Pamela Quigley

Posted on October 1, 2010 by Sawdust Art Festival

This is my first year exhibiting at Sawdust Winter Fantasy.

I have had a love affair with glass since I was a very small child.   Some of my   favorite outings were to LA County Fair and the amusement pikes at the piers. I spent most of my time on these days with my nose up against the window, watching a rod of glass become a spectacular creature in the hands of a torchwork artist.   This would mesmerize me for hours as I would try and guess what would next emerge from the flame.   I knew back then I wanted to do something with glass.

Being somewhat afraid of fire and hot things after a burn as a young child, I spent my early creative years immersed in fiber. . . designing and making my own clothes, quilting, designing art dolls, and dyeing and painting fabric.   

Curiosity enticed me to take a torchwork glass a few years ago and my love of glass was renewed. After a few months of making beads, buttons and marbles, I noticed that my kiln spent a great deal of time turned off.   I decided I might as well use it to make small fused glass objects when it was not needed for annealing.   Those objects soon became bigger and now required more space and equipment.   I think I am hooked on glass.

My inspiration is derived form the gorgeous wildlands and ocean that surrounds us.   The rolling ocean on a hot summer day packed with colorful tourists; the angry ocean during a winter storm; the gentle sway of the ocean as it gobbles up the sun at the end of the day. . . all influence my work.   The gentle hills and valleys of the wilderness park; the colors of spring as new shoots appear; the colors and movement of the flowers, birds, and scurrying creatures as they discover their surroundings. . . all influence my work.

Most of my work is characterized by uneven surfaces and many lumps and bumps.   My work is meant to be handled. I use a wide range of color but predominately use transparent colors that can be found in the great outdoors.   

I make a variety of fused objects including plates, bowls, platters, jewelry and games.   My torchworked objects include beads incorporated into jewelry, buttons, and marbles.

In my REAL life I am a retired electrical engineer, having worked in aerospace, satellite navigation and computer design.   A small business consulting venture now leaves me time to pursue glass design and education on a more regular basis.