When was the last time you pulled a lump of liquid glass out of a furnace with a temperature of 2,050 degrees?

Although this scenario might seem unlikely to most, it is an everyday occurrence for glassblowers. And scooping molten glass out of that furnace isn’t the only incredible thing they do. They shape beautiful sculptures with simple tools such as tongs, steel rods, diamond shears, fruit-wood shapers and a mere blob of molten glass. If you walked into the glassblowing shop of George Bland here in the Flathead Valley, you might see him shaping a glowing, shapeless lump of glass into a rose in almost less time than you could say, “It was a great idea to come here!” 

George Bland started his shop in a garage at his house. Then he bought a bigger, roomier building and moved everything in. “I taught myself through practice and some books,” commented George. “When I took an advanced class at Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington, I found myself very humbled by the skill of others in the class. Like any skill, you really need to work around others in the trade to build a foundation and work your way up.” George is passionate about glassblowing and is very enthusiastic about teaching people about it.