Take an Art Glass Class by Tim Koutsoures
It's been a very boring winter break so far. I sat in my office and dug through the many pages of things to do and then I came across an article I tore out of the Evanston Review (IL) about Chaos Glass Studio Inc. I have wanted to take a glass blowing class for over twenty-five years but there never seemed to be enough time or money to take it. I leave a message and finally talk to the owner, Kelly McGowan. Come on down the day after Christmas she says, at noon.
As an avid bottle collector I had many holes in my knowledge of how bottles are made. We collectors all read the same books and catalogs and we rub our hands all over the bottles we cross paths with but sometimes there are voids. How big and how long they linger depends on how serious you are about your bottle collecting. I'm thirsty and my problem solving skills kick in.
Of course I arrive over an hour early and ask to help. Not needed............so I explore the neighborhood and return. The noon hour comes and it turns out that I am the only student! No problem, this is better than I could ever plan. (And the way I recommend, whatever the cost)
Four hours later and we are done! What you say, that all your going to talk about?
There is so much I leave with that the details are minor in comparison to the whole picture. I now have actual experiences that combine with my bottle collecting that result in a synergetic understanding. Many of the voids got filled and a new insight has taken me to the next level of my hobby.
Working glass is an art. It takes great skills to get great results. Learning to appreciate both takes effort and an open mind. The Zen of it: Three-dimensional is higher than two. Four-dimensional is higher than three!
If you want to further you bottle lust then seek out a glass art class. There are many tiny studios all over WI and IL. Focus on the knowledge and not on the result.........your first glass projects may not have bragging rights. But the next time you handle a pontiled bottle you will have something in common with its maker.
