2021: September Issue

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PNWglassguild.org

Tour Open Studios in both Portland and Seattle in-person this year!

Upcoming events: pnwglassguild.org/events/

(Bolded events are Guild sponsored)

September
10-12 Art In The Park BoiseID
17-19 Columbia Gorge Artists’ Studio Tour
18-19 PNW Glass Guild Open Studios,
Portland area OR
18-19 Edmonds Art Studio Tour, Edmonds WA
21 Play Day: Mosaic Light Block Deer Isl. OR
26 PNW Glass Guild Board Mtg. via Zoom

October
9-10  Bead and Creative Arts Festival, Portland OR
14-17 Refract, a huge multi-event celebration of
NW glass, Seattle metro area WA
16     Pilchuck Gala Glass Auction, Seattle WA
16-17 Glass and Decor Studio Tour, Seattle WA
(Guild sponsored)
23-24, 30-31  Philomath Open Studio Tour,
Philomath OR (W of Corvallis)
24 PNW Glass Guild General Meeting:
Lighting the Future via Zoom

November
13-14 Best of the NW fall show, Seattle WA
14 PNW Glass Guild General Meeting:
Holiday Ideas via Zoom
20-21 Wild Arts (Audubon), Portland OR


Contents

Open Studio Tours: Portland & Seattle

Featured Artists: Michele Galli, Sandy Spear

Simple Acid Etching with Greta Schneider

Why I Volunteer?

President’s Message

PNWGG Board of Directors

Nominating Committee Report

Guild Notes

Exploring Member Benefits Part One

September 21st, Play Day

October 24th, General Meeting

November 14th, General Meeting

Refract

Regional Glass Events, past & future

Featured Sponsor—Bullseye Glass

Thanks to All Our Sponsors

Read the whole issue on the website:
https://www.pnwglassguild.org/article-cat/issue-2021-09/


Portland Area Open Studios Sept.18-19

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Tour all 4 sites to see and buy from 14 Pacific NW Glass Guild member artists.

10 am – 4 pm both days

Outdoors or well ventilated, masks etc.

A) Kory & Rachel Dollar
at Marvelous Mosaic Fine Art
64535 Columbia River Hwy
Deer Island, OR 360-719-9298

Guest Artists: Jennifer Hart, Kevin Kanyo, Lyn Kennison,
Terry Misley, Kathie Wise

Marvelous Mosaics will have snacks, demonstrations, and a free small project for kids.


B) Linda Gerrard’s Studio
8400 SW Maverick Terrace
Beaverton, OR 503-804-3105

Guest artist: Dianne Muhly

Have a snack. Enter the drawing: you might win some art.


C) Margaret Eagle’s Studio
17380 SW Hillsboro Hwy.
Sherwood OR 971-235-4578

Guest artists: Holly Crilly, Sharon Dunham

There will be mosaic projects to try!


D) Carlyne Lynch’s Studio
6890 Molalla Bend Road
Wilsonville, OR 503-784-2277

Guest artists: Lisa Mustain, Greta Schneider

FREE sun catcher project (free supplies and firing),
and there will be a drawing too.
Plus FREE vitrograph stringers for GUILD MEMBERS from Carlyne, as well as some low cost flame working tools for sale


October 16-17: Seattle Studio Tour

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The Guild is sponsoring the Seattle GlassAndDecor.com studio tour October 16-17, 10 am to 5 pm.
7 studios in north Seattle will each host 3 to 4 artists, at least one of which works in glass. The focus is on art to perk up your home.

Come and meet several Seattle area Guild members:
Sandy Spear, Karen Seymour, Connie Munford, Kathy Johnson, Bridget Culligan, and Lael Bennett.

All the glass artists are encouraged to have some sort of demo. We love discussing our work. (note that this event is part of Refract, the big 4-day Seattle glass celebration).

Go to GlassAndDecor.com for map, artist, and demo info.

