Private Lessons

Private Lessons at GoggleWorks are great for in-depth learning, providing personal attention and guidance from an artist instructor. Lessons can be customized according to the student’s individual goals.

Work directly with one of our GoggleWorks Studio Artists in their private studios or learn in one of our specialty studios (the Ceramics Studio, Cold & Warm Glass Studio, Hot Glass Studio and Woodshop).

GoggleWorks offers private lessons in:

  • Ceramics
  • Drawing
  • Flamework
  • Fused Glass
  • Jewelry
  • Glassblowing
  • Mixed Media
  • Painting
  • Stained Glass
  • Woodworking

To arrange a private lesson, please contact us at 610-374-4600 x105.

SPECIALIZED STUDIOS

Ceramics

Ceramics-Hanbuilding-Pottery
  • 2 hour lessons
  • 1 Student: $85
  • 2 Students: $105
  • 3 Students: $125

Hand building uses flat slabs, coils or solid balls of clay to create functional or non-functional pieces of pottery. This workshop introduces coiling, pinching and other techniques as well as surface decoration, including applied textures, colored slips and glaze application. Projects can include bowls, mugs, vases or other vessels. Completed projects are available for pick-up after kiln-firing, usually within 2-3 weeks. This workshop may be customized for beginners or those with previous experience.

The Potter´s Wheel

Ceramics-Wheelthrowing-2
  • 3 hour lessons
  • 1 Student: $135
  • 2 Students: $155
  • 3 Students: $175

Learn the basic techniques of working on a potter´s wheel or learn to refine your skills under the guidance of a knowledgeable artist instructor. Throwing is the process of using a rapidly-rotating potter´s wheel to shape clay, forming cylinders, cups, bowls and more. The instructor will demonstrate techniques such as wedging, centering, flooring, pulling and trimming.

Drawing, Painting and Mixed Media

Drawing-Girl-With-Easel

1-Hour Lessons

  • 1 Student: $45
  • 2 Students: $65
  • 3 Students: $85

Draw with graphite, charcoal or ink; paint in watercolors, gouache, oils or acrylics; or learn how to incorporate collage or assemblage into your work using paints, inks, newspaper, fabrics, found objects and other materials.

Flameworked Glass

Flameworking-2

Create beautiful glass beads using soda-lime glass and a torch. For beginners or anyone who would like torch time with instruction, exploring basic bead shapes, decorative techniques and color.

  • 2 hour lessons
  • 1 Student: $95
  • 2 Students: $115
  • 3 Students: $135

Fused Glass

Fused-Glass-Student-at-Work-2
  • 2 hour lessons
  • 1 Student: $95
  • 2 Students: $115
  • 3 Students: $135

Create sparkling fused glass suncatchers, coasters, plates, pendants and more, while gaining the skills needed to rent the Cold & Warm Glass Studio to work on your own time.

Students will learn about the types of glass used, the compatibilities of glass, how to score, break and grind glass, as well as various layering and damming techniques.

Students interested in becoming studio renters, will learn the technical aspects of working in the cold & Warm glass studios and annealing schedules and how to use sheet glass with powdered frit. No previous experience is required.

Jewelry

Jewelry-GG
  • 2 hour lessons
  • 1 Student: $95
  • 2 Students: $115
  • 3 Students: $135

Hot Glass

Glassblowing-Young-Student-Instructor
  • 2 hour lessons
  • 1 Student: $180
  • 2 Students: $230

Learn fundamental skills crucial to working in the Hot Shop, including gathering, forming and controlling glass.

If you are interested in gaining the skills to work on your own projects as a studio renter in the Hot Glass Shop, we recommend 3 to 4 private lessons. Renters are approved according to each individual´s skill level and at the discretion of the Hot Shop Manager.

Photography: In the Darkroom

Untitled, Spring House Series (Detail), by Patricia Scialo

With an emphasis on creative darkroom techniques and alternative processes, you´ll learn how to use negatives, photo collage, toning and hand-coloring to create handmade photographs. Please bring a 35mm film camera (or you may rent a camera from GoggleWorks to use for your lesson).

