About Amber Gale

In 2018 I had an Ah-ha moment. After decades of diving deep into various artistic pursuits in search of the just right fit for my artistic needs, I finally found what I had been searching for. In my earliest years, Elementary to my 20s, I explored: abstract painting, drawing, and sculpture. From there I dug into garden design, knitting, and functional garden sculptures. But there was always this nagging that something was missing or wasn’t quite right. After countless conversations (thank you friends and family) and silent reflection I was able to pinpoint what resonated with me about each of those previous mediums. From there the new task was identifying what might collectively meet the aspects of these past pursuits I found most appealing. The aha moment came over a pint when I turned to a friend said, I think what my work is missing is glass. From there everything rapidly fell into place. Immediately after a one day workshop, I knew Stained Glass was exactly what I had been searching for.

Creating with Stained Glass has become the best way for me to describe or share my experiences with others. I have always been inspired by both natural and human made elements. Their energy, patterns, colors, reflections, and shadows all impact how I experience and internalize my surroundings. My artwork is heavily influenced by my childhood on Cape Cod, my time homesteading in Southern Vermont, and my long term residences in both Western Massachusetts and Cape Cod.

Now I am working towards pushing the bounds of what is possible within the medium of stained glass and will continually experiment with possibilities. I strive to fully understand the materials I am creating with. I consider both the physical and chemical properties and how the materials will collectively interact with the environment. I use a variety of glass types, the copper foil technique popularized by Louis Comfort Tiffany, Lead-Free solder, zinc came, repurposed bicycle parts, and other found metals in my creations.

I am primarily a self taught stained glass artist, but have gained valuable skills from attending workshops at Snow Farm in Williamsburg, Ma and Dragonfly Stained Glass Studio in Easthampton, MA.

When I create with stained glass, I am continuingly fascinated. For those who decide to make one of my pieces their own, my intention is that they will receive their own moments of fascination with each glance or long gaze.

When I am not creating stained glass, I am: teaching middle school science, attending art shows and museums, cycling near and far, growing and preserving food, walking the Cape Cod Coast and Hills of Western Mass with my very dear senior dog.