Learn to create a stained glass window in this six session class for beginners and those looking to refresh your skills.
Details:
Please click here for BARN's current COVID-19 health & safety protocols.
BARN is committed to accessibility. Tuition Assistance is available - click here to fill out the simple application before registering for a class. For those who might need physical assistance, please learn about BARN's Companion Program here.
INSTRUCTOR:
Gregg Mesmer, of Mesolini Glass Studio. He and his wife, Diane Bonciolini, both recognized with the 2015 Island Treasure Award, moved to Bainbridge Island in 1977 and started the iconic Mesolini Glass Studio. They have been cutting glass professionally for decades. Their expertise, however, goes beyond glass cutting to include other types of fabrication; all aspects of creating stained glass art; and leading, soldering and glazing of stained glass windows. Over the years, they have worked on many community projects. Gregg has taught for Northwest Art Glass, the Bainbridge Parks District, and Olympic College.
Make your favorite cereal, soup or pasta bowl while learning to cut and work with circles. This is a Skills Building Project Class designed for beginners who would like to learn:
On day 1 (9am-12pm) we will:
On day 2 (1pm-3pm) we will:
Project Review/Pickup date will be arranged on the second day of class.
Instructor Bio:
Constance Ducar is enthusiastic about working with beginning students and encouraging a love for glass. She sometimes incorporates fiber or wood as display options with her glass pieces.
This class is an introduction to working with the torches and tools available in the Glass Arts Studio. The instructor will demonstrate and then guide you through very basic torchworking skills. You will have time to practice pulling stringer from rod, creating a marble, or just melting glass to create shapes. This class also covers personal safety while operating the torches as well as studio safety and operational policies of the Glass Arts Studio.
Successful completion of this class will allow you to use the torches in the Studio during Monitored or Open Studio Access for your own projects. It also qualifies you to take specialty classes such as Introduction to Torchwork: Beadmaking.
This is a one afternoon class. Any items left for annealing (heating the glass) can be picked up the next day.
Instructor:
Michele has taught Lampworking (torchwork) to students at OIT (Oregon Institute of Technology) and Klamath Community College, and written articles for Softflex Jewelry Company.
In this short introductory class you will learn how to operate and use the CrystalBlast for all your creative projects!
The CrystalBlast Elite 2.0 is not your normal sand blaster. This machine is the Rolls-Royce of blast cabinets and requires proper safety and operator training. The CrystalBlast is great for adding textures to metals and glass and can accommodate larger pieces up to 2 ft. Bring your note books and be ready to have your mind blown!
Karin Lee Luvaas is a local Bainbridge Island artist and jeweler. With an art degree in encaustics, painting and metal sculpture, Karin has studied under acclaimed jewelry masters Michael Boyd, Kent Raible, Petra Class, and Sarah Graham and achieved Graduate Jeweler status under Alan Revere of the world renowned Revere Academy of San Francisco, California. Karin is also a GIA certified Graduate Gemologist and holds a Jewelers of America Bench Jeweler Technician certificate.
Karin’s current work can be viewed on Instagram @karinluvaas.
This class has prerequisites. Please see below.
In this session, students will need to bring 20 pre-dipped mandrels. Participants will have the opportunity to observe and experiment with a variety of techniques that are used to create hollow pieces for function and adornment.
Prerequisites:
The “Orientation to Torchwork” (or past class called “Beginning Lampworking”) is a prerequisite. In addition, students must have practiced the skills they learned so that they are comfortable on the torch. Students must be able to build discs on their mandrels to benefit from this class. (A prior class, the two-day “Introduction to Torchwork: Beadmaking” workshop, is not a prerequisite, but will give the student a significant advantage in this class.)
Accomplishments:
Once this class is completed, the student will have been given the knowledge to create their own hollow projects. Students may want to take additional classes that include advanced techniques for hollow sculpture, design, and embellishment.
Michele is a long-time member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers (ISGB) and is currently a member of the Florida Glass Dragons. When not in her studio, Michele volunteers for the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County and the Kitsap Humane Society. Prior to covid, she enjoyed traveling, scuba diving and underwater photography.
BARN is participating in REFRACT: The Seattle Glass Experience, and you're invited. See our website for more information.
This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are optional, but encouraged to reserve a space. Doors open at 10:00 AM through 2:00 PM.
BARN is participating in REFRACT: The Seattle Glass Experience, and you’re invited! See our website for more information.
Create a glass mosaic address panel as you design and grout your project made with stained glass and vitreous glass tiles. This hands-on two-day class will give you an overview of the material selection, design, cutting, setting, and grouting an exterior-friendly mosaic. House numbers may be created out of square glass tiles or you may bring purchased metal house numbers to the class, additional information will be sent with registration confirmation. A plaque can also be created for those who do not wish to include house numbers. Students will take home a completed 18" x 12" flat panel piece in their own design.