  • 2 hour lessons
  • 1 Student: $95
  • 2 Students: $115
  • 3 Students: $135

Woodworking, Carving or Turning

  • 2 hour lessons
  • 1 Student: $95
  • 2 Students: $115
  • 3 Students: $135

Private Lessons with GoggleWorks Studio Artists

GoggleWorks is pleased to offer these specialized private lessons with GoggleWorks Studio Artists:

Alan Cernak: Origami

Origami-Image-2

Various Origami Pieces by Alan Cernak

Father and daughter Alan Cernak and Lily Cernak share GoggleWorks’ Studio 306. Alan works in colored pencil, acrylic paint and mixed media, while Lily primarily works digitally using a drawing tablet to create manga (Japanese-style comics). They have worked as community liaisons for the Reading Cherry Blossom Festival, doing origami and other demonstrations and bringing free animé films to GoggleWorks and area schools and colleges. They are affiliated with the Kyoto International Manga Museum and have brought the work of Japanese manga artists to Goggleworks for exhibition. They also do many other types of projects with area schools, such as area-wide student art shows, sculpture gardens and larger-than-life 5-foot origami cranes. You can read more about these in the “projects” section of their websites (alancernak.com and lilyhana.us). Along with these projects, Alan and Lily also regularly teach various subjects (manga/comic drawing, Chinese brush painting, origami, sculpture, mixed media, etc.) at GoggleWorks, local schools and elsewhere. In the fall of 2011, Alan and Lily collaborated on a manga mural for a group exhibition at the Lyman Allyn Museum in Connecticut. Alan and Lily welcome requests for work by commission.

GoggleWorks Studio Artist: Alan Cernak

Origami with Alan Cernak

  • 1-hour lessons
  • 1 Student: $55
  • 2 Students: $75
  • 3 Students: $95

Alan will teach you how to fold papers into amazing origami objects and characters.

Lily Cernak: Manga & Comics

1,000 Themes by Lily Cernak

1,000 Themes (Detail) by Lily Cernak

GoggleWorks Studio Artist: Lily Cernak
Manga/Comics & Illustration with Lily Cernak

  • 1-hour lessons
  • 1 Student: $55
  • 2 Students: $75
  • 3 Students: $95

Lily will teach you how to draw people and faces and to create and design characters for manga/comics or illustrations digitally (using Photoshop, Manga Studio or other similar programs) or with traditional mediums (pencil and/or ink).

Lily runs a free webmanga called Farewell Feeling, which can be viewed at farewellfeeling.smackjeeves.com. Learn more about Lily and her art on her website at lilyhana.us.

Elaine Soltis: Embellished Mono-Printing

Image: The Four Seasons by Elaine Soltis

Image: The Four Seasons by Elaine Soltis 21″x26″, mixed media

GoggleWorks Studio Artist: Elaine Soltis

Elaine Soltis brings a vivid imagination, intuition and an unconventional use of materials to her work, inventing many of her own techniques to create her paintings and collages. Her work focuses on a meaningful subtext rather than just decorative reflection. While creating her own artistic style, she is influenced by her father, who was also an artist, and shares his passion for color.

Elaine feels that one moment in time is enough to change an entire life´s passage, so she believes in being present, listening to even the silences and being grateful for the chance to comfort the soul with art. Focused efforts of expression are an essential combination of taking a chance and trying, she says.

Embellished Mono-Printing with Elaine Soltis

  • 2-hour lessons
  • 1 Student: $95
  • 2 Students: $115
  • 3 Students: $135

Elaine will guide you through her own art-making process, using serendipity, chance and imagination to create an abstract print embellished with collage, mementos, treasures and found objects.

Please bring any collage elements, beads or other found objects that you might like to incorporate into your piece.

Click here to see a short video of Elaine speaking about her work.