-Eric Kvarnes. owner/ master glassblower (Yr. 33)
Class Info Links
Class
Schedule
Directions
Lodging
Class Overview
Time: Saturday and / or Sunday 1 PM5 PM. Class are
Ongoing. Check our online Schedule
for available times.
(Earlier class times may be possible if this fits your schedule
better. Check with the office.)
Weekday and Evening Classes are available too!
Cost: $120 per student, per 2 hr of instruction.
A 50% deposit required to hold your reservation ($60.00)
Includes all tools and materials except colored glass (optional),
which is available before and during class for a reasonable fee
.
You can take one class, or as many as you like. This gives first
time students a chance to see if they like blowing glass before
committing to more classes.
Classes will be four hours long with two students sharing a bench. (Two hours for each student) Glassblowing is physically taxing and you will be exhausted at the end of each piece. Even experienced glassblowers can only stand so much time at the furnace. The other student will take a turn and this will give you the first a chance to drink a good amount of water, recover a little and get focused for the next attempt. Another advantage to sharing a bench is that during the other student's time, you can watch closely and to gain insights into mistakes you may have made and observe ways to correct them.
Classes will start with a short instruction and safety rule period, and demonstration of glassblowing. Then blowing will start. We will group first timers together as much as possible so that returning students who have received the initial instruction can start work right away.
Most students will be able to complete one or two pieces during class time, although there is no guarantee. In the beginning, success depends a lot on luck and a little on your abilities.
Other experiences that you have had will also help. If you have thrown clay pots, or do woodworking, or even something as different as dancing, these skills can help improve your chances of success. Even those with no related experiences can do quite well. Much depends on your power of observation and your ability to transfer that knowledge to the tools.
PLEASE NOTE: Finished pieces must cool overnight. You will need to pick them up later, or if desired, we can ship them for a reasonable packing and shipping fee. We cannot hold your pieces indefinitely. Please pick them up or arrange for shipping.
Requirements
1. 18 or older.
2. Approved clothing and the supplied safety glasses (info below).
3. You must be able to conduct yourself safely around students
and instructors.
4. Good health and ability to withstand the heat and physical
demands of
glassblowing. Please check with your doctor if you have any
questions.
The ambient heat can be too much for those sensitive to high
temperatures.
5. You must sign a liability release.
Reservations
You will be locked into your time slot when your 50% deposit
arrives ($60.00). We accept cash, check and credit cards (by phone)
for payment. Checks should be made out to Oldway Art Center. The
remaining 50% is due at class time.
You can schedule a one-day class or both weekend days, depending on what you want. Some just want to try glassblowing once, others want more comprehensive lessons. If that's the case, two days will serve your needs better. You can continue classes as long as you like.
Check the Current Schedule Online.
Send in our E-mail
Application
Cancellations Policy
We base the classes on a certain number of students attending
to cover costs. If you must cancel, we will try to schedule another
student into your time slot, but if we are unable to, the deposit
is not refundable. Please give as much notice as possible
for rescheduling. If we can schedule another student, then your
deposit will be refunded-minus a $10 rescheduling fee.
If we cancel a class for unforeseen problems, i.e. a big snowstorm, hurricane or studio equipment problems, your deposit will apply towards a rescheduled time.
What You Will Need to Bring
· You MUST wear a long sleeve cotton shirt for protection.
Synthetics are NOT
acceptable because they can melt onto your skin. Cotton blue jeans
or khaki are
the preferred pants.
· To insure foot protection in case of dropped hot glass:
Comfortable leather or canvas
shoes, boots or athletic shoes with leather or canvas tops.
· Large water bottle. Standing in front of a glass
furnace is VERY dehydrating.
· Hair tie (for those with long hair).
· A snack to keep that energy up (optional).
Safety
The number one concern. Period.
You must be aware of other people in the studio and blowing area. Getting hit with hot glass is no fun, so be safe. Move with awareness of your surroundings as you work the hot glass, and be aware of what tools and equipment are hot and may burn you.
Safety glasses are required. The student blowing will wear special glassblowing glasses and the observing student will wear safety glasses too. (supplied). If the glass being worked cools below 1000°, it can shatter with force. Also, blowpipes cooling in the pipe can will pop glass off until they are fully cooled. If a piece that gets too cold on one end while working it can also throw chips. You are responsible for keep your safety glasses on at all times.
Personal Conduct
If you can't work safely in the shop, or you are disruptive during
class, Oldway management reserves the right to ask you to leave,
with no refund.
Glassblowing is intense and requires full attention. Therefore, it is imperative that you conduct yourself in a manner that isn't disruptive to other students. During breaks from blowing, it's best to stay focused on watching and planning your next piece. You'll find the studio atmosphere to be a relaxed one generally, but background conversation and movement can be distracting to the student working at the furnace. We want to have the best experience for each student, so conduct that is distracting or disruptive isn't acceptable. If you get jumpy, you can go outside and admire the mountains.
Alcohol, drugs or any medication that may impair your ability to conduct yourself safely are forbidden and you will be asked to leave if you are impaired in any way. Alcohol is not allowed in the studio period.
Burns
You can figure there is a chance of a minor burn. The tools are
hot, as is the business end of the blowpipe. Sometimes when shaping
with the wooden "Blocks" (the main forming tools) a
little hot water can splash on you. The "Marvers" (metal
tables you roll glass on) can be hot too.
A few people blowing glass burn themselves a little in the first few tries. These are usually minor and help one get a healthy respect for the intensity of the process. The main way burns happen are by sliding your hand too far up the blowpipe. Most of these burns are a reminder more than anything, although sometimes students will get a blister-level burn. (That's rare)
So far no student has ever required medical attention, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your best defense against burns is full attention.
Common Misconceptions about Glassblowing
The two I hear the most are:
"You must have to have extremely powerful lungs to blow glass."
Not True. Most of the blowing can be done with air trapped
in your mouth while you continue to breath through your nose.
On very large pieces you do blow using lung power, but if it's
hard to blow, you need to get your piece hotter. The first bubble
is the hardest to blow. The trick is making sure the glass is
still very hot. Then it's easy.
"What if I inhale? Won't 2000° air come back up the
blowpipe and scorch my lungs?"
No. Most of the length of the blowpipe is cool and as air comes
back up the pipe, it cools as it travels through the blowpipe.
This is a technique that is used to make a pocket in a piece,
as in the old French wine bottles that had a pocket in the shoulder
of the bottle to put crushed ice in.
Your mom may say: "It's very dangerous!"
Once you get out of your car you have completed the most dangerous
part of the day. Dangers in the studio are about equal to working
in a commercial restaurant kitchen. Students are given good instruction
on glass studio hazards. Keeping safety glasses on is the most
important safety rule.
A few testimonials:
"I had no experience when I signed up for this class
and was worried that I would have a hard time learning- but
Eric gave us an awesome lesson, and I had no trouble. He's friendly
and very knowledgeable. I will definitely be signing up for another
session!" -Noelle Baldwin
"I really like to do work with my hands and this was an incredible way to test my abilities and artistic talent. The guys at the Oldway gave plenty of instruction, but they also allowed me to make my own decisions and create my unique pieces. I highly recommend a session at Oldway Art Center to anyone who is interested in learning about glassblowing." -Casey Houston
"Taking your glass class was an amazing experience. We had such a wonderful time; the teaching was stellar and we are thrilled with our pieces. Thank you again; we would recommend your classes to anyone (and we hope to sign up for a few more ourselves in the future)".-Cindy and David
If you have further questions feel free to contact us. 540-987-8474.
Our office help is quite knowledgeable, but you can talk directly
to an instructor if you'd like.