Glass Blowing
Throughout history glass blowing was applied to making functional objects and during the industrial revolution became a means of mass production. With the advancement of kiln technology in the late '60s, the studio glass movement was born, making hot glass available to the general public. After one visit to a glass blowing studio you'll see why this art form has become so popular. With the endless creative possibilities of form, color and optical qualities found only in glass, this is an appealing medium for all.

Gather
Gather glass from the furnace (it's 2100 degrees 24/7)

 Turn
Keep the pipe turning all the time so the liquid glass won't ooze off.

 Marver
Shape the glass on a large steel table called a marver.
Reheat
Make frequent trips (as many as 50 or 60) to the reheating tank -- or "glory hole" -- to keep the glass at working temperature.		 Shape
Shape and cool your piece with metal tools, in this case "jacks". Notice how the clear molten glass appears orange when at working temperature.		 Color
Add color to the surface.
Block
Add more glass by dipping in the furnace, then shape it in a wooden ladle called a "block".		 Inflate
After you have the desired amount of glass, in the right shape, begin to inflate the piece. 		Paper
Have your assistant continue to inflate the piece while you shape and cool it with a carefully folded "paper" made of ... six sheets of newspaper!
Neck
Add a weak spot in the glass -- or a "neck line" -- which will later be the place the piece breaks so you can finish the top.		 Work
Continue to heat, cool and inflate the piece to the desired shape.		 Transfer
Attach your piece to a glass-tipped metal stick called a "punty", add a drop of water and tap the piece off at the neck line.
Open
With the piece now attached to the punty, heat and begin to finish the top of the piece.		 Finish
Open the piece to its final shape and your design is realized.		 Remove
Put a drop of water on the joint between the punty and the bottom of the piece, pop the piece off, then place it in a kiln, where it cools over the course of several hours.