By The Pattern – An Illustrative Approach to Neon

Dani Kaes & Jacob Willcox

Neon Bending

Urban Glass

Dates: March 19 -23, 2024

Time: 5pm-9pm

+Studio Time: 1pm-4pm

Tuition: $1,225.oo

Eligibility

No neon (or drawing) experience is not required but recommended. Complexity of the bending pattern and design will scale with student experience. Open to ages 14 and up.

From signage to quilt squares to comic book characters, neon art starts with the same step as making a commercial neon sign: making a detailed neon pattern. Well-planned patterns are necessary for neon benders to replicate the 2D image in 3D glass. This introductory neon bending class will go through all the basics of neon tube bending and assembly, with a focus on hand making simplified illustrative patterns from a student’s chosen inspiration. Students will learn how to read and utilize neon patterns to best plan their approach to shape, without bending themselves into a tangled mess. Outside of fabrication there will be lectures and discussion around the conceptual weight of neon as a material. Primarily focusing on Its connection to signage and advertisements and how those topics can inform your designs.

What to expect

Bombarding and electrode attachment for 5 units of neon are included in this class, as well as a transformer (power) and wiring kit. Past 5 units, students will be charged for electrode attachment and pumping at these rates. The process of bombarding will be explained, but students will not process the neon units.Read more about how to prepare for class on our Registration Info page. 

Additional work time for intensive students: Students will also have access to additional hours in the neon studio, without instruction, on Wednesday – Saturday from 1-4pm.

Dani Kaes is a light artist and educator based in Seattle, WA. Starting as a traditional glassblower as part of the Hilltop Artist program in 2012, she transitioned into neon after apprenticing as a commercial neon bender in a prominent Seattle sign shop. She has continued to work in neon independently and commercially, using it as her main artistic medium, often citing its inherently temporary nature as its most valuable and intriguing feature.

Instagram:  @Dani.Kaes 

Jacob Willcox is a glass and light artist from Tacoma, WA. He is an alum of the Hilltop Artists program where he began working with glass in 2012. He then went on to study at Alfred University where he obtained his BFA with concentrations in glass and neon in 2021. His work investigates ideas surrounding consumption, excess, and indulgence.

Instagram: @Willcox.Studio