Feedback for Jason Stropko’s Glassblowing Classes and his qualities as instructor (click to continue reading)

Chad
Class: Beginner Glass Blowing for 2:
Amazing experience learning how to blow glass with Jason. He is a great teacher. Glass blowing is very nuanced and Jason was patient with us the entire time. We had plenty of time to make two pieces each and he made sure we were able to fully execute our visions and they turned out great. Would definitely go back for another round!
Sep 11th 16

Christopher
Class: Beginner Glass Blowing for 2:
This class was worth every penny! Glass blowing was something my girlfriend always wanted to try so I took her on a surprise date to Jason’s class. It went SO well.

Jason is friendly, informative and most importantly patient. Jason quickly showed us an example of what we would be doing by quickly creating a glass cup! My girlfriend and I then took turns making 2 small items each! We made a wine glass and a “cappuccino mug” each. Jason gave us the ability to choose our own shapes and colors! He then even gave us a little gift of two ornaments because we had some extra time left over.

We picked up our work a week later from him and couldn’t be happier! They look great!
Sep 5th 16

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Sen-Sei
Class: Beginner Glass Blowing for 2:
After conducting some research and reading other reviews, I decided to try out the “Beginner Glass Blowing for 2” with Jason. What an awesome experience!

First off, Jason is a PRO when it comes to the art of blowing glass. His skill and passion is transparent (no pun intended). Second, it takes a certain personality type with abundant patience to be a good teacher. My wife and I learned a lot to say the least. Finally, the finished product(s) we created actually didn’t suck; Jason assisted me with a wide bottom wine decanter, and my better half crafted some heavy bottom glasses.

When I confirmed my appointment, I gave Jason a heads up what our favorite colors are and when we showed up, he was prepared. The end result was exactly what wanted.

Now I’m not one to write reviews since everyone can have a different experience and/or opinion. All I can say that for the two of us, we were “blown” away.. (pun intended).

Thanks Jason!
Aug 18th 16

Tianyu
Class: Beginner Glass Blowing for 2:
I sooo recommend this over the group class at Public Glass! We had a lot more hands-on time to get a feel for working the glass, and Jason was flexible with his role depending on your experience/comfort level. I loved that he could verbally explain how to improve/correct our technique throughout the process, without taking over himself whenever something went wrong.

Jason was also very committed to making sure we achieved our creative vision. After describing the shapes/colors we wanted, he quickly made some sample orbs with our colors melted in so we could see how they looked and how they’d react with each other. While we were occupied with something more passive, he also taught us a little about the history of glassblowing. Amazing way to spend 3 hours, do it!
Aug 13th 16

Nancy
Class: Learn to Blow Glass with Jason
I loved this class! Jason is a wonderful teacher – guides you and helps when needed and is calm and supportive throughout. You have time to get the feel of it and actually create something beautiful and useful!

You leave really feeling like you accomplished something. I wholeheartedly recommend doing this!
Aug 11th 16

Kathryn
Class: Learn to Blow Glass with Jason – Profess…
What a fun evening! Jason is an extremely welcoming host, patient instructor and skilled artisan. He taught us all about glassblowing and helped us bring our ideas to life. We left with beautiful pieces that we’ll treasure for years – no one will believe we had a hand in their creation. It’s a hands on, creative, safe experience and I’d recommend it to anyone!
Aug 9th 16

Zoë
Class: Learn to Blow Glass with Jason – Profess…
Jason did a great job of explaining the process of blowing glass. He started by making his own and having us watch as he explained the steps involved, which I think is really helpful for beginners! Then we each got to make our own glasses with a lot of help from Jason. He is really thorough and makes sure to answers any questions you may have.
Aug 7th 16

Tammy
Class: Beginner Glass Blowing for 2: Drinking …
We had a great time with Jason! His instructions were clear and easy to follow. He was patient & made the whole experience really fun. I would recommend this class to anyone. Loved our pieces. Between the two of us we made 2 lowball glasses, a terrarium and an ornament.
Aug 2nd 16

Latha
Class: Beginner Glass Blowing for 2: Drinking …
Jason was a great teacher. Me and my husband had a lot of fun during the class. We made two bowls and two glasses. One was a huge ornamental piece an Jason taught us the techniques patiently. He was nice enough to stay back extra 30 minutes to help us complete the glass we were trying to make. I took couple of glass blowing classes and Jason is the best!

