WarmGlass.com

For the past year I taught a fusing class to elementary & middle-schoolers at Robert Gray School here in Portland. Here are some examples of their work. Tip o' the hat to Bettina Eberle's book for a couple of the project ideas.

http://www.pbase.com/pdxbarbara/barbos_glass
(Click on the pic labeled CLASSES.)

The kids and I are very grateful for all the glass, tools, supplies and cash donated by members of the Oregon Glass Guild and Seattle pal Patty Gray. Thanks also to Kat Hartley and everybody at Uroboros for giving us many boxes of glass. Dave Winship (Winship Designs, Eugene OR) even gave us a bunch of cutters and pliars. The kids adore mica powders too, which were part of a donation from Gil and Carmen Reynolds (Fusion Headquarters).

And thanks to you guys for helping me with all the sundry problems I encountered.

I won't be teaching in this program again. But I enjoy teaching kids. I plan to teach small classes (with good insurance!) once I'm up & running again in a studio. Some of the kids & their parents claim they're up for it. Time will tell.

Barbara

Barbara,

How very cool!! I'm doing something similar with an elementry school in Phoenix. I've got 105 students so I'm kind of limiting the project to a much narrower scope than what you did. Did you have the students actually cutting glass

I've been thinking I'm going to avoid that. I'm just too concerned over the litegious nature of individuals that if a child cut themselves someone would want my splean or something. I was planning on precutting squares/rectangles in a set size and let them assemble them/glue them with coarse frit and stringes and then I'd schlep them up to the Uberkiln and shoot the whole mess at once.

I'd be interested in your experience. You can write me off line if you have the time. I'd like to hear more about your experience.

Phil

Hi Phil.
Surely you don't mean you're teaching 105 kids -- all at once????? If so you're a brave man.

(I'll send you more off-board...)
Barbara

BIG FUN Barbo. The curtain looks really cool. I bet the kids where wowed by bending glass in to napkin holders. I imagine the experience was inspirational.

Bert Weiss wrote:BIG FUN Barbo. The curtain looks really cool. I bet the kids where wowed by bending glass in to napkin holders. I imagine the experience was inspirational.

Thanks Bert. The kids really get into the glass stuff... They have to turn kids away at registration, I'm told.

By the way, this was my first float glass experience. Downloaded my own li'l float glass encyclopedia from the archives (mostly stuff from you, thanks veddy veddy much.) I like the stuff... yay float! I especially loved paying a fraction that I pay for B.E./Uro/Spectrum.

And, guess what? I just got a restaurant commission for a huge float sink! Yeehaaa.

by the way, I was out at John Groth's the other day with Jim Simmons. Whadda great toyland!!!! John's work is lovely too... especially love that fish he's got up front.

Later, Barbara

Not only does John have great toys, his waterjet can make new toys.

Great news on the float sink. You'll have fun with it. Do a drop mold design if you can.