In this first semester, Mr. Johnson, the ceramics teacher, decided to use his creative talent and take a step forward, by adding glass! Although he loves clay, he says, “it takes longer to go through the whole process, whereas glass more spontaneous.” Can you believe that your glass creation can be fused and ready to go in just one week? Yes, glass is a faster to create beautiful art and is translucent, which is playful in the light. “You can cut it and fire it and fuse it in one day and all with the same week, but clay takes three weeks,” explained Johnson. However, clay actually cooperates with glass extremly well, as you can make your own mold prior to fusing glass. Students have the freedom to make their own molds out of clay. Even if an original clay creation cracks, it can be used as a mold for glass. Johnson explained how he recently made a large bowl out of clay, but during the firing process, a minor crack formed. Little did we know, he would be able to make use of the cracked bowl as a perfect mold for glass. Another large bowl ended up being the backbone for one of his best glass pieces, once he slumped the glass into the hollow base of the bowl. Johnson’s skillful and artistic eye for fusing glass began after a unique ceramics class in New Mexico that opened a door for a unit of glass fusing in class the following year at Laguna Blanca.