The Art of Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images or a decorative design by setting small pieces of colored glass or stone, known as tesserae, into a surface.
My Artistry
I have been a mosaic artist throughout my life, but I began doing custom work for clients in 1998. I specialize in all surfaces, including back splashes, walls and bar tops, and resurfacing kitchen and bathroom cabinets in residential and commercial settings. I have developed my own unique style guided by my passion and intuition. Some of my work is sculptural in nature and includes mirrors, wall hangings, furniture, clocks, and custom mosaic jewelry.
My original pieces are made using hand-selected elements of the highest quality. I can add an exquisite look to your decor with stained glass, blown glass, natural rock, and tile. I prefer using strong, vivid colors and mirrored iridescence surfaces to give my pieces a sense of movement. Each piece I create is a one-of-a-kind work of distinction.
After creating my first piece, I wanted to mosaic everything in my sight. I started creating mosaics for family and friends, and they encouraged me follow my passion and focus on mosaics as a business.
I shoved off the idea—I needed to work full-time, or else I would be a starving artist.
And so I worked 50 to 60 hours per week in a job that I greatly disliked. After six years of this, I became someone I didn't like anymore and I was deeply unhappy. I physically became unable to cope with my despair; some of the simplest every day tasks, such as brushing my teeth, suddenly became overwhelming for me. After reaching out to my doctor for help, I was diagnosed with clinical depression.
For the next two months I received outpatient treatment at a local hospital, and I took a leave of absence from my job. As I was becoming healthy again, the voices of my family and friends telling me that I should do my mosaics as a business came back into my thoughts.
My Life and Mosaic
Many people ask how I started creating mosaics.
As a designer, I didn’t set out to focus on mosaic; rather, I stumbled into it as a result of a personal experience that changed my life. I have learned to turn negative things in my life into positive experiences, and because of this I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. The passion within everything I create is rooted in the journey of my life.
The Message
I immediately set up a work space in my garage and launched into creating several mosaic pieces at full force. One project I hold close to my heart during this time is a 33 square-foot kitchen back splash. I was working on it at my client’s home, and at 12:30am she went to bed as I finished wiping down the last application of grout. It wasn't until I began cleaning up that I got to stand back and look at my completed mosaic masterpiece. My eyes filled with tears—the mosaic was beyond beautiful. Oh, how I would have loved to see the look on my client’s face when she got up the next morning!
Until that riveting moment, I had been creating mosaics for about 12 years and had never really understood why I started to create in this medium. Yet, as I drove home, the message finally struck me—God gave me the talents I have for a reason: to be happy and to make others happy through art. I also realized that I didn’t choose mosaic, it chose me! When I accepted mosaics as my artistic passion,
I accepted my vision and definition of self. After all, my life has been a mosaic!
Next Steps
To design a custom mosaic for your home or office, please complete the contact form or call 414-617-4459.