LA GRANDE — Glassblowing is one of the most fascinating art processes, and possibly the only one that requires the breath of its maker combined with heat to produce an exquisite one-of-a-kind piece of art.

Imagine a ball of molten glass resembling molasses in consistency at the end of a blowpipe. The artisan blows into the tube, which inflates the glass into a moldable bubble. From this point, it is in constant motion as its maker transforms it into art.

Glassblowing artisan Kevin Boylan, of Birddog Glass, 702 Adams Ave., La Grande, loves this art form so much he made it his career.

“I purchased this business location in June 2019 and worked on it right away, getting it up and running and ready to blow glass,” Boylan said. “I founded Birddog Glass in September 2019, and Nov. 12, 2019, was our first day blowing glass here.”

Facing a pandemic soon after creating a business was a little concerning, but Boylan and his associate artist, Maggie Yeates, continued to work on their product line.

“Maggie has been blowing glass with me for about 10 years now, and she’s a big part of everything I do,” Boylan said. “Typically, you always have someone assisting you. After moving in here, she did a lot of remodeling of the studio space as well.”

During the pandemic, they didn’t do many hands-on workshops that they are known for. They had to put them on hold until they could safely offer the classes again. Instead, they kept their doors open as much as possible and if they could do so safely.

“We have a gallery showroom adjacent to the glassblowing studio and typically within 24-48 hours after completing something in the hot shop, it can be ready to be viewed for sale in the gallery,” Boylan explained.

Birddog’s location was formerly a four-bay service station, Boylan said. It’s perfect because the artists are able to open the doors when it gets hot and allow visitors to view without entering the space. Visitors can stand at the edge of the doorway and get a safe, really good view of the glassblowing process.

Boylan grew up in Walla Walla, Washington, where he studied ceramics. He moved to La Grande and transferred to Eastern Oregon University in 2000, earning a bachelor’s of science degree in fine art in 2003. He studied ceramics, mixed media sculpture and all the other classes offered there.

In 2002, one year before he graduated from EOU, Boylan was introduced to glassblowing by Tom Dimond, professor emeritus in the EOU art faculty. Both Dimond and Boylan were nearing a crossroads in their lives. Dimond was about to retire, and Boylan was about to graduate, but it was just then that they forged a private apprenticeship arrangement.

With Boylan’s background in fabrication, metal work and kiln building, they built a glassblowing studio together at Dimond’s residence in Cove and started glassblowing together there from 2004 to 2019.

“That’s where I learned to blow glass, and then in 2019, I made the plunge and opened my own studio,” Boylan said.

Dimond was very generous and instrumental in getting Birddog Glass started in La Grande. He wanted to see Boylan succeed and carry on this art form.

“He offered a lot of tools, equipment, knowledge, anything he could to help us out in the early stages,” Boylan said.

At Birddog Glass, Boylan and Yeates produce barware, which is their specialty. That includes stemless wine glasses, pint glasses, tumblers and any kind of drinking glass. They also produce a fair amount of custom lighting.

“I’ve done a large chandelier light fixture for the Liberty Theatre,” Boylan said. “That was made almost two years ago and it’s packed in a crate waiting to be installed.”

Besides making and selling glass blown products, Birddog Glass hosts several workshops, open to the public or groups by reservation. The studio’s spring workshop teaches a paperweight class featuring hearts, eggs, starfish, and other shapes. In October the pumpkin workshop is very popular, and in November and December a holiday ornaments class is offered.

To arrange a viewing of free demonstrations at Birddog Glass in La Grande, contact Kevin Boylan at 541-605-0279. The optimal group size is 20-30 visitors.

“You don’t see this just anywhere,” Boylan said. “It’s a fascinating experience that’s open to visitors.”

The gallery showroom is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. There are no employees on staff, so it’s best to call ahead to make sure Boylan or Yeates are there to welcome you.

Also, the Birddog Glass artists will be on tour with their products at this summer’s city festivals. They participated in the June 3 EOU Arts Fest and will be at Crazy Days (July 15) in downtown La Grande, the Eastern Oregon Beer Festival (Aug. 19) at the Union County Fairgrounds and the Cove Cherry Festival (also on Aug. 19).