My Favorite Private Lessons That I’ve Taught
“Welcome to the hot shop, where creativity meets craftsmanship! Are you passionate about the mesmerizing dance of colors in molten glass or the delicate art of glass blowing? If so, you’ve come to the right place!”
This is how I usually start my spiel for private lessons I have taught in the past. Since I believe in the power of sharing knowledge and nurturing creativity, I work for various studios in the Seattle area that offer private lessons and public glassblowing slots. In these lessons, the students can dive deep into the world of glass art under the guidance of a seasoned artist like myself. Whether they’re a budding artisan looking to refine their skills or a curious beginner eager to explore glass blowing, these private lessons offer a tailored experience designed to unleash artistic potential. The lessons are often held as part of an event. They can sometimes even integrate a holiday or specific theme.
Here I will tell you about my two favorite private lessons that I’ve taught and show their results.
Spooky Glass
For the first of my two favorite private lessons, I was teaching a student at Seattle Glassblowing Studio in mid-October. As the crisp air of Halloween loomed, the student in this private class was, ‘feeling very inspired by the season.’ Especially since it was a dark, cloudy, and stormy Seattle day outside. Together, we put on our witches’ hats to conjure up a hauntingly beautiful glass ghost sculpture that incorporated the students’ favorite color, blue. The ghost’s ethereal form appeared seemingly suspended in slow-motion, as the glass dripped and gooped its way into mysterious shapes, like slime. We sculpted its hauntingly adorable face before expanding the glass out to its full size by blowing air into the pipe that held the slimy hot glass. The student said that they ‘loved how they could watch the face expand as we blew the piece up bigger and bigger!’ As for the ghost’s delicate features, the student had a blast stretching and pushing the glass out with various tools to create spooktacular little arms for the ghost. The process of creating these features infused the piece with an eerie charm that captivated all who beheld it. This lesson was an exhilarating form of macabre celebration of the season. Check out the results in the video above.
Axolotl Vibes
Our final product in our attempt at a glass Axolotl.
As for the Second private lesson I’ll share with you, I was once again teaching at Seattle Glassblowing Studio. Amidst the gentle hiss of the torch and the warmth of molten glass, I embarked on one of the most exhilarating private lessons so far! With a new student, we began to dive into the intricate art of glassblowing, weaving creativity and curiosity into our every move.
The student shared that it was their birthday and they wanted to make something very special for themselves. My student was Jem Tong, otherwise known as Axlotl Arts. Jem used pottery as a specialty medium but enjoyed dabbling in just about everything else. So for their birthday, glass was to be the medium of choice.
Guiding my eager student through the process we embarked on our adventure, shaping the fiery glass into intricate forms, one piece at a time. Jen’s vision was to craft the glass into a piece of art that doubled as a homage to the enigmatic axolotl, their favorite animal and creative subject. With every twist and turn, we infused the molten glass with personality, bringing the creature to life in shimmering green hues. We were successful in our endeavors and the student left happy! I hoped it was exactly what Jem had wanted.
A week or so later, Jem sent me a video of themselves using the piece as a musical instrument! Jem had carved and drilled holes into the hollow glass axolotl sculpture to turn it into much more than just a beautiful object, but also a functional one. It is so very humbling to know that I’d participated in the making of such a beautiful object and sound. To the left of this text is a video of Jen showing us how the instrument sounds.
In those private glassblowing lessons, amidst laughter and shared moments of triumph, we not only honed our craft but also forged lasting memories. The pieces we created have served as testaments to our boundless creativity as humans and the joy found in the art of glassblowing.
If you or anyone you know would benefit from a private glass-blowing class,
please contact me and we can discuss this in further detail.
I look forward to teaching you.
