A Reef for a Window

My brother and sister-in-law commissioned a mosaic to be set into an existing window (it is long and narrow and looks out on the uninteresting view of another building). Instead of learning how to do stained glass in the traditional way, I used stained glass pieces to create a mosaic. I chose mostly transparent colors (instead of the more opaque ones I'm used to buying for the glass mosaics I do on boards) to better filter the light coming in the window. I purchased a wood frame and a piece of glass to fit inside it, and stuck the mosaic pieces onto the base glass piece. I experimented with different glues first; on board I generally use white glue (Weldbond), which dries clear (supposedly), but between two pieces of glass it takes forever to dry and is not 100 percent clear even then, so I used my trusty silicone adhesive, Lexel, which is messier to use but is clear from start to finish. The glass base allowed me to place my full-size template underneath, meaning that it was oh, so easy to follow the plan of my drawing! The photos show the template and two stages of completion. I grouted with a light gray, which I have found is best at receding into the background so the viewer is concentrating on the design itself. The window will be installed sometime in the next month, and I'm really excited to see it in place!

The Baobab Tree

The Baobab Tree is a gallery in the Village of the Arts, in Bradenton. A couple of years ago, when I was looking around for venues where I could display my mosaics, I looked at all the galleries in the Village and thought the Baobab would be a good fit because it carries such an eclectic mix of styles and media. I approached the owners, Chris and Gordon Turner, and they have been kind enough to show a few of my pieces every season. They have also become good friends. This year, they are showing several of my Avian Portraits, including the Toucan pictured here.

Chris and Gordon travel every summer and bring back artwork from Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, and other exotic destinations, as well as from their artist friends in the Northeast, where they hail from originally. Both have taught art and continue to produce it; Chris is an accomplished painter in acrylic and watercolor, and Gordon creates charming fish and other sculptures using weathered wood and found objects. The gallery shows their work as well as local and not-so-local artists.

The Baobab Tree is open on the First Friday of the month and the first Saturday, and other times by appointment. The gallery is located at 1113 12th St. in Bradenton, telephone 914-447-3795. The next First Friday opening is October 1, from 6 to 9 p.m. Please visit!

"Summer School"

I just completed this mosaic, called "Summer School," to enter in a competition sponsored by the online mosaic community Contemporary Mosaic Art (CMA). The assigned theme is "camouflage." I used all scraps in my green and blue boxes cut into squares for this piece. The tiny eyes are purple millefiori. It was really fun to do, and I could easily see this design in a backsplash or filling a wall niche. The finished size is 24" x 24". 

CMA is a wonderful community that always inspires me. It includes forums to share projects or get help with mosaic questions, and they create a new "slide show" every few weeks to showcase members' artwork.  

Four Seasons

The client for this piece wanted a narrow frieze to go over a fireplace in her bedroom. The surround will be a soft beige-colored travertine."The Four Seasons" was my client's desire, as she really loves her northern home and the change of seasons. This picture shows the work in progress. I did a detailed painting for approval, which is on the bottom. I secured a piece of parchment paper over it (I've also used plastic wrap), then fiberglass mesh onto which I glue the glass. I'm using stained glass exclusively, which is a new medium for me -- in the past I've used mostly glass tile, with maybe a few pieces of stained glass here and there. In this case, the design was so intricate that it would be too hard to cut the small pieces of tile to fit. Besides, there is such richness and subtle variations of color with stained glass, it really lends itself better to the overall design. Randy LaSalle Fox, another local mosaic artist, introduced me to this beautiful medium.