artglassmosaics' photostream  

From the time I was a young boy, I was amazed by how light was transformed by stained glass. The colored shapes and patterns which were cast on nearby walls drew all my attention, while the depicted images in the stained glass windows all but disappeared. Since that time I have played with the magic of color and luminosity through the creation of my own stained glass mosaics.

Recently, I have been exploring the dance between light and shadow, shape and texture, brilliant color and muted tones, and spontaneity and repetition within my mosaic work. One of the ways I have done this has been by taking close-up, photographic images of my stained glass mosaics. In doing so, I attempt to capture the moment of transformation when sunlight reveals the inner detail and brings out the many colors within the glass. The selected images are then enlarged and printed using archival inks on canvas. I believe that the resulting limited edition, fine art prints not only reflect the dance, but the hidden beauty of art glass as expressed through the language of mosaic.

As I have continued down this path, I find myself drawn to other materials as part of my mosaic palette. Instead of working solely with glass, I select pebbles and pieces of stone, pottery, ceramics, stoneware, and tile attaching them to a sturdy board or panel. Unlike my stained glass mosaics, I usually do not start with a firm idea or design in mind. Instead, I look at how each of the different materials, textures, colors, and shapes might come together to express an idea, feeling, or form. Sometimes, in fact, the subject of the piece is discovered only after it has been completed. I believe the playful juxtaposition of natural and manmade elements is what contributes to the overall richness and complexity when I create this type of mosaic tapestry.