School may be out for some this summer, but for students of UrbanGlass intensives in July and August, the flow of technical knowledge will be coming fast and furious with some of the best practitioners in the field sharing their wisdom (and techniques).
Take Percy Echols II, for example. He is inviting students of his week-long course "Lightning in ANY Bottle," to bring regular glass vessels to class and learn ways to turn them into plasma-light sculptures by stacking and soldering them. It's telling that the course descriptions include links to technical materials, as Echols, like many of the summer session instructors, is known for his deep knowledge and technical rigor. Class will definitely be in session for those who sign up to be at the UrbanGlass neon studios from July 30 to August 3rd.
John Erwin Dillard and Rebekah Birkan will get into the nuts and bolts of multi-media sculpture, covering everything from planning and apporach to how to optimize the display for exhibition. Their course, cleverly titled "0 to Sculpture in 2.5" is a crash course in all the considerations that go into the sculptural journey.
If you have four days in August, why not immerse your self in the time-honored art of stained glass, but study it with Glenn Carter, who brings a uniquely contemporary sensibility to the form. A veteran educator who has taught at Plymouth College of Art in the U.K. as well as Pilchuck, Corning, and North Lands, he comes to UrbanGlass to solve the problems of students looking to express themselves in the medium. This class, entitled "Assemblage," will help you to tackle the complexities of stained-glass with confidence thanks to Carter's compassionate guidance.
If you ever wanted to take your mold-making to another level, or to understand how to modulate the color and surface of glass to evoke the presence of an actual person, there is nobody better than Dean Allison to show you how to bring the figure to convincing level of being. His July week-long class "Duplicating Form and Casting Glass," will pull back the curtain on Allison's high-level techniques for breathtaking results.
Taking cane new places, Austin Stern is known for the patterns and unexpected applications for traditional cane techniques. In the class "The Bleeps, the Sweeps, and the Creeps," students will use cane as an element in unconventional visual compositions that are limited only by your imagination.
These are just a few of the technical masters coming this summer to enlighten, elevate, and expand the practices of students and professional artists alike. Perfect for out-of-towners, these intensive classes have a unique pace for learning. Scan the full summer schedule for additional intensives, as well as multi-week and weekend classes that will enrich your summer and your ability to express yourself in glass.