No previous mosaic experience or tools are required by students.
Class fee includes 12”x18” flat panel, hanging hooks, stained glass and glass tiles, mortar, grout, colorant, and all tools and supplies.
Darcy Thompson has taught mosaic classes for the Schack Arts Center in Everett, Bassetti Gardens in Woodinville as well as private classes. She has been a working artist for over 20 years and shows her work at a variety West Coast art shows including the Bainbridge Island Studio Tour as well as in various galleries. She is entirely self-taught and loves to teach the varied steps in the process of re-purposing cracked or broken plates into fun and colorful mosaics for the home and garden.
This guided open studio has prerequisites. Please see below.
This is the opportunity to hone your torch skills while having an expert available to answer your questions, or suggest better practices. This can be considered an extension of Michele Benson's classes offered at BARN, although newcomers are welcome as long as they've met the prerequisites. All skill levels are welcomed.
Wear close-toed shoes & long pants, whenever in the Glass Studio. Thank you.
Michele has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art from Potsdam State College in New York and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Portland State University.
After many years in the field of child protection, Michele retired and opened Sandhill Glass Studio (formerly Cuttlefish Glass Studio) where she taught Lampworking (torchwork) for over ten years until she moved to Washington State.
She has taught Lampworking (torchwork) for OIT (Oregon Institute of Technology), for Klamath Community College, and has written articles for Softflex Jewelry Company.
Michele is a long-time member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers (ISGB) and is currently a member of the Glass Dragons.
When not in her studio, Michele volunteers for the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County and for the Kitsap Humane Society. She enjoys travelling, scuba diving and underwater photography!
This free orientation session serves as a user's guide to the BARN's Glass Studio. It is a prerequisite for participating in open studio or for using the studio independently. We'll cover studio etiquette, safety procedures, BARN and Glass Studio policies, and introduce our tools and equipment. This orientation is not required to register for general classes offered in the Glass Studio.
Instructor: Constance Ducar
Coldworking is a subtractive way of altering and sculpting glass once it is cold. This process can be anything from seaming edges on glass plates to completely transforming the identity of a hot-formed object. In this class we will learn, in-depth, different approaches to the belt sander, wet saw, and hand lapping, discussing the potential of each technique. We will learn how to bring rough ground surfaces to a full polish and talk about the aesthetic possibilities of leaving a surface matte. We will also cover glass glues and their possibilities in an artist’s work. The class will include a safety talk and demos on each machine. We will walk through the rules of what tool to use for what purpose and have time on the machines to get our projects moving. Then we will focus on becoming familiar with each machine and have an opportunity to ask for specific demos and tips. Students will gain the most from this class if they come with some of their own glass and a plan or some sketches on the potential alterations they are interested in making.
Instructor: Jeff Miller
Educated in architectural design and extensively experienced in the use of power tools, retirement affords Jeff to explore ways to improve the predictability of glass design and woodworking projects.
Both during initial cutting and fabrication of glass projects and final finishing of fired pieces the studios power tools can greatly enhance the beauty and usefulness of your design.
The coldworking class will include many tips and techniques that help to make students more comfortable and skilled at successfully finishing projects.
This 3-session class is designed to introduce students to fused glass produced in the BARN Glass Studio. Outcomes: The participant will learn safely basics, glass studio procedures, fused glass design concepts and basic physics of heat and glass. Each student will create a fused glass piece to take home in each session.
DAY 1: Learn basic glass kiln fusing stages. Learn how to cut, score, and break glass into desired shapes. Discuss the design of your fused glass piece. Create your own glass tile sampler.
DAY 2: Design and create a functional fused glass piece.
DAY 3: Continue to learn basic glass concepts. Develop a design for your bowl. Learn to cut a circle for a bowl. Learn to use of Wet Room grinder. Learn to prepare a mold for your bowl to be fired in the kiln.
Instructors: Donna Rodger and Anne Miller
Donna Rodger has been creating glass since 2017. Teaching introductory classes and mentoring is a natural extension of her career as a Critical Care Nurse Educator.
Taking complex concepts and tasks and breaking them down into easily understood pieces is her strength.
At heart, Anne Miller is an artist and designer whose chosen mediums include concrete, textiles, clay, paper, metal, encaustic, stained and now fused glass.
Her passion took her on many paths, ceramics and portraiture, and eventually led to a career in graphic and textile design and as a Marimekko retailer, toy and apparel designer.
