There are a few different ways to work with glass, and each one has its own feel. Here's a quick look at the three processes we teach at Taylor's Glass Garage.
Glass blowing starts with a blob of molten glass on the end of a long metal pipe. You gather the glass from a furnace running at around 2,000°F, then shape it by blowing air through the pipe and using hand tools while the glass is still hot and pliable. The whole process moves quickly because the glass is constantly cooling, so you're always rotating the pipe to keep gravity from pulling your piece out of shape.
It's physical, fast-paced work. You can make cups, vases, bowls, ornaments, and all kinds of sculptural forms. Most beginners start with something simple like a "suck" bowl or a round ornament and build up from there.
Fusing is done with flat sheets of glass that get cut, stacked, and arranged into a design, then loaded into a kiln. The kiln heats everything up until the pieces melt together into a single solid form. Depending on the temperature and schedule, you can get a tack fuse, where the pieces just stick together, to a full fuse, where the layers merge completely smooth. As an additional step, fused glass can be slumped into a mold to form a plate, bowl, vase, etc.
This is a more deliberate, design-focused process. You pick your colors, cut your shapes, lay everything out on a shelf, and then the kiln does the heavy lifting over several hours. It's great for making dishes, coasters, jewelry, wall art, and sun catchers. There's a lot of room for creativity in the design phase, and you don't need to work with extreme heat directly.
Hot sculpting uses a torch or furnace to heat glass until it's workable, then you shape it freehand with tools. It's similar to glass blowing in that you're working with molten glass in real time, but instead of blowing air into a pipe, you're pulling, pressing, and shaping the glass directly. Think of it like clay sculpting, but everything is glowing orange and you have to move with intention. Don't use your hands, though!
This process is well suited for making paperweights, figurines, abstract sculptures, beads, and detailed decorative pieces. It gives you a lot of control over small details, and you can work at a slightly smaller scale than glass blowing typically allows.
All three processes are available as classes at the studio. No experience needed. Head back to the homepage to find our contact info, or browse our Etsy shop for one-of-a-kind glass art.