Introduction to Glass Fusing and Slumping
4 Week Class | This course is currently not open for registration.
Encouraging playful curiosity, this course is designed for beginners, with an emphasis on skill building through a series of weekly projects. From understanding glass properties to precision cutting, design and assembly, students will learn how to shape raw glass into expressive finished art pieces. We will explore three primary firing methods: Tack Fusing: which preserves the texture and relief of individual glass shards; Full Fusing: which melts layers into a sleek, unified surface; and Slumping: in which glass is bent over or into a mold. Students will incorporate learned techniques into a final fused and slumped glass artwork.
Base Tuition: $240 + Material Fee: $42.50 = $282.50 Total
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- What You Will Learn
- How to exploit the properties of glass to achieve different effects
- How and why to program for full-fuse, tack-fuse and slump firings
- How to make decorative elements to add texture, line, colour and shape to your projects
- How to finish and display your artworks
- - Pencil
- Paper
- Medium tip black permanent marker (Sharpie)
Kathryn Irwin
Kathryn is a Toronto-based glass artist with over 35 years of experience. Until 2020, she collaborated with her sister, Jane Irwin, creating custom stained glass windows under the name Art Zone. Introduced to glass slumping and fusing in the early 1980's, Kathryn was captivated by the medium's candy-like quality and was instantly hooked. Self-taught and endlessly curious, she honed her art through trial and error and meticulous record-keeping. Over the years, the inclusion of fused glass became a signature of Art Zone designs. Today, Kathryn continues to explore the expressive potential of fused and slumped glass. She shares her passion through teaching, guiding students past the pitfalls so that they can enjoy early success in realizing their artistic visions.