The Learning Center — Your Home Away From Home

 Kona Stained Glass started offering lessons and workshops in November 2006. The following is our schedule for the New Year starting January 2008. To give access to all, in addition to lessons, we will be offering drop in studio space and project storage space. 

Call for Registration:     604 877-1332 or toll free 1- 866-759-1124

Glass Fusing - Instructor Jeremy Dane Morris 

Description: Glass fusing is a very popular art form that was offered here at Kona for the very first time in December 2006. Specialized fusing glass is cut to shape using glass cutters, mosaic cutters and glass grinders. Glass is stacked in varying heights,  accessory products such as confetti, noodles, stringers and rods are used to add detail and then the project is placed in a glass kiln and "fired" at tempatures up to 1465 degrees farenheit. The results are amazing. The glass melts together, creating a flat and fantastic art piece.

But wait, it's not finished. After this piece has been fired and cooled, it goes back into the kiln. This time it is placed on top of a ceramic mold or fibre board ( molds come in a variety of shapes and sizes and fibre board can be cut to virtually any shape ). The kiln goes up in temperature to 1375 degrees and during this phase the glass actually takes to the shape of the form used. Official lingo translation ='s "slumping" So now your fancy little art piece has turned itself into a bowl, plate, dish or whatever. You thinking wow? It's very cool. 

New Classes for March 2008 - All classes include fusing glass, use of tools,  etc, etc, etc. Just bring yourself and be ready to FUSE!  All prices include GST.

INTRODUCTION to Glass Fusing Class - Two sessions, three hours each. First Class - Topics covered include: glass compatability, variety of fusing glass forms, volume control, design placement, gluing, cutting and grinding glass. Make three, four inch by four inch, fused glass trays. You do all the design work, starting with base colors and adding accessory glass, stringers, noodles, frit, confetti and more. Second Class - Starts with a review of the creations from the first class. Continues with instruction on edge grinding, colour combining and compatibality issues, kiln shelf preparation and basic firing programs. During this class, each person designs and creates a eight inch square fused glass plate using all the accessory products mentioned above. Projects from second class are ready for pick up one week later.

Starts: INTRODUCTION CLASS Monday, April 14 & 21.  6:30 pm to 9:30 pm   Cost: $169

Starts: INTRODUCTION CLASS Monday, May 5 & 12.  6:30 pm to 9:30 pm   Cost: $169

Starts: INTRODUCTION CLASS Wednesday May 28 & June 4.  6:30 pm to 9:30 pm   Cost: $169

INTERMEDIATE - LEVEL 1 - Glass Fusing Class -  Intermediate Level 1 Classes in Glass Fusing and Slumping!  Make an 8 inch plate and 8 inch bowl. Students will be able to create their own fused glass bowls and plates using a variety of methods, including: 'mosaic' style, drawing with frit powders,stacking, glass noodles, 'bent' stringers, and more. At least one project will be circular, so circle cutting will be demonstrated and used in students' pieces.Special attention will be paid to creating borders and maintaining clean edges. Kiln firing techniques such as 'fire polishing' and 'deep slumping', as well as firing programs for larger pieces, will also be discussed. Introduction to additional equipment such as the Belt Sander and Disc Grinder is included. Pre-requistite: Any 'Beginner Level Fusing and Slumping Class' or equivalent.

 Starts: INTERMEDIATE 1  CLASS Wednesday April 16 & 23 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm   Cost: $199

Starts: INTERMEDIATE 1  CLASS Monday May 26 & June 2. 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm   Cost: $199

 INTERMEDIATE - LEVEL 2 -  Glass Fusing Class - Here's the opportunity to use the skills you've learned so far to make one special project using a high fire "flat" fuse technique. The first nights class will involve designing a multi-layered plate or bowl, up to 12" across, and on the second night, grinding and sanding your piece into the right shape for the mold in preperation for a "fire polish slump". The resulting piece will be your own gallery quality work of art! Pre-requistite: Intermediate Level 1 Class or equivalent.

Starts: INTERMEDIATE 2  CLASS Tuesday April 1 & 8 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm   Cost: $199

Starts: INTERMEDIATE 2  CLASS Wednesday May 6 & 13 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm   Cost: $199

FUSED DICHROIC JEWELRY -  Discover the brilliance of Dichroic Glass in this introduction to fused glass jewelry course. You will have the opportunity to use different colors, textures and patterns of dichroic glass along with noodles, stringers, confetti, rods, frit and cut glass in your jewelry pieces. You can make 8 pendants and matching earrings sets during this course, complete with silver-plated settings. So don't delay...we expect this course to fill up fast. Pre-requistite: Introduction to Glass Fusing or equivalent.

Starts: FUSED DICHROIC JEWELRY Monday & Wednesday April 28 & 30. 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm   Cost: $220

Starts: FUSED DICHROIC JEWELRY Wednesday May 7 & 14. 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm   Cost: $220

Starts: FUSED DICHROIC JEWELRY Tuesday May 20 & 27. 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm   Cost: $220