Substances like dusts, oils and fingerprints must be removed from glass before it's fired or they may be visible in the finished work. In this lesson you will learn how to clean glass properly to avoid problems caused by surface contamination.

With the proper tools and techniques even beginners can produce clean, accurate glass shapes for kilnforming projects. In this lesson you will learn everything you need to get started cutting sheet glass.

Rudi Gritsch demonstrates how you can use the G-Manu Cut 1 (and Cut 2 Extension) to make quick and accurate cuts of a variety shapes and patterns. The savings of time and material are limitless, meaning this tool can pay for itself in the course of a few projects

Preparing Kiln Shelves

Hot glass will adhere to kiln shelves if not prevented by a separator. In this lesson you will learn how to use Bullseye Shelf Primer, an affordable and highly effective separator.

 

Fusing Basics

Many kilnforming methods are based on fusing, the heat bonding of separate pieces of glass. In this lesson you will learn how to fuse together layers of glass on a kiln shelf, while exploring glass as a unique art-making material.

 

As kiln-glass becomes more and more popular, increasing numbers of types of glass are appearing on the market. So how does a beginner decide which glass to use? This lesson suggests some of the criteria to consider as you investigate your choices.

 

A segment slab is a multicolored glass block used in one approach to the pattern bar technique. The segment slab is composed of sheet glass strips that are tack-fused together, cut into parts, and fired within a containment system until the glass flows and forms an internal pattern. In this lesson you will learn how to create a segment slab, cut it into cross-sectional pieces to reveal the internal pattern, and use the cross-sectional pieces to design and make finished work.

 

Firing crushed glass powders on sheet glass allows one a direct method to create imagery, pattern and nuanced shifts in value and hue. In this lesson you will learn about the tools and techniques involved and will get a broad overview of the ways glass powder can be used in art and design.

 

This lesson introduces Tom Prochaska, Rafael Cauduro, Catharine Newell and Jeff Wallin, four artists who draw with glass, exploring the unique opportunities provided by the method.

 

Kiln-glass can be used as lighting fixtures, furniture, staircases, room dividers, public art and other architectural features. Bullseye Glass Company partners with design professionals to develop and install architectural-scale kiln-glass works.

 

Derived from Ted Sawyer's talk at BECon 2009, the following 20-minute presentation focuses on the theory and process of getting the stress out of fused glass work and acts as an introduction to the new annealing cycle recommended by Bullseye.

 

The term “kiln-glass” covers an enormous range of working methods and types of work, including everything from simple platter-like forms to cast sculptures, painterly panels and architectural installations.

 

Glass is a unique art-making material. In this lesson you will learn about the fundamental properties of glass, the basic forms of art glass and their uses, and how art glass is made at Bullseye Glass Company.

 

What Is Kiln-Glass?

The range of objects that can be made in kiln-glass is extensive and involves a variety of interesting techniques. Learn about the types of glass projects commonly created in a kiln and how you can begin making them.

 

How does a young, self-supporting artist build a career in kiln-glass? Nathan Sandberg explores the possibilities in this Artist Talk, presented 14 October 2012 at Bullseye Resource Center Portland.

 

Narcissus Quagliata focuses in this presentation on the perception of color as a key to understanding culture, art, and ourselves. He concludes with reflections on the nature of light as the color that profoundly affects the soul.

 

The relationship between color and material seems obvious, yet most color theories ignore this critical topic. Common theories conceive of color as abstract, pure color in swatches or wheels. Color, however, is physical and this gap in the theory needs to be addressed by any artist who moves between materials.

 

"Like most accomplished abusers of information I incorporate multiple levels of deceit, manipulation, and both feigned and true ignorance." So begins the description of this session originally submitted (late) by artist Richard Marquis.

 

“In the beginning was black. Then Isaac Newton's new order of colors marked a chromatic revolution and ever since a dual symbolism has accompanied the color black.” Rainey's starting point is the human experience of loss. Combining that with the physicality of the color black sparked his investigation into the symbolism and the visual elements of this dark dense matter.

 

What can we learn as artists and educators in observing children creating with color and glass? What makes this particular material—glass—and this artmaking method—kilnforming—so powerful in the development of a child’s vision? How can kilnforming fit into a larger educational program?

 

In this talk, author and art critic Richard Speer offers analysis spanning the realms of philosophy, literature, linguistics, gender studies, music, film, advertising, and the wider arena of popular culture. He also offers strategies for artists, particularly those who work with glass, to harness color's transformative power, both in the studio and during the course of everyday life.

 

Where does Bullseye Glass Co. get ideas for new hues? Are there some colors that are impossible to produce in glass? How can artists work with Bullseye to develop glass colors? In this freewheeling session, Bullseye's Product Development team (Dan Schwoerer, Sam Andreakos, Ted Sawyer, moderated by Mary Kay Nitchie) shares stories about the origins of some of the company’s most interesting glass colors and discusses the challenges involved in creating colors that are unique, yet also scalable, repeatable, and compatible.