Featured Artist: Michelle Galli, Depoe Bay, OR

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Michelle Galli

Born and raised in California I spent most of my vacations at the seaside.  My love of the ocean inspired my move to the beautiful Oregon coast when I retired.  I have always been involved in arts and crafts and have played with multiple mediums from oils and acrylics to polymer clay, sewing and cake decoration. I was particularly infatuated with the translucent nature of glass with it’s brilliant colors and with the sparkle of dichroic glass.

 

I started fusing and making my own jewelry after taking a class at the local community center.  That 1st class was more than 25 years ago.  What  started as a hobby has progressed to a passion for glass and a creative outlet that provides art therapy and intriguing challenges. I have taken classes with many talented glass artists and am looking forward to attending more when the pandemic subsides.  I find that I am continually learning new things and love that my fellow glass artists are so willing to share information.

I find endless inspiration in the marine environment, and by all of the colors, textures, shapes, & designs found in nature. I use primarily Bullseye glass which is made locally in Portland Oregon.  This was another perk of moving up here.  I can drive to Bullseye glass factory. 

I use various techniques including hand painting enamels, copper inclusions, and multiple kiln firings at different temperatures to create my pieces. I am so fortunate to live in a beautiful area surrounded by nature and to have several glass buddies living close by.  We have lots of fun getting together, sharing information and experimenting with glass techniques. We always laugh and say “you can never have too much glass.”  We just need more time to play!


Featured Artist: Sandy Spear, Seattle, WA

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Sandy Spear from Seattle, WA

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING GLASS WORK?
I started lampworking in about 2007, after having been a (part-time) potter for about 40 years. I’ve always worked in the art field, at galleries, museums, and other arts organizations. Now I am a retired graphic designer. But I still really like making things. When I started in glass, as a former potter, I assumed I would gravitate toward making functional objects. But I found that I prefer the freedom to just play with glass and bead designs and make whatever I want.


My work starts with individually made lampwork beads that I highlight in one-of-a-kind wearable art jewelry. The pieces have a recognizable style, featuring bold, distinctively graphic designs, giving each one a unique personality. I do not make the same pieces over and over, as I am always learning and practicing new techniques and color combinations. I strive for design cohesion and technical perfection in my work.

Tibet Barrel Style
Graduated Tibet Necklace
White on Black Coin Shape
Paladium Choker

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN GLASS?
When I realized I wasn’t going into my clay studio very much any more I decided to try other things and I took a couple of fusing classes. I realized my existing pottery kiln would not work for melting glass. But with my first bead making class I was hooked. In fusing the magic happens when you aren’t looking. The immediacy of the process of lampworking is really appealing.

I can make sets of beads that match, or make every single bead a different size, shape or style according to my mood. While there are always surprises upon opening the kiln after annealing, it’s negligible compared to the joys and disasters experienced upon opening a ceramic kiln. I like being confident that what I put in will be what comes out.

DO YOU HAVE A PRIMARY TECHNIQUE OR LOOK THAT YOU ARE KNOWN FOR?
Not necessarily, but pattern really appeals to me. I make beads in many styles. I enjoy making sets of beads with varying
patterns in the same color range and combining them in jewelry. I add elements of silver or onyx to the pieces to further emphasize the beads and to give each piece a unique personality. It was never my aim to make jewelry, but I find that I really enjoy it. It uses a different part of the brain, and is quite satisfying. I usually make beads that I like and then decide which beads go with others, old or new, then put them together — design ideas coming as I work on the jewelry. I also make tiny glass mobiles. It’s a challenge to make them balance, and great fun. But the mobile arms are quite small, because they are made on wires that have to be thin enough for me to bend. I’m trying to figure out how to make them more visible.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT DOING GLASS AND
WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND MOST CHALLENGING?