I highly recommend his class. He is very responsive and goes out an extra mile to help you! Thanks a lot Jason for good memories!
Aug 1st 16

Penny
Class: Learn to Blow Glass with Jason – Profess…
If I could leave 6 stars I would. This experienced blew us away and completely exceeded my expectations. Jason provided the perfect balance of instruction and hands-on experience. He was extremely attentive, patient, and supportive of our creations. I don’t think there is any other class like this in the Bay Area–especially with the expertise and professionalism of Jason.

I highly recommend Jason for any glass blowing class he offers, at whatever level of skill or interest you have. It is well worth the money.

We now have a two glass wine decanter and lovely bowl to remember this experience!
Jul 22nd 16

Christina
Class: Beginner Glass Blowing for 2: Drinking …
Jason was absolutely awesome! My boyfriend and I were pretty excited to take his class since neither of us had ever blown glass. Jason was an excellent teacher -he did a great job of walking us through the process before we started and he let us be really hands on in making our pieces, while still giving us plenty of guidance. I’d love to take another class with him!
Jun 21st 16

Maria
Class: Learn to Blow Glass with Jason – Profess…
My husband and I had SUCH a great time at this class! Neither of us had blown glass before and didn’t really know anything about the process. We had 4 total people in the class (2 in addition to us) so we each got almost 45 minutes to an hour when working on our item of choice. Jason was such a great teacher, so patient, and gave us plenty of hands on time so you really got to try all the various techniques, but was also ready to swoop in and help to make sure you’d ultimately still be happy with your final product. Highly recommend this class, we have been talking about it to all our friends and coworkers for over a week since we took the class!
Jun 20th 16

Anna
Class: Learn to Blow Glass with Jason – Profess…
Jason’s glass was the best Verlocal experience I’ve had thus far (and my boyfriend and I have taken MANY Verlocal classes). He allowed both of us to get lots of hands-on experiences as each of us made our own glass pieces, patiently answered all of my questions about the glass blowing process and even met me the next week in SF to give me our completed glass pieces once they had cooled!

We are looking forward to taking more classes from Jason and strongly recommend you take his class(es), too!
Jun 17th 16

Celestial
Class: Beginner Glass Blowing for 2: Drinking …
So much fun! Jason was friendly, patient, and a great instructor. The private session was perfect for hands-on learning: no standing around waiting for a turn. We made a couple of Christmas ornaments and a drinking glass . They came out great! Perfect for a unique date-night, or anyone curious about blowing glass.
Dec 15th 15

Raquel
Class: Beginner Glass Blowing for 2: Drinking …
What an amazing experience! Jason is a phenomenal teacher – he was such a joy to learn with. My boyfriend and I had never blown glass before, and we really enjoyed it. It was such an interesting process – I love that we got to have creative freedom, and Jason really helped us bring our ideas to life. We made a pretty sweet bowl and vase. This is the perfect date night or gift!
Nov 19th 15

Ellen
Class: Learn to Blow Glass with Jason – Profess…
Hands down one of the best classes that I have ever taken.. Jason is an excellent teacher … very clear, concise and very, very patient!I learned so much about the process which gave me a greater appreciation of the art of glass blowing. I did not realize that there was not only a process but also a ‘dance’ to making objects. This class exceeded all of my expectations and went by too quickly. I really hope I have another chance to take a class from Jason. I highly recommend this class to everyone.
Oct 23rd 15

Lindsey
Class: Learn to Blow Glass with Jason – Profess…
Jason is an incredible teacher!! I had such a blast at class; by far, it definitely exceeded my expectations. The time flew by – plus I gained a greater understanding and appreciation of this craft. I didn’t realize how detailed the process is and learned so much. I HIGHLY recommend this to class. : )
Oct 6th 15

Alejandro
Class: Learn to Blow Glass with Jason – Profess…
This was my first time at a class for glass making and I must say it was amazing. Jason has the confidence, patience and expertise to show you the basics and then progressing with more elaborate designs if you are up for the challenge. As a beginners class we got to do so much and is really hands on. He will show you how to really get in and shine while creating your design. Very happy with this class, thankful and definitively will be visiting the studio more often to sharpen up my craft.
Oct 1st 15

Sarah
Class: Learn to Blow Glass with Jason – Profess…
Had a great time with Jason! He was a very good instructor. He tailored our class to exactly what we wanted to do and learn. I would definitely continue and take future classes with Jason.
Sep 26th 15

Kacey
Class: Learn to Blow Glass with Jason
Jason’s Studio is really cool, I felt like I was getting a sneak peak at all his upcoming works! I’ll definitely be back =]
Sep 4th 15

Contrary to the sparsity of blog-posts: Jason continues to work full time in glass (we have reviews to prove it)

Jason accepted employment in a key position with a successful West Coast glassmaking company and got really busy working a few regular shifts each week for them. Additionally there were so many glassblowing classes to teach and students to manage that somehow we fell off the wagon keeping you up to date with it all.

Birgit (who takes the photos and does a lot of the posting, but not all) hasn’t been able to spend time at the glassblowing studio to capture all the glassmaking sessions with Jason’s students, which is why there is so little to share at the moment.

What we do have are some amazing feedbacks from students of the past 3 months. Incredibly positive and very happy customers!

Here is just one of those feedbacks:

Beginner Glass Blowing for 2: Drinking …

After conducting some research and reading other reviews, I decided to try out the “Beginner Glass Blowing for 2” with Jason. What an awesome experience! First off, Jason is a PRO when it comes to the art of blowing glass. His skill and passion is transparent (no pun intended). Second, it takes a certain personality type with abundant patience to be a good teacher. My wife and I learned a lot to say the least. Finally, the finished product(s) we created actually didn’t suck; Jason assisted me with a wide bottom wine decanter, and my better half crafted some heavy bottom glasses. When I confirmed my appointment, I gave Jason a heads up what our favorite colors are and when we showed up, he was prepared. The end result was exactly what wanted. Now I’m not one to write reviews since everyone can have a different experience and/or opinion. All I can say that for the two of us, we were “blown” away.. (pun intended). Thanks Jason! “
Did this wet your appetite, too?
You can book classes STRAIGHT through Jason for a lower cost than using our booking agent. Or if you don’t know Jason go ahead and DO use our booking agent (that link above the feedback will take you there).
For all other’s: click on the ‘HOME’ button and you will see options: shop (pay Jason directly) or take classes: pay the booking agent who takes a total of 20% of the price you pay in fees.. 5% fees you pay and 15% we pay. Gig economy… Always go straight to the artist when you feel confident to do so!

How lidded vessels are made

It’s been quite a while since we made a post from the glass studio! Here you can see some of the working process that goes into creating lidded vessels, which serve beautifully for functional as well as decorative use.

They make amazing trophies but also can be custom made for sweets and table displays or special flower arrangements. If you send Jason Stropko your design he can give you a quote and create pretty much any object of desire thanks to a well rounded technical ability that takes many years to master!

Jason has now been making glass full time professionally for 10 years + 4 years study before beginning on this career path!

Large Stemware Vessels by Jason

Keep in touch during 2016 and be the first to see the development of another new project by Jason Stropko. These vessels are already available to order, dimensions variable and subject to client choice!

The lowest of these vessels in this image is approximately 20cm high, and makes a stunning display for precious objects, truffles, fruit and bakeware.. As always your imagination is the limit!

