Virtual Personal Coaching for Glass Fusers

We all understand that in-person classes are the best way to learn - but they are not available, possible, or convenient for everyone. Online downloadable courses are fantastic and thorough but may leave you with questions specific to your unique circumstances. Social media groups are a great way to interact with other fusers and learn from them, but asking questions often leads to confusing, conflicting, or incomplete responses.

Virtual, live, one-on-one coaching with an experienced instructor is the answer!

I can walk you through everything you need to know for your situation and address your questions as they happen in a fun and caring live session.

My job as a teacher is to make the glass fusing process as predictable as possible for you. There are not many art forms where we spend hours making work only to leave it unseen for many more hours in a process where we have only limited control. No one wants to open their kiln to find unpleasant surprises that can waste precious time and precious glass! Through my experience and understanding of the art and science of shaping glass using heat and gravity, I aim to pass on my knowledge so you can spend less time experimenting, trying and erroring, and more time bringing your vision to life in glass.

I believe that no question is dumb, and that anyone can understand the fusing process and get consistently better results through that understanding.

Topics I can cover include:

• Tools, materials and supplies - sorting out the must-haves, the nice-to-haves and the don't-bothers
• Safety - how to protect yourself, your space, your pets and loved ones
• COE - what it is, why it matters, which to choose and why mixing is the only rule you can never break
• The 6mm Rule - the most important rule to understand in fusing so you can predict and manage results
• Cutting glass - tips and tools for success with freehand or guided cutting of straight lines, curves, and circles
• Design basics - fundamentals of assembling pieces using sheet glass and other components
• Buying your first kiln - what to look for and what will best fit your space, your budget, and your goals
• Testing your kiln - find the ideal temperatures for the results you want
• Temperature + time + gravity - the vital equation for predictability
• Types of fuses - how to get the results you want from your full, contour, tack or fire polish fuses
• Cold working - fixing, enhancing and polishing your work outside of the kiln
• Slumping, draping, dropping - the right molds for the job and managing your firing for the best finished piece
• Casting - basics of getting good results from casting molds
• Firing schedules - what the segments mean, how to program effectively and what the heck is going on in that kiln
• Devitrification - what is it, how to avoid it, and how to correct it
• Big equipment - is it worth it? My experience and advice with saws, lap grinders, sandblasters, and specialty kilns
• Studio set up - my own tips and tricks for an efficient, safe and well-organized glass creating space
• Basic Techniques* - "how do you make that one I saw on Pinterest?"
• Basic selling recommendations - personal experience and advice on pricing and selling via Etsy, other storefronts, art fairs and markets
• Managing glass color reactions
• Recommendations for books and tutorials
• Resources to source what you need for the best prices (US-based)

* Please note that while I am happy to help "reverse-engineer" a design or technique that you found, if the technique is one that I recognize from a published tutorial or class, I will refer you to that material so that you can learn from the source.