I enjoy the limitless possibilities in glass. There are so many colors! So many techniques!
I can keep learning and honing my skills, and never run out of ideas to try. It’s challenging to have an idea I can’t quite realize to my satisfaction, but I keep working on it, and even if I never achieve perfection, I learn something new anyway. Some colors react with others in interesting ways. Certain types of glass, mostly the “silver-reactives,” are expensive and challenging to master. But the results are worth the struggle. Silver-reactive glass can have rainbow, oil slick, iridescent or other beautiful effects and the beads have great depth.

Peachy Frosted Necklace
Red Brocade Lentil Necklace
Green Leaves Moblie

SpearStudiosGlass.com


Simple Acid Etching on Dichroic Glass

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Okay…you bought some dichro to try…now what do you do with it?

HERE’S SOMETHING EASY AND FUN WITH DICHOIC GLASS………….

First…..take some small pieces and experiment with it…..and learn to have fun with it! I will be doing a talk during the NOVEMBER general meeting to give people some more insight into dichro and many fun ways to use it and some tips on what works – and what doesn’t, but here are a few ideas to start with:
Acid etching is a very quick simple way to make unique designs and also to personalize something. My basic go-to acid is Amour Etch from Michael’s. I’d suggest using a coupon to purchase it…. but it goes a long way and lasts a very long time!

I do not use gloves to protect my skin….but you might prefer to. (it does burn if you have a cut). For these examples I am using some of my dichoic glass coated on smooth machine rolled thin Uroboros glass…from Spirit of Glass, who is one of our sponsors. Dichro is a very thin metallic coating…..different metals create the different colors. Most colors on this glass etch quickly…in 30-45 seconds, but you should test each color dichro you use…it can sometimes take much longer.

If the coating is on black glass, because the background is DARK…the color will appear more brilliant. On clear glass…. the reflected color is what you usually see in a finished piece. If you can hold it up to light….the opposite color on a color wheel shows (transmitted light), so sometimes you can use this color change to your advantage in a piece of art or jewelry. ALSO…very important….. dichroic coatings not only change color when you look at them at an angle…..but they ACTUALLY change when they are FIRED! If you look at a piece of unfired dichro at about a 45 degree angle (with dichro on clear it is easier to see with black paper behind it) THAT is the color it will FIRE to…(and when that fired color is looked at straight on)…and then that fired piece will also change color at an angle.

Acid etching is very quick and easy! Tape , decals and contact papers can also be cut or punched to use a s a resist (anything that protects the dichro from the acid). You don’t have to be a great artist.…..just make some fun patterns and even layer the different dichro sheets for even more interesting pieces!

Using Amour Etch….a simple SHARPIE pen will work as a resist so you can draw or write something special and have it show up in the dichro! This ink is thin of course…so if you wipe off the acid too soon you must rewrite over the sharpie before etching again. If you can find decals with the correct size letters….that works really well too and protects the dichro more than the Sharpie. I find a small soft toothbrush really works well to remove the acid quickly and gently, under running water .

These ideas can be used to add a little sparkle to almost any project. Add a name…write a thought…… make some accent parts for a larger piece…..an added touch to a plate, add some sparkle at the center of a flower. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Also, with the dichro on clear….the dichro can be fired either up or down which also gives you some variations in the finished look.

(Greta will be presenting this method via Zoom at the November 14th General meeting on Holiday Ideas)

EXAMPLES SHOWN IN PHOTOS:

1) Just scotch tape to protect part of the dichro gives crisp clean lines.
2) Etch center then remove tape. (**using dichro on clear you can see on the back side when the colored dichro coating has etched away).
3) Your “frame” can be used as-is or you can etch a design into it.
4) Sharpie design quickly drawn.
5) After next acid etch on frame art
6) Butterfly decal on dichro on black.
7) Acid over butterly.
8) Decal removed after etching.
9) Add mica colors if desired………. remember the mica will only stick where it touches the glass!
10) Butterfly and mica fired. Dichro is brighter when it catches the light.
11) Any frame art could be fired onto the back piece with the butterfly.
12) A small decal heart and MOM written in Sharpie.
13) Heart and MOM after acid etching….on clear….may be used to cap other dichro or some opal glass.
14) Just a quick loose design done with a Sharpie…..and fired…shown here as it would look over opal glass.2-3 different color designs in dichro stacked up can be very pretty!