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sizes can be completely modified to suit your display area. Prices: vary depending on size, number of pieces and technical difficulty! The pieces that you see here range from $400 – $750 each, depending on colour work, size and your timeframe. Individual pieces in a rush order can be delivered as soon as 72 hours from the time of order.  Please use the contact form tab above for enquiries.

Jason’s Etsy Shop is back up and running

After a long wait and not a moment too soon Jason’s Shop is back online and fully functioning. A couple of the postage prices need to be corrected as we have a few shipping estimates set to too low. 

If you would like to gift handblown heirloom glass for Christmas then we can no longer supply in time but you could print out a picture of the object of your choice and Jason will make it to commission to be delivered in january.

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Who else do you know who receives the gift of a made to commission heirloom piece of Art and master craftsmanship?!

You can follow this link to Jason’s shop and see some of the beautiful glass:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/jasonstropko

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Here something very special! Courtesy of the team from Verlocal & Jason’s students!!!

A recent glassblowing Class with Jason Stropko in – wide view!

We have been super happy to be working with Verlocal and offering Glassblowing Classes trough their website. Verlocal is kind of like an Airbnb but for experiences. So you can go to their site, check out what’s on offer in your city and book yourself an extraordinary afternoon! – At the moment it is only for major cities in America, but if it takes off then anywhere you live can take part!

Working with the video team the other day was excellent fun. We are super grateful that Verlocal decided to support our glassblowing classes and career in the Bay Area with such a huge gesture of appreciation. We couldn’t be happier!

Our experience with Verlocal has been very good. Transactions are transparent, with the site handling the money it gives reassurance to potential students / customers / clients and offers protections both ways. The Verlocal Team have been unfailingly supportive and really on the ball, always making sure that customers and we the hosts (we: Jason the glassmaker and instructor & Birgit being the invisible admin on Jason’s team, making a lot of this happen)  are always up to date and that nobody falls off the communication wagon.

Verlocal do take 15% of transactions which is a little bit of a chunk but we can honestly say are delighted to be on board. The site has brought us students that we otherwise might not have had. We have been very happy so far and look forward to continuing our work with Verlocal in the coming year.

We are now taking a little break from teaching classes in the Bay Area for the duration of the typical low season for crafts of all types January – April. So we will be back in time for everybody to wake from their winter slumber, offering even more classes than before!

We haven’t got a fixed date for our spring term start but keep connected, here on Jason’s blog as well as on Facebook!

You ask what will the glassmaker do in those winter months..?

Follow us and we will show and tell.. It will be good!

 

Special edition Sunflower Seed

This sunflower seed by Jason Stropko is made from nearly solid glass, with only a small air bubble within. To achieve this lovely texture the glass has been etched with a special acid that is able to etch glass. To the touch this sunflower seed is velvety. Very special…

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Dark rose pomegranate seeds

This batch of dark rose pomegranate seeds has a thick transparent layer of glass encasing the whitish seed. These as all of Jason’s seeds are modelled as close to natural as is possible within the confines of creating objects in glass within a certain time constraint. 

Jason Stropko is constantly fine tuning his interpretation of things he sees in nature, at times he developed techniques to represent the moss on age old tree bark, other times he turns his attention to the shell of roasting chestnuts as well as horse chestnuts, which were the beginning steps in his project of nuts and seeds.

A project stemming for Jason’s genuine love for nature and desire for living closer to it whenever possible; while int he meantime recreating aspects of nature in glass and sometimes in beautiful pen and ink or charcoal drawings, too..

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dark rose pomegranate seeds, translucent, except for a light cream white core, just like inside natural pomegranate seeds. Or course you will rarely see them in this hue in nature but nothing is impossible.

There is a long road ahead, many seeds and nuts are as yet unexplored, while many tableware ideas are just waiting for the right opportunity and time to jump into existence.

Jason and Birgit are working as a team to bring to you as much variety in objects of desire made from glass as possible. Jason is working steadily to fill a whole fruit bowl with nuts and seeds and occasional stray fruit, sometimes these are hard to tell apart.

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