Lisa Renée Falk loves to draw out the inner artist in us all (no matter how hidden it is), and she's staked out a career doing it. With nearly two decades of experience as a professional glassmaker and studio owner, Falk recently opened Glasshead Studio in Atascadero, a creative space giving the community a chance to make their own glass pieces, from plates and bowls, to ornaments, to colorful mosaics. Open to all skill levels, Falk's hands-on classes take participants through the entire glassmaking process, working with a variety of concepts, techniques, and materials. The end goal is fun and simple: to spread the creative joy of glassmaking.

• Photo Courtesy Of Lisa Renée Falk
• TAKE FLIGHT A class participant at Glasshead Studio makes a mosaic butterfly.

"Most people love glass; you use glass every day," Falk said. "Being able to use it in a creative way, whether it's displaying it or using it for plants ... I think it's an accessible, tactile experience."

• Photo Courtesy Of Lisa Renée Falk
• OPEN STUDIO Lisa Renée Falk opened Glasshead Studio this year in Atascadero, offering a creative space for the community to learn and practice glassmaking.

Consider giving a gift certificate to Glasshead Studio to your friends or family this holiday season—let them unleash their inner artist! Make a 6-by-6 inch mosaic tile or seahorse; or a fused glass plate or bowl; or a stained-glass hanging terrarium; or something else. Falk offers individual, couples, and larger group classes, with discounts for groups of six or more. Groups could be a gathering of your friends, a kids birthday party, or even a company team building session. The cost per person ranges from $45 to $120, and classes run about two-and-a-half hours.

Participants will get a chance to cut glass, mix glasses, add designs and text, and combine colors and textures, all while spending time together in a vibrant creative space. The possibilities are literally endless, even for the most novice of glassmakers, Falk said.

"You don't necessarily have to be an artist per se to be able to make a plate in here. I feel like everybody is an artist in their own way," Falk said. "Those are some of my favorite pieces because they're so spontaneous, they combine lots of color and texture. The majority of people who have come into a studio walk away with something they're really happy with." ∆

New Times Assistant Editor Peter Johnson is feeling artsy at [email protected].