Why I Volunteer?

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Need some inspiration to get involved in a Committee; lead a team; help with a project or the website or serve on the Board? Keep reading…

Lyn Kennison

When I was asked to write down a few thoughts on what being a member of the PNW glass guild and formally the Oregon glass guild has been for me, many things came to mind. I joined the OR glass guild in 2004-05 after just having taken my first stained glass class and jewelry fusing class. I was welcomed in and felt right at home. I was aware of my lack of knowledge but soon found out how generous people were with giving information to help me learn. I took classes often subsidized by the guild and learned more. I joined Committees and learned more techniques and people to form lasting friendships. I also learned it is ok to have” failures” and then learn how to turn them around to be wonderful pieces. This is a great organization to belong to and get involved in. Covid has not stopped us from getting a new website, planning meetings on line, have playdates on line so the learning can continue, planning contests, and open studio tours for those comfortable to do so.

I encourage you all to get involved. We can all help each other to keep on growing and learning about all kinds of glass. There are so many wonderful people in this organization, we need your commitment and support by stepping forward to be on the board in some capacity. I have learned so much from my fellow glass artist friends. My time as President comes to an end according to the bylaws. Join us with your new visions, energy, and love of glass. We need you to join the board!

Thanks Lyn Kennison, President


Linda Gerrard

I joined the Glass Guild about 10 years ago and have been the Sponsorship Director for nearly that entire time. From early on, I decided that I would attend the Board meetings as well as the general meetings that were held each month so I could see the organization from the inside out. We hadn’t had a Sponsorship Director for several years and I thought this was an area I could help out with. As Sponsorship Director, I not only brought in new sponsors, but I lead the team who did the Vendor Fair as well. Additionally, I was also on the planning committee. There were around 8 of us who got together and tossed around ideas for the general meetings. Once we decided on a few topics for several monthly meetings, someone would volunteer to contact the Sponsor, potential Sponsor or member to see if they were interested in presenting to the group. Well, I have to say they nearly always said yes and this made for very interesting general meetings. I was fortunate to be able to attend a Guild sponsored class where I gained so much knowledge about particular technique from an expert.

When the Guild didn’t bring someone in for a couple years, I took it upon myself to contact one of my favorite artists and see if they would come to Portland to do a class. I did that for 3 or 4 years and all the participants were thrilled they could take these classes. So, you’re probably wondering why I would volunteer to help out in so many areas. Well, after attending several meetings and seeing how generous everyone was to answer questions and help new fusers (which I was), I decided that I wanted to be contribute to this wonderful organization. Have you heard the phrase “Many hands makes light work”? Have you experienced the kindness and giving of other members? Have you participated in a class sponsored by the Guild? Have you received a discount from a sponsor or participated in a sponsored activity like empty bowls? Did you attend one of the Vendor Fairs? What am I getting at? That’s easy, we need YOU to volunteer so the Guild can continue bringing these fabulous things to our members. None of the positions are hard to do and we have lots of people who are there to help out, so give it some thought. Where can you help out?

Thanks, Linda Gerrard


I volunteered 3 years ago to be treasurer of the Oregon Glass Guild (back then) because I got a call from the nomination committee asking if I would consider it as they really needed someone to help with that job and since I had helped with the Gathering of the Guild, someone thought I might be good as treasurer. It has been a lot of work but also an honor to help the Board make sure the guild is financially solvent, that all our bills are paid, and to help develop innovations for the guild and find a way to pay for them. Along the way, I have also learned how to do electronic banking, do business with a bank, maintain accounts in Quicken, and deal with the state and the federal government on taxes, and also on thorny issues like when we changed the name of the guild. It has been a challenge but also a great lesson in business and financial management.

