Lightning in ANY Bottle: Creating Plasma Sculptures with Glass Solder

Go beyond neon. Learn the magic of sculpting with light and glass forms using gas plasma, and capture Lightning in a bottle!

In this class, you’ll explore stacking readymade glass and using kilnfired enamel as a solder to create your own plasma light sculpture.  New to glass? Create your sculpture with found glass vessels like vases, bottles, cups, and bowls. Have some experience in glass making? Bring your own handmade cups, vessels, and blown sculptures and light them up with a mesmerizing and dynamic plasma light. This class will utilize the equipment in the Cold Shop to cut, drill, and grind your readymade glass. Harness the power of the kiln to fire your work together, and use the neon/plasma manifold to fill it with gas, where we will be lighting them up using specialized power supplies.
Kiln-fired Glass Solder in courtesy of the Wisdom, Knowledge, and Exploration by Ed Kirshner 

Please bring 3 - 4 sets of glasses or vessels to work with. Glass should be soft glass (not borosilicate) and no larger than the equivalent of a 2 liter bottle.  No experience necessary.

Additional information:

Plasma Primer | Learning Resource for Students, Co-learners, and Educators

• (https://taminglightning.net/blog/plasma-primer-learning-resource-for-students-co-learners-and-educators)

2022 Live Q&A with Ed Kirshner | Summer workshop: Plasma Vessels Using Glass Solder

• (https://www.youtube.com/live/Lr2z2Rxzdeo?si=Ot4JVEUxpkLG4ph-)

What to Expect:  Students are required to bring at least 3-4 sets of glasses or vessel to work with.

•  This can include blown glass work and sculptures with an opening made with a tungsten hole or as large as 12mm in diameter.

• Students are expected to be able to walk away with 1-2 filled sculptures, a transformer, and power supply.
• The class will be a mix of:
•  Demonstration with coldworking equipment, how to apply the solder, and use of phosphor powders.
• Lectures for knowledge and review,
• Class time use for worktime and setting up kilns for firing. 

 Read more about how to prepare for class on our Registration Info page. 

Eligibility: No experience required. Open to ages 14 and up.

Pick-up: Plasma units will be filled during the week of class, so students should leave with 1-2 filled units for Plasma. Additional glass that is not filled during the class, and scheduled to fill for plasma with a technician at UrbanGlass, costs will be determined by staff.  

This is an in-person class taking place on-site at UrbanGlass. Health and safety guidelines will be emailed to you upon registration. 

We recommend registering for classes early to reserve your spot! We base materials, and teacher needs off of student enrollment. Early registration not only guarantees your spot in class, but also helps to ensure the class will run. Classes with low enrollment may be cancelled within two weeks of the start date of class. Contact our Registrar of Education, Ari Eshoo, at arianna@urbanglass.org if you have questions about the class or would like to arrange a payment plan.

Class Schedule

• 5 Sessions: July 30 — August 3
  Tuesday, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm