New mosaic

I created this mosaic for the upcoming SAMA conference in April.  It will be (hopefully!) bid on during the mosaic art salon and have a new home.  My original sketch didn't change much!  I just needed to add the markings (which many will now recognize as my cat, Raymi's markings).  The mosaic is 8x9" and made with stained glass, vitreous, and millefiori.  It is entitled, "Happy!"

Final mosaic for book is done!

The 15th and final mosaic for my children's book is finished, yes!  Even though I still have so much more work to do, it felt really great to glue that last piece down.  I already see changes I need to make in this one, but I'm going to go back to the beginning and start making my changes there.  I hope to get all of them done in a month, then grout!

Final mosaic for children's book underway

I've just started this last mosaic for my book, which is 12x15" and will be the last page of the book.  I'm using a photo that was taken a few years back as reference.  I love Raymi's pose with her outstretched toes!  It will be fun to use some pretty flower millefiori for the blanket.

Mosaic #14 for book is done!

I have just finished the final large mosaic (15x24") for my children's book!  It was one of the faster ones, which feels really good coming towards the end of the project.  I have one more design to go, a half size mosaic (15x12") which I hope to finish this month and then I will move onto the changes.  I have kept a list (quite long, actually) of what I want to change in my earlier mosaics.  Most are pretty small, but there are a few that will take some time.  I will post those later, as I complete them, to give an idea of what I'm doing.  As an example, this brick house was a grey house (my house) in an earlier mosaic, but it works better as brick, so now I need to go back and change the earlier one to brick.  I wanted the book to reflect as many personal things in my life as I could, but for the betterment of the book, my house won't be grey.  There will also be some areas I change in the first three mosaics I made where I wasn't sure how to cut the glass for those areas and just went with what was easy, crazy paving.  In the three years since I made those mosaics, I've grown and improved, so I'm going to take the crazy paving out and redo it nicer. 

And....here's Raymi completed!

Book Mosaic #14 underway!

I'm so excited that this is my final large mosaic for the book!  This is a small detail shot of the mosaic, which will be 15x24".  This bit here is only about 2x3", which is why I had to use millefiori for Raymi's eye - it was just too small to cut glass for otherwise!  This mosaic will be pages 27 and 28.  Page 29 will be a half page, so the mosaic will be 15x12" instead.  I will probably make one or two really small mosaics for the end pages, if I have time.  I need to finish the book by May or June so it can go to the printers by summer.  I will be announcing on my blog when the book is ready, but if you'd like to have a postcard with an image from the book mailed to you, email me here or fill out the mailing list form on the right of the blog.  I'm getting close!!



Quincy

This adorable miniature Schnauzer is Quincy, commissioned by a friend who also commissioned me six years ago to create a mosaic of her daughters.  This mosaic is 8x10" and was made with stained glass and a little bit of millefiori.  The mosaic below entitled "Sisters" is what I created for her in 2007.  It is 24x36" and was installed in their garden.  They are such a lovely family and it has been wonderful working with them on both projects.  Thanks, Laura!!

Happy New Year!

Well, I didn't get a lot done on my book this year, but I did add to my pet portrait portfolio!  And I had an amazing experience leading the mosaic marathon at SAMA in Lexington, KY this year.  I look forward to 2013, to finishing my book and to seeing what's next.  Happy New Year to all my readers.  Thanks for following along in my artistic journey!