Almost 2 Years Later...

In the event that anybody actually ends up here, please click on over to a much better fused glass website that I launched in September 2008.

It now has over 900 members, tutorials, an active forum, photo galleries and much, muuch more!

Opening a studio, trying to be world class.

Karen and I have been working on opening our Austin studio for fused glass artists since the end of 2006. She has been working it full time (well, really more than full time) and I've been there most evenings after my corporate day job ends. And, of course, weekends.

The space we are leasing is about 1750 square feet in a strip mall in north Austin (Anderson Mill Road, between 183 and 620 for you fellow Austinites). That's 1750 of the most well used square feet you will ever see.

Walls have been torn down, new walls have been built...or are being built. Glass racks are being built. Class desks are being built. (Have you caught on to the fact that "are being built" really means "need to be built"?) If it wasn't for Chuck there's no way we'd make the May 12 opening. Chuck works for glass (and a kiln). We're very lucky - Chuck's work is first rate.

Back to the "most well used 1750 square feet" bit from above. Here's what we've got or are getting for our little bit of vitreous heaven:

• Lots of glass and retail space
  
• An office area big enough for all the basics plus a recycling love seat for Comet the studio dog.
  
• About 10 art pedestals
  
• A classroom you could get a dozen people into -- only we're limiting most of our classes to 8 people
  
• A kiln room, separated from the classroom by dual 8 foot sliding glass doors. When you take a class at Helios you touch the kilns and program the controllers.
  
• Kilns? All Olympic - a custom coffin kiln (5' x 2' x 1' interior), two 25" square clamshells (I really love these kilns) and a bunch of smaller kilns including a permanent vitragraph kiln similar to the setup they have at Vitrum in DC (still the gold standard for teaching studios).
  
• Coldworking? A 2HP MK diamond saw, vertical 106" wet belt sander, two flat laps - a 30" grit and a 12" diamond, Foredom, Alpha grinder and (drum roll please) a Spatzier lathe. The lathe totally blew the budget. I'm blaming that on Jane Bruce :) She knows why. And, of course, a full sandblasting setup with a Glastar pedal-operated pressure pot.

My biggest concern was that the cold shop was going to be too crowded. Chuck started hanging the drywall today and I've finally got a real feel for it. I think we'll be fine -- talk to me when we get the equipment all in place.

Loads of work. Bigger loads of fun. I can't wait until we open.

Hello. Please join in...

Passion is what turns the arcane into the facinating (or at least interesting).

If your passion is kiln-formed glass then what follows on this blog (I hope) will be interesting.

If so, please join the dialog. Passion is best when shared.

- Paul
www.heliosglass.com