I call this lesson zero because it really wasn’t meant to be
a lesson, but rather a visit to meet an artist who might consider taking me
on as a student. After researching
glass studios in Michigan, I called those less than an hour from my home. Most just referred me to their website for a list
of classes. Given my
irregular work schedule, attending a class that met at the same time every week
would be difficult. I pondered my
options, trying to re-arrange my schedule so I could sign
up for a class, but it looked like it just wasn’t going to
work out for me. Then, I found
Baron Glassworks. When I called studio, the owner answered. Her name was
Annette. For those who know me, you know
I am partial to that name. It belonged
to my mom, to whom I owe everything, and perhaps the only right-brained member
of my family. Naturally, I
wanted her to be my teacher. Annette told me
to stop by her studio sometime so we could meet. Not wanting to seem to anxious, I waited a full 15 minutes before calling her back and asking if now would be a good time. "Sure!" she said. I hopped in my car and headed her way!
I knew nothing about glass, and had no idea what to expect
when I arrived. After introducing myself to Annette, we talked
for a while, she showed me around her studio and I watched her work with a few other
students. Seeing my unbridled enthusiasm, she quickly realized she was stuck with me as a student and began capturing every
teachable moment, directing her words of
wisdom not only to her apprentices, but also to me, the apprentice-wannabe. Like the newbie that I was, I held onto every
word like it was gold. I must’ve looked
like a hungry and penniless child who just wandered into a candy
shop, and, the goodhearted soul that she is, Annette couldn’t resist giving me
a piece. “Would you like to make a
something?” she asked. She wasn’t going to have to ask me twice. I have been waiting to hear those words since
I was eight!
First, a quick safety lesson: safety glasses are a must, hair
must be pulled back, never wear acrylic clothing, never walk backwards in the
studio (this is harder than you would think!) and never pick anything up off
the floor; it is likely to be sharp, hot or both! After a few dry runs with
cold tools, we grabbed a pipe and headed for the furnace. Given the inherent dangers of this process,
she guided my every move, standing beside me, directing my grip on the blow
pipe and, even more importantly, standing in front of me as I approached the
furnace of molten glass. Looking inside it for the first time, I could almost believe she had
stolen for herself a piece of the sun. Now, just a few feet away from a blazing vessel
of molten glass, I was going to steal a piece for myself. She guided my pipe into the vat, dipping and twisting it into the viscous fluid, and, soon, I had a glowing orb at the end of my pipe. It was beautiful! She walked me through the process of blowing
my first bubble and dancing with gravity to shape my first piece. In the end, we marvered and blew, jacked and
paddled, and, in the end, she succeeded in taking me through the steps necessary to create a
glass. AMAZING!
Armed with a healthy respect for the process and a basic
understanding of what it would take to gain even a basic level of competence, I
signed up for my first private lesson.
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