The ability to create something that makes people smile every day is a gift and we hope that we can make our Original Flea sculptures your next gift. – Greg & Jeff
About Original Flea Metal Sculpture:
Greg & Jeff Quayle
We are a father and son team. Greg first started his sculpting career in 1968, at the age of thirteen. He was quickly selling sculptures to local gift shops and craft galleries in his hometown of Manhattan Beach, CA. He began attending and displaying at numerous craft shows throughout Southern California. In the summer of 1972, while still in high school, Greg opened a retail store in the Old Towne Mall in Torrance, CA. It was during this period, the fall of 1972, that The Original Flea was created and they were a hit. From that point on, the flea was the focal point in every sculpture. After a few years of retailing, Greg switched his focus and lifestyle to wholesaling his work and creating at home. Greg moved from urban Southern CA to rural Northern CA, Grass Valley, in 1979. The desire was to relocate to a more peaceful place to raise a family. Greg continues to create the Original Flea sculptures and ship them all over the world. Jeff became interested in torch work at an early age and started helping Greg weld Fleas when he was 6 years old. In his early teens, Jeff was sculpting in earnest. What started out to be an easy way to make a little pocket money, eventually evolved into a passion to be creative, (like father like son). In 1997, Jeff moved out of his parents house and went away to college. Not only packing clothes, books and school supplies, but also a torch. He welded Fleas in college and helped Dad keep his customers well supplied. After graduation, Jeff moved back to the Sacramento area to start a career and life after college. After several years working in the corporate world, he knew that he wanted to work for himself and utilize his creativity to bring smiles to people's faces. Jeff wanted to create the Original Flea metal sculptures again.
Production Methods:
There is a little magic in the process of creating our Original Flea sculptures. The magic is in experience. Collectively, we have over 60 years of oxy-acetylene torch work experience. This time spent has given us the ability to do things with flame, metal and our hands that few can. The tools are simple, an oxy-acetylene torch, tin snips, pliers, a hammer and a vice. Materials are basic too, light gauge cold rolled steel and mild steel welding rod. We have a very old flywheel punch press that we use to stamp out the small half egg shaped parts that we weld together to make the Flea body. Everything else is hand formed. We snip, bend, heat, pound and weld until it looks right and makes us smile. Our typical sculpture takes from a few minutes to a couple of hours to complete. We also cut our own bases from premium redwood, sand and finish them with three coats of clear lacquer. We are the only ones that touch the Original Flea sculptures. One of the benefits of the Original Flea sculptures being handmade is that each one is unique.