The Hogland Art Glass experience starts long before the studio is reached in the beautiful surroundings of the rainforest in the Whyanbeel Valley, 40 minutes north of Port Douglas.

Driving along long stretches of country road, with sugar cane fields coming up to meet the road on either side and constant views of the world’s oldest rainforest, you become lost in another world, immersed in nature; arriving at the tucked-away studio is like finding a hidden treasure.

Artists and owners, Ola Hogland and Marie Simberg-Hogland, built their studio and gallery here in 2002 when they began selling their skillfully crafted designs in Australia. Both originally from Sweden, Ola and Marie’s work spans decades and they are fast becoming internationally-renowned, having worked in their home country as well as Swaziland and New Zealand, the country they’ve called home since 1982 and where they spend the summer months.

Their unique glass creations have been exhibited across the globe, including at the New York Expo and in Thailand, China, Singapore, Dubai and Japan. The creative pair has also been honored with the task of producing art glass for the Official Team New Zealand and America’s Cup 2000 and 2003, as well as for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Today their talents span from stunning glass creations to paintings and fragrant soaps, all of which embrace their picturesque surroundings. Their glasswork includes bowls and vases in patterns and colors that simultaneously capture the viewer’s imagination and admiration; beautiful, unique jewellery with a focus on birds and dragonflies, whose colours sparkle; and ornaments, including a collection of penguins, each one intricately designed and created to a breath-taking finish. The gallery is bursting with colour – the exact aspect that originally drew Marie to the art of glass blowing – and each piece is the result of much dedication, hard work and constant practice.

“Being a glassblower is a bit like being a musician – everyday is spent practicing and training,” says Ola, who begun his apprenticeship in glassblowing aged 16. “Glass is so technically difficult to work with and has a life of its own. As an artist I am fascinated by making a form with the human breath.”

From the journey to Hogland Art Studio and Gallery, to the visual delights on offer here, everything about this artisan experience captures the beauty of Far North Queensland, and provides the perfect opportunity for visitors to see another side of the Daintree – a side that inspires a different genre of artwork and presents the perfect location in which to display it.

What: Hoglund Art Glass
Where: 580 Whyanbeel Road, Whyanbeel Valley
When: Friday – Tuesday, until October 29, 2013
Phone: (07) 4098 8480

www.hoglundartglass.com