This year, the Sawdust Art Festival, in collaboration with Laguna Beach Visitors & 
Conference Bureau, added some exciting new classes to the Sawdust Studio Art Classes’ schedule. The year-round art education program is now offering all-new special classes in glass, fused glass, jewelry, and ceramics. On Saturday, January 21st, I designed and constructed a colorful and uniquely shaped “Origami Bowl”, great for dips, salads, or display, during the Fused Glass Class at the Sawdust Arts Festival. Taught by local artisan, Maggie Spencer, I soon discovered the art of fusing glass.
Maggie Spencer was working with glass as a hobby in the 1970’s while studying Engineering Science at the University of California, Irvine. Though she abandoned the engineering, she kept the enthusiasm for glass, and in 1993 it became her career. She continually learns new glass techniques that keep her art evolving, energetic, and enthusiastic. Maggie’s glass fusion radiates with capricious colors and shapes, an infusion that reflects her own Zen philosophy of a joyful and enriched life. She has maintained a studio in Laguna Canyon for over 20 years and is a long term Sawdust Festival Exhibitor.
Over the course of the two-hour Glass Fusing workshop, I learned how to cut, shape, blend, and lay out glass in artistic patterns. The introductory, lecture, explanation period introduced the students to the various pieces of glass, the tools required for cutting and shaping the glass, and the unique possibilities in blending and laying out the glass. By using Dichroic glass, a highly luminous, multi-color material with numerous patterns and textures, I created my work of art. When the class was completed, I not only gained the skills necessary to continue creating my own glass art, but I also created my own Fused Glass Origami Bowl masterpiece!
Firing pieces takes a lot of time; the idea of adding the firing of the kiln during class times would be hard to manage so we arranged to pick up our completed art pieces at a later date. I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new decorative piece!
I was simply looking for a way to spend a Saturday monring, but this creative Glass Fusing Class in Laguna Beach, CA is the perfect, unique gift as well as a special opportunity to exhibit your creative side. It was a creative, relaxed atmosphere where each student, whether it be their first time or not, learned something new and felt inspired to continue the creative process. With choices in ceramics, jewelry, glass, and other media, I’ll be sure to return to the Sawdust Arts Festival Classes.
The $95 registration fee includes all materials and your creation is double-fired in Maggie’s studio. The freshly updated Sawdust Studio Art Classes schedule is available online at http://www.sawdustartfestival.org/studio-classes.
Bucket List Publications 
I so enjoy reading how you are making the most of life and so many experiences!
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what a great opportunity for those lucky enough to attend those classes! great post!
z
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This is so cool!
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Hi,
It certainly does look like fun, and you could certainly learn to do some really nice pieces of art. It would be frustrating to have to wait to see the finished project.
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I think waiting for the finished product is the best part. I love the anticipation of it and it’s a reminder to book my next class 🙂
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How cool Lesley! I hope you show us your finished piece when you get it back! 🙂
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Sure will! I can’t wait for it to come in 🙂
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Ah yes, being a hot glass artist, this is my happy place. Let’s see, engineering or glass art? I would’ve made the same choice. Beautiful colorful eye candy photos! Love this post!
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Thank you! I’d love to see a link to some of your work 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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A wonderful experience. The Sawdust Festival has been a favorite of ours among the three great summer art festivals in Laguna Beach for longer than I care to share!
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That looks like fun. I have a friend who does stained glass and I’ve often pondered learning more about it.
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Sounds like a great project, and your photos are gorgeous!
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Wow! That looks really cool!
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That is really cool. I’ve never seen anything like it. I love the colors and freedom of it. Or at least your photos and explanation make it seem easy! Nice.
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This bowl looks awesome, and this looks like so much fun to do – – I like how your adventures range from rock climbing to origami glassware. No limitations.
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Something I would want to learn to do.
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I love reading about creative minds pursuing what their passions throughout their lives. Beautiful.
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Beautiful pieces. Looks like a lot of fun. I’m always looking for excuses to get back to California…this looks like a good one. 🙂
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That’s pretty cool. You go to great measures to bring to your own life a great deal of Zen. That will be a rewording work of art!
