Create your own colored hot glass heart. Students will choose color and place it on the outside of a paperweight they sculpt into a heart.
About this Event
Glass Heart Sampler $45
Welcome to all who are wanting to experience a Hot Glass Studio for the first time or who are repeat visitors. We are delighted to have you join us at the House of Glass in Elwood, Indiana for what we hope is a very enjoyable and educational experience. There is a deep history in Indiana in glass working.
Your instructor will be Matt Kenyon. Please follow his instructions at all time as his primary concern is your safety. We will be handling this molten material that is 2100° F! If you have questions or you would like to sign up please contact Matt Kenyon at kenyonscreations@gmail.com or buy a ticket at Eventbrite.com
What to expect in this class:
This Sampler class will be around 2 to 2.5 hours long where you can create a colored glass paperweight in the shape of a heart for a wonderful experience that the you will never forget. This hands on Sampler class is a quick test taste to get you to understand the properties of working with molten glass. There will be two demos then students go one at a time until everyone has created one item. Students are welcome to leave after they create a piece. Part of the enjoyment is watching everyone figure out this wondrous and fluid medium. This class is mainly focused on is how to work with this molten liquid and how to keep it under control. Students will get to choose one, two or three colors to make their piece an original piece of art. After the last layer of glass the students will form a disc. Then they will transform that shape into a heart.
For Your Safety
The glass studio is an intimidating setting for beginners and the instructor will do his best to help get you to feel as comfortable as possible by explaining the properties of the glass and how to stay safe handling molten glass. There is a lot of information so please come on time. The Glass studio is hot and it is more serious than most people expect. If you touch the wrong part of the pipe you will burn yourself and everything we do in the studio is slow and thought out. After experiencing a sampler if you have the desire to continue working with glass, a private lessons are the most effective way to further develop your skills.
1. Do not touch anything that might be hot. Blowpipes, puntys, tools etc… will glow red when super-heated but can still burn a person severely even when they are not red.
2. Do not pick up glass off the floor. It might have sharp edges and/or it might be very hot. The maintenance team will sweep up at the end of the event.
3. Proper Attire for a Glass Hot Shop. Please wear closed toed shoes and comfortable cotton clothes. It will be hot. We offer eye protection, your own glasses or sunglasses might fit you better than ours.
Picking Up Your Pieces After Class
Your glass items will need to anneal for about 3 to 4 days to anneal. This allows any latent stress in the glass to dissipate without the piece breaking and is an important part of the overall creation process. The items you create will be available one week after the class. During the class Matt Kenyon will coordinate with you the best way to get your pieces back. If needed Matt can ship the pieces to you for $20 or less to cover shipping.
Options instead of this Sampler
DO A PRIVATE LESSON INSTEAD OF A SAMPLER !!! You will not be disappointed!!!
There are a variety of ways to learn about glass – from single session samplers to private lessons – all tailored to your individual level of interest in the medium. The following is a list of options from which you may choose or mix and match them to create a unique curriculum just for you.
Samplers (like this one)
For beginners who have no experience in working with glass, a sampler is a terrific way to immerse yourself in working with the material without devoting significant amounts of time or money. Think of them as topical surveys geared to impart the maximum amount of exposure in a minimum of time. Of course we suggest doing a private lesson, but this option has the budget in mind. These samplers were created to give someone enough of a test taste to get them excited about doing a private lesson.
Samplers are built around themes often tied to times of the years. In the fall, pumpkin making is featured; at Christmas, ornaments are the focus; in February, Valentine’s Day hearts are very popular. Flowers and paperweights can be created at any time of the year.
You can register for a sampler as an individual or should you have a group interested in doing this together, a private sampler may be arranged for you. Corporate “team building” sessions, birthday parties, family outings, and other gatherings have all been held successfully in this setting and when it is over all participants will have a unique item they created as a reminder of their time in the studio.
*Discounted Pricing for bringing your own large group in
Paperweights & Pumpkins 6 or less is $50 per person. 7 or more is a discounted rate of $45
Ornaments are $45 per person for 6 or less or 40 per person for more than 7
Colored Flowers are $40 per person for 6 or less, 7 or more is $35 per person, clear flowers are cheaper if you need a cheaper option for your event.
Private Lessons
Private lessons are the way to go, you get more time to figure out the medium and it is a calmer, less stressful setting where it is easier to focus on the properties of the medium. The setting is generally limited to one or two persons and the smaller class size allows for more individualized attention than a sampler as well as the opportunity to make more items during the class. The standard class length is 2 hours and during this time most students make about 4 to 5 items. The type of items made in the first lesson include solid work. We start with a snowmen or blob, flowers, and paperweights .
Class Length usually 2 hours for solid work, but if you schedule 3 hours we get into blowing a couple vessels. If you get done with a 2 hour lesson and want to schedule a second lesson to learn how to blow glass that would be the next step. Consecutive lessons after that will focus on what the student wants to create. You can create your own gifts and unique one of a kind artwork out of glass.
A Date Night class can be arranged for 2 persons and includes helping each other make a glass heart or sculpture for the final product among the other pieces you create. $200
Private Lesson Pricing:
2 Hour – Standard
1 person is $60 an hour, multiple people is 50 per person per hour
Finally, if your group is interested in a glass blowing demonstration
Portable Glass Blowing Studio
Matt Kenyon has a portable furnace he will bring anywhere on the earth. This is an ideal way to break the monotony of monthly meetings for associations, professional groups, or students and is guaranteed to thrill and amaze attendees. We can set up a demonstration or hands on lesson to show how exciting and wonderful this medium is. Weather permitting
To register please contact Matt:
To register for a sampler, lessons, or a demonstration, log on to contact him at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/matt-kenyon-at-kenyonscreationscom-6169064267 or http://kenyonscreations.com or see and Like Matt Kenyon and his business page at Kenyon’s Creations page on Facebook
Matt Kenyon received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Furniture Design from the Herron School of Art and Design. He has been blowing glass for 20 years. Aside from teaching private lessons, he exhibits his work at The Harrison Center for the Arts located at 16th and Delaware Streets in Indianapolis. The Harrison Center conducts a “First Friday” event each month and his work is offered for sale at these as well as by appointment. Matt has a history of teaching glassblowing starting at The Art Center in Broad Ripple and at GRT Hot Glass Studios in the past, but he does not work at either place as of right now.
A gallery of his work is shown below to provide a brief illustration of the depth and breadth of items he produces. Work is also offered on a commission basis. Matt may be contacted at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/matt-kenyon-at-kenyonscreationscom-6169064267 or contact him at http://kenyonscreations.com or see the Kenyon’s Creations home page on Facebook.
Thank You!
Thank you for choosing to learn about glass and its many attributes and uses here at the House of Glass in Elwood. Sharing our experience and seeing class members catch the bug when working with glass is a very rewarding and we hope you feel the same. Like any skill, it is improved with practice so if you think you might like to become more deeply involved in this as a hobby, we are ready to assist. Please remember to “like” us on Facebook and feel welcome to post pictures there or on Twitter, Instagram, or other social media platform.
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