Enjoy three fun days of instruction from glass artist Beth Alongi at the Hot Shot Studio in West Bend, WI. This is a class for those who are considering a vitrigraph kiln for their studio. The small class size will allow hands-on experience pulling both stringer and simple circular Murrini from flower pots. Students will also get to experience Hot Shot's HS-&GV kiln and Vitrilift.

Topics explored will be: placement of glass in the flower pot, pulling techniques, kiln temperatures, the amazing versatility of stringer in your artwork, working with stringer in a Hot Head torch, and more! Students will create a project utilizing the stringer pulled on day 1, and a project using the Murrini from day 2.

*** $250 for full 3-day weekend pass. Partial days are not permitted.***

Thursday July, 16th - DAY 1:

The class begins at 9:00 AM with a meet-and-greet, followed by an introduction to Vitrigraph fundamentals, including glass behavior, flower pot selection, color choices, and hole size considerations. Beth will then demonstrate stringer pulling techniques before participants break into three-person teams to load stringer pots.

After a lunch break, the afternoon session will feature a Hot Head Torch demonstration and a discussion on creating circular murrini. Teams will then prepare murrini components for overnight fusing and conclude the day by pulling stringer. End time is flexible.

Friday July, 17th - DAY 2:

The day begins at 9:00 AM with a murrini demonstration by Beth. Participants will then unload the kilns, clean and prepare their fused components, and load the pots in preparation for the day's pulls.

Following a lunch break, students will create a quick stringer project while the pots heat up. There will also be an opportunity to practice techniques using the Hot Head Torch. The day will conclude with teams pulling their completed murrini. End time is flexible.

Saturday July, 18th - DAY 3:

Day 3 is dedicated to Project & Practice (P&P), giving students the opportunity to apply the techniques they've learned throughout the workshop. The day begins at 9:00 AM with a demonstration on chopping murrini using various methods, including Darte, Snappy, and hand-cutting techniques. Students will then clean and chop their murrini and begin planning their final project by sketching out design ideas.

After lunch, participants will create a 6-inch finished project using the materials they have produced during the workshop. Both stringer and murrini pots will be heating throughout the day, providing students with the option to pull additional material in the afternoon for extra practice and experience.

The day's schedule is intentionally flexible, allowing students to spend additional time refining their projects and techniques as needed.