Classes

 

I offer a beginner glass bead making class and an intermediate class. My classes are offered on Friday and Saturday mornings from 9-12. Other days may be available, just contact me. In my beginner class, we cover tools, equipment, safety issues and types of glass. I'll show you how to pull stringer, make round beads and decorate those beads with dots and flowers.

 Intermediate classes are student-driven and designed to help you with particular problems you might be experiencing, so the class differs from person to person. Some issues artists experience include problems with encased stringers, twisties, encasements and presses.

I've been asked over and over why I don't teach at a Junior college or at a facility where many students can learn.  I believe there are too many intricacies to manipulating hot glass and the learning curve can be a bit steep for some students. That's why I prefer to teach just one or two people at a time. It's a more conducive environment to learning and you get to set your own pace. Teaching with too many people just aggravates the students because they don't get the attention they deserve. In fact, I took my first class with 12 other people, so I do remember what it's like to be a beginner.

I'm considered the "go-to" teacher in the Houston area, so please contact me if you're interested in classes or just have a question about a certain technique.

 

This is actually my old studio. My new one is very similar to this. It was built inside my garage. I have two AC units for those hot Texas summers! The pig on the wall was painted by my then 4-year old....he keeps me company while I'm making beads (the pig...not my son)! The Skutt kiln is the oven-shaped thing on the right. My stringers are being held by a wonderful invention made by my father-in-law. The stringer holder turns (like a lazy susan) and holds tons of stringers!

Here is all the glass that I use. It's separated out by Italian    transparents on the bottom, then opaques. The Czech and German glasses are on the top. The radio is a definite necessity! If you look closely you can see my second torch.

 

Here's my work table. It's actually clean in this picture because I was expecting a student! I work on a Bobcat torch made by GTT Technologies. You can see my mandrels and the tools that I use. I have lots of pressing tools which make neat shapes like stop signs and coins. The bowl is filled with water in case I have to remove glass.