Jun 23, 2007

From glass to goodies, Funk’s gallery is one of a kindBy Tang LorParadisePost.com

Sketched patterns of various shapes coat large pieces of white paper that are draped across the tables and walls of an art studio. From these black and white patterns glass artist Pamela Funk creates colorful stained glass masterpieces.

Her stained glass ornaments hang in the windows, the brilliant colors of the mosaic pieces reflecting prisms off the walls and wooden floor while Funk and her daughter Carly Metroka pass an afternoon in their family owned businesses, the Creative Glass Carvings studio and Fir Street Gallery and Gifts shop.

Funk, who started working with glass at 16 years old, has created pieces ranging from glass window and door murals to mosaic water fountains. Her designs are inspired by her own artistic instincts and what her customers want, she said.

“Every customer wants something different, but as an artist I can draw anything anybody wants,” she said. “I’ve had so much fun working on so many different projects.”

One of her favorite projects is a piece she did about five years ago called “Diana’s Journey,” a piece relaying the life journey of one of her customers. The piece features a 3D Earth superimposed in the California coastline with the Big Dipper and the North Star above the globe set on a nighttime background. Even though the finished piece is with the customer, the sketched pattern still hangs on the wall in the studio.

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