About
This is a great class for beginners and all levels of students.
There is much to be said about the Art of Stained Glass. It is a technique of the ages; the beauty of light filtering through colored glass is awe-inspiring.
In this 6-session class, you will create an 18” x 18” Stained Glass window using the Copper Foil technique. You will design, choose your colors, cut glass, precisely fit, wrap your glass pieces in copper foil, and learn a style of soldering unique to Copper Foil.
For centuries the technique of leaded glass was the only way to build a glass window. These windows were constructed with lead or brass, limiting the intricacy of the artist’s designs. It wasn’t until the 19th century with the creative endeavors of Louis Comfort Tiffany that the landscape of stained glass fabrication changed. As a young visionary and artist of means, he is said to have developed the technique of copper foil or at the very least perfected this innovation using it in the fabrication of his infamously intricate windows, and specifically, his stained glass lamps. This technique allows artists to wrap small pieces of glass in the copper tape where the lead would be too bulky allowing for intricate and complicated designs.
The first session of this class will cover glass cutting techniques.
Following this class, you will be cleared for copper foil fabrication in the Glass Studio during Open Studio workshops and will provide eligibility for future intermediate and advanced classes in copper foil. This class will also meet the prerequisite of Glass Cutting required in any other class.
Students Need to Bring:
Please bring ideas or sketches to class. There will be time for editing & transferring your design during our first session. Designs should have no more than forty pieces.
Details:
- This is a 6 session class held every Wednesday afternoon from NOON to 3:00 pm.
- There is a materials fee of $48 included in the price of the class.
- Please click here for BARN's current COVID-19 health & safety protocols.
- BARN is committed to accessibility. Tuition Assistance is available - click here to fill out the simple application before registering for a class. For those who might need physical assistance, please learn about BARN's Companion Program here.
Instructor Bio:
Diane Bonciolini, the "olini” of Mesolini Glass Studio, is a founding member of BARN, she & her husband Gregg Mesmer, both recognized with the 2015 Island Treasure Award, moved to Bainbridge Island in 1977 and started the iconic Mesolini Glass Studio. They have been working professionally in the art glass industry for decades. Their expertise includes various types of fabrication processes for creating stained glass, copper foil, fused glass, glass & concrete, as well as public art and teaching.
Over the years they have worked on many Public Art projects such as Bainbridge Beach Glass Quilt, the Waypoint beach glass project, Rotary Centennial Park, and others. Many of their projects include school-age students on the Island and beyond.
Diane's love of glass is her passion. As a full-time glass artist she grows with every project, and she is proud to be a founding member of BARN.
What best describes her career to this point is that she has more ideas than time!
