Beginning Glassblowing Weekend Workshop

This weekend I was the teaching assistant for Amy Ruza's Beginning Glassblowing Workshop. It was the most gratifying experience to date at The Studio. We had a fabulous group of students and it was so much more than I expected. Everyone was engaged and excited to work with glass and each other. What was really special was that not only were the students involved, but they ranged in age and lifestyles—a retired couple, a registered nurse with her son and his friend, a mother of two kids who lampworks, a sculpture artist, an eager and enthusiastic man, and a former student at haystack.

On Saturday, we went through hotshop safety and equipment, and later moved to the basics of solid sculpting. On Sunday, we focused on making a blown vessel that would hold liquid and then gave them free blow time after lunch.

I didn't think I would be so involved, but I was! I really wanted to take many photos of the students working, but I was constantly engaged wit helping each student get comfortable with the glass as partners and as the gaffers. It was a wonderful teaching and life experience. I learned so much interacting with the students and it was truly an honor to be Amy's TA. She led an excellent beginners class.

Surprise!! Paperweights! (I made one too! It's the one on the bottom row, far right.)


Aren't round blobs of glass with pretty colors in them so wonderful?


Sunday morning.


Amy unloading the annealer with goodies.


Clear flowers and jackline caterpillars/snow(people)/turd balls. (Hahaha!)


Sunday's objective.


Yay, lunchtime!

Then after all of this, Ray took me out to the Walmart plaza parking lot for my first ever experience driving stick shift—it was so NERVE RACKING!! I was so uneasy and I couldn't make the car move for the life of me! HAHAHA!! Ray was so patient and awesome with me. I have really great friends. Life is good. Thank you all. ♥sandy