Art In the Shop: Box Vase Blue (Featured Artwork)

This month I am revisiting a box mold project I completed almost 20 years ago. This is the last of 9 pieces that were completed in 2007. Utilizing vermiculite board with mold hardener, the technique is relatively straight forward. I produced these Hurricane Lights as a meditation on the weather occurrences of the time. Super heavy for its size (5.5" x 5.5" x 9") and stable as a rectilinear cube, the technique incorporated pattern bars and 5 layers of sheet glass with enough room to create some movement in the interior. Meant to hold a candle, it creates a cool illumination for those summer parties. Gales be damned.

Art in the World: Dennis Akin

Dennis Akin, stained glass artist, painter, and longtime professor at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, is renowned for his stunning stained glass work and the complex themes from which they derive meaning. As Tony Moore puts it, “If you look at the stained-glass windows created by Dennis Akin, a certain axiom comes to mind: Both religion and tragedy breed meaningful art.”

One of Akin’s personal favorites is a three-part window created for the Milton B. Asbell Center for Jewish Life. This towering triptych is situated in the Center’s upstairs sanctuary and depicts the Biblical flood and the dove that appeared later to indicate that dry ground could be found. The whole work is centered on the Lion of Judah, one of the primary symbols of Judaism.

Another work that Akin singles out is a memorial window in Bosler Hall for, in Akin’s words, “students who met with tragedy.” The particular students who inspired the window both died during winter break in 1985. John Buonocore III was killed in a terrorist attack in Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport, and Christine Major, a student Akin was quite fond of, died of cancer. The Bosler window features rising hummingbirds as a metaphor for metamorphosis, rejuvenation, resurrection, and lives on in their honor.

https://www.dickinson.edu/news/article/773/

Upcoming Classes at Potekglass

Designing Custom Sheets

In this 4-week hands-on workshop, you'll explore advanced glass fusing techniques to create one-of-a-kind kiln-formed vessels. Strengthen your technical skills, expand your design capabilities, and experiment with frits, powders, stringers, and accessory glasses to produce custom sheets and components. These elements will then be cut and reassembled into a beautiful slumped vessel.

Instructor: Malcom Potek

Cost: $275 | Member Price: $247.50 (plus glass, tools and supplies)

• Day 1: Thursday, April 10 | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
• Day 2: Thursday, April 17| 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
• Day 3: Thursday, April 24 | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
• Day 4: Thursday, May 1 | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Additional Notes:

• Glass cutting experience required.
• Kiln firings and mold rentals included, bring your own glass and tools.
• The Kiln Try-iT! Class is an excellent primer for this class.
• Students will have opportunity to work in the shop at a discounted rate outside of class time.
• No refunds on multi-week courses 30 days or less prior to the start date of class.

Secure your spot today and discover the joy of creating art with glass!

Try-iT! Basics from Boron

Discover the sculptural potential of Borosilicate glass, an American hard glass infused with boron for added strength and versatility. In this beginner-friendly torch work class, you'll learn essential techniques to gather, blend, and shape molten glass while creating your own unique pieces. No experience or supplies necessary. Class cost covers glass and student tool kit rental for the session.

Instructor: Malcom Potek

Cost: $95 | Member Price: $69

Thursday, May 8 | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Try-iT! Kiln Class: Fusing and Slumping

Simple to start endless in its potential; explore the art of fusing and slumping glass in this beginner-friendly kiln class. Over three hours, you’ll learn the fundamentals of glass shaping and kiln-work while designing your own 5" x 5" glass tile, which will be slumped into a functional catch-all dish.  No experience or supplies necessary. Class cost covers glass and student tool kit rental for the session.

Instructor: Malcom Potek

Cost: $95 | Member Price: $69

Saturday, May 10 | 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Try-iT! Italian Soft Glass Bead Making

Discover the joy of working with vibrant Italian soft glass as you learn to gather, shape, and decorate molten glass beads. In this beginner-friendly torch work class, you’ll explore essential techniques for creating beautiful, handcrafted beads. Guided by instructor Malcom Potek, with over 30 years of torch experience, you’ll create unique beads while mastering techniques with Italian soft glass. Perfect for those looking to take their beadmaking skills to the next level!

Instructor: Malcom Potek

Cost: $95 | Member Price: $69

Thursday, May 15 | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Wild Color Mosaic Pet Portrait with Erin Ward

Create an abstracted and boldly colored glass mosaic based on a photograph of your pet or an animal of choice. Under the guidance of Erin Ward, an experienced glass artist, you’ll explore the nuances of color, line, and shape as you bring your subject to life in mosaic form. Over three sessions, you’ll learn how to prepare the mosaic base, cut and shape the glass using a variety of scoring knives, glue pieces into place, and grout the final piece.

Instructor: Erin Ward

Cost: $195 | Member Price: $175.50

• Day 1: Saturday, May 24 | 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
• Day 2: Saturday May 31 | 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
• Day 3: Saturday June 7| 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Sheet of the Week Playlist: March Review

At Potekglass, we invite you to join us on an artistic journey that unfolds each week as we hand-select a sheet of glass. Each selection is paired with a thoughtfully chosen song that resonates with the unique essence of the glass. Each week, we offer a 15% discount on this exquisite piece, providing an excellent opportunity to enhance your collection. We encourage you to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for real-time updates. Here is our review of last month's selections.

"Cool Blues" by Grant Green

• Youghiogheny 00756

"Right now, Right now" by Al Green

• Bullseye Glass Co. 3212-30

"Bach's Violin Partita No.3 in E Major" by Hilary Hahn

• Lambert's Glass 1XXRY

"Walking on the Moon" by Roseaux

• Bullseye Glass Co. 6013-00