Illuminated Wall Art
IlluMosaic
Brilliantly hued stained glass mosaic wall hangings enhanced by an artist's tracing pad inserted into the back of a stylish frame (Lacey Beard's Framing). Plug it in for an illuminated effect, unplug for a totally different look, or take it out and hang the art in a window to let natural sunlight bring it to life.
Art in Progress
Inspiration
In early 2000, I had an accident with my husband's heritage Funeral Bowl when it crashed to the floor on its way to the table. I felt terrible, but immediately thought of preserving it somehow. After all, that bowl had carried banana pudding for decades to every funeral of the vast Texas family. So, although it was fitting for it to perish as well, I decided to keep it alive by setting it into a quaint little end table (see Funeral Bowl Table in Mosaics Gallery).
Since then, so many little "accidents" have found their way into new and beautiful creations, or into my supply cabinet for future projects. You never know what can transpire out of something broken and headed for the landfill. Keep it for a while and see if it can be incorporated into something beautiful.
Execution
Aside from having to contort my body in various ways to make my creations come to life, I am also standing on tables, snapping shots with my phone of pieces staged out so I can remember how they're supposed to go back together when I have to put them all away for the time being. In order to not lose interest or not feel like it's a chore, I have to make it fun and tell myself, "You're getting a good workout, too!"
But as with all my art pieces, the contentment lies in so many areas: Planning, Designing, Purchasing, Creating, Marketing, Selling or Giving; or simply enjoying for myself. I am so fortunate to have been born with this desire to make things with my own mind, eyes, and hands! Thank you, Mom, for passing this wonderful trait down to me.
Dedication
From the time I was a young, impressionable girl, my palate, thirsty for new palettes upon which to express myself, has spoken to me through many eclectic avenues. Although each individual piece was conceived in its own unique way - having its own story to tell - each entity ultimately drives me to the same wish: To simply be adored. Whether just by me, or another person, or perhaps the whole world.
This same wish is something I know my mother wanted, too. She was an artist with intention for others to gaze upon her work and smile... or cry... or extract emotion in some form. I know that feeling as well, and it is truly blissful.
12 Essential Tools for Glass Mosaic Artists
The Tools of the Trade
If you're embarking on a creative journey with the mosaic artist in you, make sure you pack these vital tools to help make the trip an effortless and fruitful one.
Bon Voyage!
The Making of Bustovola
The Foundation
The Foundation
The Foundation
When we brought home a hunk of driftwood and put it in the yard, I kept seeing my mother out the kitchen window as I washed the dishes. She was dancing interpretively in the corner among the ferns, like she always did. So I came up with a plan to make her real and alive and beautiful again.
The Stand
The Foundation
The Foundation
I envisioned a life-sized structure on a tall stand, with a heavy base. I found a brass lamp base for twenty bucks on Craigslist and had my husband help me drill a hole in the bottom of the wood. Then I cemented in a rebar which stuck into a pipe that screwed into the lamp base. Viola!
The Prep
The Foundation
The Concept
The next step before getting to the really fun part was to prep the wood and fill deep crevasses and holes with cement. There was a six-inch deep pocket in an armpit that I had to fill with foam gap filler and then seal off with cement. Then I coated the entire surface with homemade gesso.
The Concept
The Concept
The Concept
The whole idea was to honor my mother in beautiful color and form. I adorned most of her left thigh in what I call "power bubbles" which are pictures and words that explain her character. To learn more, see Cabochon Glass Domes in "My Favorite Products" below.
The Front
The Concept
The Front
The design on the front of Bustovola represents five of the seven chakras of the body along with the elements of the universe: fire, water, air, earth, space. Her breast is a deep red rose - her favorite flower - whereas her missing breast is depicted as warmth among airy floating flowers of peace, acceptance, and transcendence.
The Back
The Concept
The Front
Here you see the sensual and voluptuous shape of my mother's backside, where a single branch of greenery offers life to all her ambitions and aspirations and intertwines them up her sturdy frame, giving support to the vulnerability of her front, where she took in all her life's pains.
The Story of Glam Cat
Execution
It is an amazing and fun process to go from a drab ball of clay, to a plain cat face, to gluing pretty things to it (the best part), then grouting and finishing each special piece. From start to finish, of course it's a long process, especially with curing times, but every time I start a new mask, it's like putting together a fresh jigsaw puzzle. And I LOVE puzzles!
I start by selecting a special piece of vintage jewelry for the forehead and then work my way around it from there. I never know what it will look like or what its name will be until I am finished; then the beautiful creature talks to me.
Inspiration
It all started with the need to downsize. I had boxes and bins full of vintage stuff that had been residing in the rafters for decades. In 2016 I decided to create an Etsy shop to see if I could unload some of it. So when my collection of Clay Art wall masks began selling like hotcakes, that's when the idea popped into my head to start my own line of masks.
Another downsizing mission was with the jewelry box. As I sifted through mismatched earrings, broken necklaces, and baubles of yore, I thought, "Hey, these would look really cool on my cats' foreheads." As a result, each Glam Cat mask bears a unique piece of vintage jewelry that would have otherwise been headed for the trash. Downsize - check! Fun with creation - check!
Dedication
I just adore my sweet grandson to pieces!! So when I started up my Etsy store, Rambling Rose Bazaar, I immediately knew that whatever I profited from my sales would be set aside in a savings account for the little monster for his college education.
It is such a rewarding feeling to be in a position to make this healthy decision based on financial freedom and artistic ventures, and it would be serendipitous that he someday return the favor in the form of non-monetary, unsolicited boatloads of hugs and kisses for his Meemaw.
My Favorite Products
Gryphon Studio Grinder
The Gryphon Studio Grinder is a must-have for shaping stained glass mosaic pieces to perfection. Without taking up too much of your workspace, this little dynamo will perform effortlessly with a little know-how and maintenance. The interchangeable grinding bits can be stacked two-high for efficiency when grinding different sizes or shapes. Easy to clean and easy to use. Purchase a foot pedal and splash guard from Amazon and you're all set!
Glass Cabochon "Power Bubbles"
My mother passed away in late 2000, at an early age of 59. She had been a breast cancer survivor for years before a more catastrophic cancer took her life. After almost two decades of mourning, I decided to bring her back to life by adorning a piece of driftwood. So I set out to make the most elaborate of all my mosaics (see The Making of Bustovola).
One of the main types of tesserae on Bustovola are the one-inch cabochons I made by gluing printed pictures of mom and some of my artwork, paired with powerful words to depict her and honor her true beauty, onto these clear bubbles. To cut out perfect one-inch circles, I also purchased a Fiskars 1" round squeeze punch, which is super simple to use and saved me a lot of time.
Weldbond
The first mosaic project I did with glue (rather than embedding tesserae into grout) was a test of my Glam Cat line, where I had used simple household glue to attach some pieces. While this would have worked in the long run, it was not a fast drying glue; thus I was constantly chasing pieces down the face of my art to put them back into place. The glue also did not dry completely clear. Then I found Weldbond. Not only does it dry crystal clear, but it keeps my pieces secured within seconds of placing them. I highly recommend and use Weldbond for all my indoor projects.
WELCOME
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