Combining her talents for design and business, she pursued a career with Herman Miller and Steelcase, that spanned 35 years.
Recently retired, Anne’s degree and passion for art and design has led her to BARN to immerse herself and focus on all forms of art-creating, designing and having a terrific time.
This class is an introduction to working with the torches and tools available in the Glass Arts Studio, and specifically designed as preparation for the "Torchworked Components for Fusers" class offered November 12. The instructor will demonstrate and then guide you through very basic torchworking skills. You will have time to practice pulling stringer from sheet glass to create shapes. This class also covers personal safety while operating the torches as well as studio safety and operational policies of the Glass Arts Studio.
Successful completion of this class will allow you to use the torches in the Studio during Monitored or Open Studio Access for your own projects. This is a one afternoon class.
This class has a prerequisite. Please see below.
This class is specifically designed for the Artist whose primary skill set pertains to the Art of Fusing Glass.
In this class, the Artist will add to their skill set by learning to create Torchworked Components. These Components add detail and uniqueness to Fused Pieces that cannot be achieved by any other means.
Artists that use glasses such as Bullseye (COE 90), Reichenbach (COE 96 and COE 90) and Oceanside (96) glass will benefit from this class.
Projects: The Torchworked Components for Fusers class will give the Artist opportunities to observe and practice their new skills on the torch. In addition, they will strengthen any torchwork skills that they already have.
Students are encouraged to bring a background piece of glass in their choice of coe in case they want to fuse their new elements together.
Students will:
Prerequisite: The “Orientation to Torchwork” (or past class called “Beginning Lampworking”) or "Introduction to Torchwork for Fusers" is a prerequisite. There, the basic operation of the torch will be taught as it pertains to the Fuser. Balancing of the glass in the flame and reading the heat will be a focus.
Park: At BARN, or the adjacent Christmas tree lot. Parking also available at the First Baptist Church on North Madison, with a free Sweet Deal Mobile shuttle.
This is a BARN holiday. Doors will be locked to the public, members, and non-members.
This Family Friendly Fused Glass Snowflake class will have you and your child successfully creating a 7 inch X 7 inch ornament ready for your tree or gift giving in plenty of time for for the holidays! You will learn glass cutting skills and then use a pattern of stacking to create a beautiful keepsake.
There will be plenty of glass colors to choose from to customize your ornament. A silver colored fiber ornament hanger is included. You will go home with a pattern and detailed instructions so that you can create more of these on your own.
You will cut and assemble your piece on Sunday, December 4. Your fused glass creation will be available for pickup by Thursday, December 8.
This class is open to an adult to work together as a team with a youth, individuals are also welcome. There will be an option when registering to add a youth as a guest.
Donna has been creating glass since 2017. Teaching introductory classes and mentoring is a natural extension of her career as a Critical Care Nurse Educator.
This Fused Glass Snowflake class will have you successfully creating a 7 inch X 7 inch ornament ready for your tree or gift giving in plenty of time for for the holidays! You will learn glass cutting skills and then use a pattern of stacking to create a beautiful keepsake.
You will cut and assemble your piece on Tuesday, December 6. Your fused glass creation will be available for pickup by Thursday, December 8.
This class is designed for those who have basic safety and torch experience and are ready to focus on growing their beadmaking skills. If you are rusty on your torch skills, the basics will be reviewed in this workshop.
The Workshop is two days long divided into two sessions each covering specific skills and practice time. There will be a one-hour lunch break each day and two 15-minute breaks should you want to take one.
Session 1
Getting StartedStudents will become familiar with the studio and review safety practices. You will be given time to familiarize yourself with the BARN torches and their operation. A brief history of lampworking will be given which will launch you into the skills and techniques portion of the session. You will learn how to prepare your glass for shaping, use of basic tools, and how to apply glass to achieve donut and tab shaped beads.
The Personality of Glass and Basic EmbellishmentStudents are introduced to the basic properties and idiosyncrasies of “Soft” glass. You will learn about the compatibility of glass (COE), reactions between different colors of glass, and how heat can affect glass. Skills and techniques focus for the afternoon will be on making and applying stringer, applying dots, and simple manipulation of the embellishments.
Session 2
Details that Matter, More Design and ShapingStudents will review and practice the skills from the previous day. The creative techniques to be learned are basic 2 color twists, working with Filigrana, and application of stringers and/or twists onto a cylinder bead. You will learn how to make cased beads which will prepare you to make a Tiger bead. And finally, you will work with frit and its application techniques.
Materials: Tools, glass rod, and mandrels for the class are provided.
Michele is a long-time member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers (ISGB) and is currently a member of the Florida Glass Dragons.