Thanks, Lesley Kelly


Karen Seymour

Glass caught me long ago. After years spent running a computer training business and all the different hats that entails, I sold the business in
2004 to try selling my glasswork and classes full time. Being old enough now for Social Security means I finally have time to explore glass without having to worry about making things that will sell but also means that my body can’t take traveling to do art shows and give classes anywhere but in my home studio. It’s time to give back to the community in other ways. Why am I volunteering with the Guild? Glass keeps my brain working and makes my heart happy. I like talking glass with other artists exploring the medium. And I don’t want to have to buy my glass by mail order. This means keeping the local shops from closing, which means helping them and their customers sell glass. So I started a glass promoting newsletter and website, FriendsInGlass.org, which I’m now merging into the Guild.

Making art is solitary. Volunteering with the Guild adds a more social component. I’ve made over a dozen new glass-friends on Zoom that I’ve never met in person. The Guild also means everyone doesn’t have to re-invent the wheel themselves: we can help each other learn everything from new glass techniques to computer-marketing stuff to sales insights.

What I’m doing for the Guild?
Web-help: learning how to use the new website and in turn helping others learn to use it. The new website is a great tool for tying the region’s glass community together. I’m also contributing to the Newsletter to help make the news more regional. What’s happening 3 hours away may be interesting enough to get a fellow glass artist to come see. Or you may discover there’s someone doing glass just a few blocks over. I’d love to have company on the web-help team. Can you spare about an hour a week?
Do you want to become more computer proficient, enjoy teaching and helping solve problems all while picking up interesting glass tidbits and talking to other glass enthusiasts? Let me know

Thanks, Karen Seymour


My first position was as Vice President of the Oregon Glass Guild for the State Organization. I was helping the President at the time. I helped to organize and coordinate meetings. I met people from the Guild and enjoyed connecting.
Second position was Vice President of the Portland Chapter and also Play Day and Events Coordinator—I felt committed to keeping the organization afloat and liked asking people to have play days.
Third position was membership—it was difficult keeping track of the new members. I took the position over from someone else who had not been trained in how to do the membership tasks. I feel good that we increased membership substantially over the last year. I like working with the Board Members and getting to know them well. I also helped with the website by reviewing changes and staying in touch with our website designer. I like problem solving.

Thanks, Margie Rieff


Carlyne Lynch

I was raised in a family that volunteered in our communities. We served meals at church, cooked pancakes at events and worked fund raisers together. In school I joined many clubs and groups that also volunteered. It became a habit and my whole family participated and felt it was our community responsibility. As I went through college and joined work environments this habit of service also continued. I still have close friend from my lifetime of volunteer projects. Groups and organizations help you meet and experience a diversity of backgrounds and culture. You can’t help[ but expand and grow. Building relationships may not be easy for some people, but when uniting around a project or an event, it can make it so much easier! Organization will also gain from the input of diverse members and new energy and ideas. I volunteer because it’s in my DNA and the Guild needs it to continue to thrive.

Thanks, Carlyne Lynch


Greta Schneider

I started doing glass over 25 years ago but we spent as much time as we could traveling in our motorhome….so I never really even knew there was a glass guild here. I ran into Aviva Brandt somewhere about 5-6 years ago (about the time we started staying in Oregon year round) and she talked me into coming to a glass guild meeting…and that was the beginning. She also suggested going on the open studio tour and meeting some people and that was fun too. I’m not really sure how I started doing more with the guild, which eventually led to being on the board as Secretary and VP, and now working on the newsletter and other committees. I think I just started volunteering to help on some committee projects for the guild and at some shows.
It is an entirely different experience working on a specific project with other glass artists over just attending meetings. On the board and on a committee, you really have the time to get to know each other and become friends….and that makes a huge difference in your experience as a glass artist and as part of a glass community.

