Walls, ceilings, floors, buildings all display the art of mosaic throughout history. Much still survives after wars, natural disasters, vandalism and time. Many of St. Augustine’s historic buildings harbor fine examples of mosaic. As a student at Flagler College in the 70’s, I never tired of studying the mosaic floor of what originally was the lobby of the Ponce De Leon Hotel built by Henry Flagler in the late 19th century. I still have two small unused tiles, a souvenir of the extraordinary work that went into the hotel.
My interest now is with stained glass mosaics. All of the stained glass is hand cut by me and then set into place with a very strong glue. Embellishments are added for texture and interest. Along with shells, beads, mirror, vitreous glass pieces, I have used brass rods, wire, crystals and rhinestones. I enjoy searching my cabinets and drawers of art and craft supplies to come up with just the right addition to the glass design as well as using polymer clay in several of the pieces to add dimension. I first look at something for what it is, and then look at it for what it could be. Finding solutions to my design dilemmas is great fun! I then use sanded grout and most of the pieces contain two or more colors of grout. Some pieces use masonite as a support and are not recommended for extreme outdoor use. Plexiglas, Wonderboard and Hardiboard are suitable for exterior use and the metal frames on each are primarily added for a “finishing touch”.
My interest now is with stained glass mosaics. All of the stained glass is hand cut by me and then set into place with a very strong glue. Embellishments are added for texture and interest. Along with shells, beads, mirror, vitreous glass pieces, I have used brass rods, wire, crystals and rhinestones. I enjoy searching my cabinets and drawers of art and craft supplies to come up with just the right addition to the glass design as well as using polymer clay in several of the pieces to add dimension. I first look at something for what it is, and then look at it for what it could be. Finding solutions to my design dilemmas is great fun! I then use sanded grout and most of the pieces contain two or more colors of grout. Some pieces use masonite as a support and are not recommended for extreme outdoor use. Plexiglas, Wonderboard and Hardiboard are suitable for exterior use and the metal frames on each are primarily added for a “finishing touch”.
You can also view my work on http://www.artzalley.com/ and http://www.artspan.com/
