I have always found glass blowing to be a fascinating type of art. Basically, you are manipulating glass with fire to melt it into a shape you want it to be in, and doing something like that is just impressive. I didn’t ever think I would do glass blowing myself, but on a recent trip to Half Moon Bay, I got connected with Half Moon Bay Art Glass to take one of the classes offered by the owner Doug. It was a ton of fun, and I enjoyed myself, here is all of the information so you can do it as well.
Details
- Book here
- Location: 12341 San Mateo Rd, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
- Information from my visit in 2016
Upon arriving for the start of my class, I was with a half dozen other people. Doug gave us a breakdown of the process and safety instructions before jumping right into the creation of a pumpkin, which we would be making.
I enjoyed being able to watch him go through the process first as it made doing it a little less intense when I did it myself. After about 15 minutes of watching Doug, the process was complete, and the pumpkin was sitting in the oven to bake overnight and harden up.
I was next to do the process, and I got my gloves and glasses on before getting ready to make my creation.
The next 15 minutes was a fast process of pulling the glass in and out of the fire, rolling it and blowing on it. It was a rush to do as it all happens fast, and you have to be listening for the orders so you can do the next thing.
When I was done, I was shocked by how beautiful my pumpkin came out. It had a vibrant blue color and looked like something I would buy in a shop.
I can easily say that I would not be able to replicate this again without Doug’s instruction, but I did feel like I was enough a part of the process that I could say I made it.
The next morning I picked up my pumpkin on the way out of town and took the opportunity to take some photos of it with the coastline in the background.
It is a fun souvenir to have and to remember my time on Pacific Coast Highway with. I recommend you check it out and take a class if you have some time in the area. Let me know your glass blowing stories in the comments as well.