You not only develop a group with whom you share a love of learning about glass….but you really support each other. You will enjoy sharing your accomplishments, your interests, what you are curious about learning more about (and your sometimes humorous mistakes) and there is a closeness that you can’t get from just going to meetings. It is really nice that with the advent of Zoom meetings we can bring together so many people from many locations who could not physically attend the in-person meetings. It has been a good change. However, if you also work on a committee, on a project or on the board – you will not only really be helping the glass guild, your whole view of the glass world will broaden and become so much more exciting!

Thanks, Greta Schneider

To volunteer for the Board, please contact the nominating committee

Here’s a list of the many other ways you can volunteer and who to contact

President’s Message

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Hello fellow glass members .

I hope you all survived the heat and are doing well.

I want to take this time to encourage you to run for a Board position for the coming year so we all can continue to grow in this glass adventure together. Without the Board positions being filled, we will not have a Guild which would be a shame after all the work that has gone into our new website, the opportunities for glass education, activities, and planned upcoming events.

I also want to thank everyone who worked so hard on the new website. It took lots of meetings to hash it all out, so thank you all for your time and effort. It is really a beautiful website. If you have not set up your gallery page please do so and it is really simple. This could encourage sales and anyone visiting the website can see an example of your work.

Take care.
Lyn Kennison, President PNW Glass Guild

2021 PNWGG Board of Directors

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President – Lyn Kennison

Past President – Mitzi Kugler

Vice President – Sue Merritt

Treasurer – Lesley Kelly

Secretary – Pat Bracknell


Team Chairs

Communications Chair – Charlene Fort

Membership Chair – Rae Williamson

Sponsorship Chair – Linda Gerrard

Newsletter Co-Chairs – Greta Schneider and Rae Williamson

Web Master – Needed

Interested in helping out, see the list of other positions available, we would love to have you on the team.

Any comments, suggestions or questions about the PNWGG Newsletter, please contact Greta or Rae

Nomination Committee Report

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We Want You!!!

On October 24,2021 the Guild will hold our annual meeting. At this meeting, an election will be conducted to confirm the PNWGG Board of Directors for 2022.

The Nomination Committee has been diligently contacting members to see which of the positions of President, Secretary, Treasurer and Vice President they might be interested in standing for. There is still a need for people to step forward. Please contact the nominating committee, Carlyne Lynch and Lesley Kelly, at the earliest possible time to discuss your interest. A big thank you to everyone who indicates their interest in serving!

Guild Notes

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  • Membership Chair: Rae Williamson has stepped up to fill this position. Thanks Rae!
  • Fuser’s group: Lynda Sprecher’s group will no longer be meeting. Is anyone willing to take on leading a similar forensic glass troubleshooting Zoom a few times a year? Or even once to see how it goes? Contact Karen Seymour to volunteer or comment.
  • Do you look at Facebook a couple of times a week? The Guild’s Facebook Page needs a moderator (this is the public page, not the private member-only group). Can you spare a few minutes a week to post Guild events, answer queries, delete or OK people’s comments and generally keep the page active to support the Guild and regional glass in general? If so please contact Karen Seymour
  • New Videos: Logged-in members can now see the video of July’s General Meeting on Reactions and inclusions
    and of June’s General Meeting on Displaying your work: stands, supports, hangers etc.
    or find these and other meeting videos under the Glass menu tab> Education section.

Exploring Your Member Benefits, Part 1:

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We’re going to start a series explaining how to take advantage of some of the benefits you get when you join.
The first is

How to get your glass event posted on the Guild’s public calendar:

  1. Log-on to the Guild website
  2. In the top menu go to About>Contacts and click the second tab “Submit Calendar Event”
  3. Fill out the form
  4. Our volunteer will transfer your information from the form to the calendar. Please make it easy on us by filling the form in clearly, with details and correct spelling. Be sure to include a way to get more info.

