My New Hobby

Fusing.  Slumping.  Murini.  Vitrograph.  Kiln wash.  Frit.  Rounds.  Combing. Raking.  Dichro.  

These terms were foreign to me until about a month ago.   Now, thanks to Fallbrook Art School, Suzanne Balestri, Patty Gray and Susan Hirsch, I am familiar, dare I say comfortable, with them.

Add them to scoring, cutting, copper-foil and soldering and a whole new world of artistic creativity has opened up to me thanks to trying some lessons in both the stained and fused glass world.  

And, I am hooked!   I loved the three classes I took in Fallbrook on Combing  and Raking Glass (4 pieces),  Coral Bowls/Open Woven Glass (2 pieces)and Pattern Bars and Reactive Glass Possibilities (3 pieces and a reactive bar) as well as the private lesson with Suzanne Balestri at her awesome home studio in Cardiff-By-The-Sea to make a Kaleidoscope Plate that I love!!   The stained glass class in Spanish Village was ok, but much less enjoyable as the instructor was a bit grouchy!  But still, as I always say, “even when it’s bad, it’s good here!”

The most fortunate thing was being able to have a 3-day session with Patty Gray at her incredible studio in San Marcos.   I stumbled upon the world renowned artist and her expertise experience and generosity was incredible.   I made 8 pieces!  She put together the class of 6 people just to accommodate me while I was here.  Ever grateful to her.  Met some very interesting people there as well...a man whose daughter-in-law was killed in the Vegas mass shooting who was making sunflowers for her memorial in Vegas, a retired teacher and her husband, a vet and another artist from Fallbrook with her own studio there that I will surely be checking out upon my next visit here.   Fun, full days of learning and creating.  So enjoyable.  Today I picked up all my finished pieces.   Quite a sight, indeed!

They spoke of a huge Glass Art Trade Show/lesson weekend in Vegas every year the first week in April.   Who knows?   Maybe I’ll add it to by “Bucket List” to attend (along with London and South By Southwest-the list continues to grow).

I’m very pleased with all my results.   Now, what to do with it all??!!  😂