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I took a stained glass workshop back in the 70s. When I showed my ex what I was learning, he picked up the tools and made a better piece in minutes than the one I labored over. I gave him my tools, and didn’t try again. LOL!
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Wow, how beautiful! Now I want to take a class! I loved fused glass and would love to try to make some pieces to use in my jewelry! Thanks for visiting my new blog! I disbanded my blog on another site and decided to just concentrate on my jewelrymaking and art through this blog!
Cherie
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That looks fab, I wish I was there!
X
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So fun and definitely inspiring! Thanks for the post 🙂
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Very beautiful! I love stained glass and pottery.
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beautiful!!
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Pretty glass arts! Creativity is such fun. It’s great to know you’re delving into it and making wonderful things! 🙂 The colors are eye-catching and just spells out “happy!”
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I love the multi colored shapes. Very rich looking! Thank you so much for sharing this. Congrats on learning the new skill and creating something radiantly beautiful!
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Thanks for liking my post… Got to thinking, if you’re pregnant, and wanted to try it, I’d definitely steer clear of the stronger ginger recipes. A little can be good for nausea, but too much can encourage contractions. Stay safe! Blessings for you & family 🙂
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This is amazing!
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This looks like so much fun…love the color in the photography. BTW, thanks for so many likes on my blog; you truly make my day sometimes with the click of that little button!
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back to being a kid again! that’s the best kind of art there is.
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LOVE it! We did it as a girls night at a friends house. It was so much fun!
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Wow, what a great idea and opportunity! I’ll have to see if anything like that is offered around here. I love the blues and greens, and the layout too!
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What a super cool class to take! I would love to learn how to do this at some point. 🙂
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I love the art glass that almost has a feel from the 50’s, but with a modern twist.
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Those colors are beautiful, so vibrant. I can’t wait to see the finished product when you get it back!
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I love the color and transparency of fused glass. I had a wonderful artist friend who died last year. At his memorial we showed about 3 dz of his pieces. They are luminous. I can hardly wait to see your piece.
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I enjoyed the Sawdust festival a few years ago while visiting my sister in Laguna Beach.
It had fabulous artist and we picked up a few pieces of one of a kind art. Wish I lived there
I’d take a class, too. Informative …
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Wow!!! Love the colour!!
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So cool!
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I know you eagerly await your freshly fired origami glass bowl. I have shared this post with my daughter, who visits SoCal a couple of times a year. This Sawdust Studio Art Class set up definitly bears checking out!
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Very cool! I took a glass bead class once and really loved it.
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Thanks for ‘liking’ my post! This class looks like so much fun and a great way to spend a Saturday morning 🙂
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I love glasswork! I’ve only done a tiny bit myself – my aunt has her own kiln and other various glasswork tools that she generously taught me how to use. Wish I was on the West Coast to take a class like you did. Beautiful work 🙂
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I loved the pix! I wish we had something like that here. I may have to check around because Asheville is very artsy! 🙂
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that is really cool. I would love to do something like that! great post as usual.
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Wow! That’s beautiful! I wonder if there’s something like that on the east coast!
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It’s beautiful. Very impressed with your skills, especially on your first attempt!
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I love the colors of the glass. That would be so much fun to do.
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It was a great way to spend the afternoon. I’m already planning my next class.
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Hi There Lesleycarter,
Thanks for that, The Gallery expectations no introduction as it has carved a area of interest for by itself in the community of art exhibitions. Its nearly seminal thought of listing art fairs from across the globe has allowed beginner as properly as skilled artists to get international publicity by way of a user-helpful forum that support them to showcase their show results and skills for art lovers and connoisseurs everywhere.
Keep up the good work
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Very beautiful! I love working with my hands, the small details. Unfortunately, the past few years haven’t given me much time or energy to pursue my passions. I know once the children are grown, I will have more time than I know what to do with. I’m getting pretty excited about that! 🙂
Thank you for sharing with us.
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WOW! So beautiful. I have to try it.
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I love the color scheme! Also love the idea that within 2 hours one can learn that much!
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