Log-in to see the complete list of member benefits and how to exercise them under For Members>Website Help>1-Welcome To The Guild

Play Day: Mosaic Light Block

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September 21, 10 am, Deer Island OR

Come to Marvelous Mosaic Fine Art in Deer Island, and create a mosaic project. Cost is $10 for an 8″x8″ glass block plus $10 for the glass, glue etc. You don’t need to bring anything. The blocks are able to receive LEDs if you want to add lights but lights are not included.

Play Days are an exploration, not an organized class, but there will be other members to answer your questions. Play Days are for Guild Members only. Please join the guild before registering

64535 Columbia River Hwy, Deer Island, OR 97054 (45 minutes north of downtown Portland)

Contact Kory Dollar to register or if you have questions.

https://marvelousmosaic.com/

October General Meeting: Lighting the Future

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Sunday, October 24th 3:30 pm, via Zoom.

This is our annual meeting to elect the next year’s Board. Since at this point we have no more than 1 candidate for each position (see related article), this section should be short.

The rest of the meeting will be a show and tell by artists who do lighting of various sorts. Come and be inspired. The Zoom link will be available on the event listing closer to the date.

Contact Karen Seymour if you are willing to show your lights. So far we have:

November 14th General Meeting – Holiday Ideas

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Only six weeks to go till Christmas and I am out of ideas…

The solution…tune in to the November General meeting. I promise it will be chocked full ideas for gifts you can buy yourself (from Santa of course), gifts you can make to please others, and educational gifts you can give or put on your wish list.

Our members will present on their favorite tools, provide notice of exciting classes on the horizon, and recommend learning experiences and techniques.

Greta Schneider will be expanding on her September Newsletter article and doing a live demonstration on holiday ideas made with dicro.

The Zoom link will be posted on the calendar listing closer to the event. See you there!

Regional Glass Events: Reviews & Upcoming

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Treasure in your camera

The old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words is even more true in these days of social media. The Guild wants your photos of glass events. Having a photo makes it so much easier to invite people to participate in an event next year. If you go to a glass event please take some photos and send the best 2 to the marketing team (400 to 600 px or “medium” resolution, about 500 KB, not more than 1MB).

Images from some events this summer:

The July General meeting on Reactions and Inclusions showed a wide range of creative exploration. Members can Log-in and see the meeting video: From the menu: Glass>Education>Reactions…

Greta Schneider shows off one of her pieces
Sharon Marshall made a test piece to explore the “steel” reaction. See her finished whale in the video.

Both Guild picnics this year had great weather:

Seattle Guild Picnic at Karen Seymour’s: Pictured (L-R) Sam and Joyce Wheeler, Karen Seymour, Lael Bennett, Patty Henry, Bridget Culligan and Sandy Spear. A couple of folks even attended via Zoom.

The Portland Guild Picnic at Lyn Kennison’s Pictured (L-R) Pam, Carlyne Lynch, Roz Cooper, Lisa Mustain. Several others were camera shy.

Fall events: check websites to be sure in-person events are still happening

(Guild sponsored events are bolded)

September
10-12 Art In The Park Boise ID
17-19 Columbia Gorge Artists’ Studio Tour
18-19 PNW Glass Guild Open Studios, Portland OR
18-19 Edmonds Art Studio Tour, Edmonds WA
21 PNW Glass Guild Play Day: Holiday Blocks, Deer Island, OR
26 PNW Glass Guild Board Meeting via Zoom

October
9-10  Bead and Creative Arts Festival, Portland OR
14-17 Refract huge multi-event celebration of NW glass, Everett to Tacoma
16     Pilchuck Gala Glass Auction, Seattle WA
16-17  Guild sponsored: Glass and Decor Studio Tour, Seattle WA
23-24, 30-31  Philomath Open Studio Tour, Philomath OR (W of Corvallis)
24 PNW Glass Guild General Meeting: Lighting the Future via Zoom

November
13-14 Best of the NW fall show, Seattle WA
14 PNW Glass Guild General Meeting: Holiday Ideas via Zoom
20-21 Wild Arts (Audubon), Portland OR

Featured Sponsor – Bullseye Glass

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Learning Better with Technology at Bullseye

Along with everyone in the Northwest, Bullseye Glass Co. continues to work through challenges brought by the pandemic and the record-breaking summer heat. A year and a half ago, our robust education program of in-person classes at five locations around the nation came to a sudden halt as businesses and schools were required to close to the public.

