Beadmaking Experience
Play with hot glass in this short, introductory experience for beginners (and beyond).
About
Here's your chance to experience the wonder of making a glass bead without committing to a full bead bootcamp! A great introductory experience for beginners, it's also valuable for more practiced torchworkers who want to try something different from marbles and sculpture, want to try out soft glass, or just want a refresher on bead basics.
Details
You'll learn basic studio safety, how to light and use the glass torch, how to prepare your workspace, and how to make small basic beads. You'll learn some techniques for decorating beads, and how to clean them afterwards. You'll leave class with your own mandrels and a small amount of soft glass to practice with if you attend an Open Studio torch session in the future.
Materials
Class Policies
- Ages 14 and older are welcome.
- You must wear closed-toed shoes and long pants.
- Water and other beverages must be in closable, lidded bottles.
Instructor
Although she's a computer scientist by day, Laura Arns has been working with glass in various ways for more than 20 years during her free time. As a lampworker, she is somewhat unusual because she hasn't specialized but instead works with both borosilicate and soft glass to create beads, marbles, blown ornaments, sculptures, goblets, and more. She particularly enjoys collaborative projects with artists and artisans who work in other mediums. Over the years, she's had the opportunity to learn from numerous well-known lampworkers. A former college professor, she's looking forward to more teaching in BARN's Glass Arts Studio.
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