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Complete
Glass Etching Seminars
Learn
how to etch glass, carve it, shade it, gold leaf it and even how
to color your etched glass!
We offer the
only sandblast glass etching seminars in the U.S. (if not the world)
that teach all three sandblast etching techniques plus special tricks
of the trade (like controlled glue chipping, use of unique found
resists and use of photo resists), and business information like
how to price and market your work.
The seminars are organized on the lecture/demonstration/participation
model. Students first get a description of each technique, with
all the details. Then we do a demonstration of the techniques applied
to a specific project. Last, each student creates the project that
was just demonstrated, because hands-on practice is the best way
to really learn!
Our
Teaching Philosophy
Our teaching philosophy is to offer seminars with as much information
as we think people can reasonably digest at one time, backed up
by as much hands-on practice as possible. We teach not only a practical
approach to glass etching, but also an approach that students can
use to go into a glass etching business and make good money if they
want. These are the professional techniques that benefit everyone
learning etching, even hobbyists who want to do the best work possible.
We believe in offering an environment that is conducive to learning,
with a large selection of the best equipment available. A big plus
is that the classes are so much fun!
Because
we know it is difficult and can be expensive to get away from
your normal activities and businesses several times, we try to
group related seminars together. In this way, you can take two
or more seminars in one trip. Not only will this help you save
money, it will help you really get a jump start on learning as
much as possible, as quickly as possible.
Who
are our students?
Our
students come from all walks of life. We have had teachers, doctors,
electricians, attorneys, business owners, other glass professionals,
psychologists, factory workers, nurses, consultants, housewives,
software authors, sales clerks, policemen (and women), photographers,
postal workers, accountants, construction workers, and just about
anyone else you can imagine.
Some
of these folks are changing careers from a job at a company that
has downsized, some are retired, some looking for a second income,
some looking for a business the whole family can participate in,
some looking for a unique hobby. We have taught a VP of a large
chemical company with sales of over 1 billion dollars, a female
auto mechanic, a Japanese artist who spoke almost no Engilsh, a
deaf person, several other handicapped people, a person who owned
a large clothing manufacturing company in NYC, and many people from
other countries.We had a couple take the class together and get
engaged during the class, and another spent their honeymoon with
us. Sometimes a father or mother will take a seminar with a son
or daughter to go into business together or to help give someone
with an artistic interest a way of making a living with their art.
All our students are interesting and
we have a great time in the classes! Students meet a lot of new
friends in class and do a lot of networking.
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Ruth Dobbins
speaks to a group of stained glass shop owners about photo resist
etching techniques at a recent glass conference.
So,
where do you start??
Most people just starting out (even if they have been etching for
several years) will want to begin their education with our 4
day Professional Glass Etching Seminar and the Photo Resist
3 Seminar. These seminars have completely different approaches,
both of which are necessary to know if you want to get a well rounded
knowledge of etching. We usually schedule these seminars together
(with one day in between), so you can take both in one trip. Otherwise,
you can start with either seminar, then attend the second one whenever
you are ready. (For complete descriptions of these classes, click
their names on the menu bar at the left.)
We offer Advanced
Glass Carving seminars once or twice a year plus seminars in
the related techniques of Gold Leafing on Glass and Coloring
Techniques for Etched Glass twice a year as well. These seminars
are scheduled together as often as possible, so you can take them
all in one trip if you want.
NEW Seminars!
Advanced Classes in Glass Carving
Due to popular request, we have begun
expanding our seminars. In 2001, we expanded the Gold Leafing and Coloring seminars
into 3 days each. Because of the enthusiasm we received for this (both classes
have been full, with waiting lists) we recently expanded the advanced carving
into its own separate 3 day, Carving 2 class. The enrollment
in this seminar is limited to 8, so students can get maximum practice time. We
are considering another even more advanced seminar, Carving 3, for later in the
summer of 2004 so keep checking back!
Other New Classes
One of the main problems glass etchers face when they want to publicize their
business, for professional or personal purposes, is how to get good photos of
the work! Our new seminar, How to Photograph Etched Glass,
will solve this problem. It is designed for glass etchers, not professional
photographers.The seminar, On-site Glass Etching, will teach
you how to go out and etch glass that is already installed in commercial or
residential buildings. We just completed our first class in How to Etch
Stone and it was a great success! The class, How to Gold Leaf
on Glass (Level 3) was held for the first time in October 2003 and
students completed a really stunning advanced gold leafing project. Design
for Gold Leaf is new for this year and provides instruction never before
available. For complete info on all these classes, click their title on the
left nav bar. For currently scheduled dates and fees, go to the Schedules/Pricing
page.
Seminar Locations
Although we do occasionally still teach in locatons around the country (check
our schedule page), we offer the largest number and choices of seminars at Aliento
Glass School, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This is our own studio/school location,
where we have a very large selection of equipment and many finished pieces for
you to see. For more information on the school and on Santa Fe, check our main
Aliento Glass School page and the Accomodations
page on the left navigation bar above!
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