Necessity is the mother of invention. Ted Sawyer, Bullseye’s Director of Research and Education suddenly had no students, so no classes! He switched gears and started working on an instructional video, Under Pressure.

  • After finishing the video, he met with Bullseye’s marketing department to discuss how an online class could give glass students an educational experience comparable to attending an in-person class. They concluded that an enriching online class would include:
  • A class guide, with extensive notes and illustrations to supplement the material covered in the video.
  • A private online gallery so that students could show their projects to each other and to the instructor.
  • Delivery of the class guide pdf file and on-demand video immediately upon registration, so students could start studying the materials before the actual class sessions.
  • Two live class sessions. The first would be a “Watch Party” where everyone could watch the video together, live, with the instructor to answer questions. The second live session would be a “Show and Tell” where the instructor and students could share observations and feedback about the projects.
  • Community. To support a community network for online students after the class, many of Bullseye’s classes offer a private Facebook Group where students can ask questions, offer insights, and share both their class projects and their follow-p projects, revealing more variations on the class technique.
Student work

Even with these features added, we assumed that a remote online class could not rival the quality of an in-person class. To our complete surprise, as students joined and completed classes, we learned that for any students who already own a kiln, the online experience with these features offered a better learning experience than an in-person class. This was the case for several reasons.

In Bullseye’s online classes:

  • Students set up the kiln shelf and kiln furniture on their own. (In a live class, a teaching assistant or the instructor does this.)
  • Students plan and program their own firing cycles, which typically does not happen in a studio class.
  • Students select their own supplies, including choosing glass colors. Typically, a studio class offers limited color options. When students select their own colors, the final projects reflect more palettes—students get the benefit of seeing the project completed in a wide array of palettes and sizes.
  • Follow-up projects: online class students have more confidence about following up their project with a new variation, perhaps because they are confident in how to set up and fire the piece, and have the support of the class guide, streaming video, and an online community to help with any questions.

It has been gratifying to see students take an online class, experience a new technique, and then run with it, making original work beyond the original class project. We have also noticed that more students are accessing classes because no travel is required.

Since “Under Pressure,” Bullseye has produced additional online classes based on the format described above, including many with guest artists. These artists include Tim Carey, Amanda Simmons, Richard Parrish, Nathan Sandberg, and Ian Chadwick, among others. We invite you to learn more at https://classes.bullseyeglass.com.Seeing how well students learn when they have less help from the teaching assistant has influenced our overall approach to in-person classes for beginners.

Tim Carey
Ian Chadwick

For example, in our introductory class, “Great Plates,.” students get access to a streaming video and illustrated class guide upon registration. As a result, less studio time is used to explain the process, and we now support students in programming their own firing cycles.

Taking a class like Great Plates further empowers students by qualifying them to use our Open Studio facilities, which now include the chance to use coldworking tools like our belt sanders and sandblasters, after a brief orientation.

This very hard year and a half has left us with a silver lining: we can do things in new ways if we keep an open mind.

Thanks to our Sponsors!

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These companies and organizations are an integral part of the glass art community. We thank our Sponsors for supporting our Guild through either generous donations or by offering discounts to our Members. Please take time to thank them for their generosity when you visit their businesses.

Gold Level Sponsors

Skutt logo

Silver Level Sponsors

Colour de Verre – Artifex Toolworks – Glass Alchemy – D&L Art Glass – HIS Glass Works – Bonny Doon