are carefully arranged on a kiln shelf to be fused together. The arranged pieces of glass generally create a snow flake like geometric pattern. Several examples of glass basket pieces are shown below. In all cases, glass baskets are designed with voids. As such, they are more delicate than solid glass bowls.
“Pattern Bars” are pieces of color compatible glass, first fused to form a loaf, then sliced with a diamond blade tile saw into “bars” of various thicknesses, depending on your final intended fusing plan. Bars are often “book ended” to form a pattern that is geometrically pleasing, then combined with other glass to create the desired piece. Several examples of pieces using pattern bars are shown below.
“Drop Pot” is a technique that offers the least control on the outcome other than basic color and size. Chemically compatible glass is stacked in a terra cotta flower pot which is then carefully suspended above a kiln shelf and fired to a high temperature (1600 degrees) for several hours. Molten glass drips down from the flower pot on to the kiln shelf. The pooling glass on the shelf creates an “organic” (meaning uncontrolled) pattern of swirls. A couple of drop pot examples are shown below. Sometimes the resulting piece isn’t particularly interesting. One can then use the piece as a back ground and over lay additional glass as a design. Two examples are also shown below.
Anyway, it is my goal to share with you my experience in these techniques, while giving you the opportunity to make your own pieces. No previous experience with glass is needed, just an interest to learn “how to do it”. If such a class might be of interest to you, call me (Bob) at 541-797-6890. If you don’t get me directly, leave your number, and I will call you back later that day or certainly the next. If you prefer, send me an email ([email protected]). I would be happy to review with you what you specifically would be interested in and what I have in mind.
Thank You…..Bob