Signing Your Work

People have asked how I sign my name on my mosaics. It's really easy! Just use a small bit on a Dremel tool. Take a look at the bit in this photo on my old Dremel. I'd recommend practicing a few times on some scrap glass like I did in the photo. The vibrations might throw your signature off if you aren't used to it. It usually shows up a little lighter. If you want it to show up a little bolder and darker, sign your work before you grout (if using a dark color, it will show up darker). Have fun!

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you all a very happy holiday season! May 2012 be a productive, healthy and happy year for you!

Article in Rochester Women magazine

This article is in the current issue of Rochester Women magazine. If you right click it and open it in a new window, you should be able to zoom in a little to read it. Have a great week!

Music Play

This stained glass mosaic is 36"h x 48"w and was commissioned for Children's Hospital St. Paul.

Television Segment about my Art Now Online!

I hope you enjoy it! (Please double click on the image to fill your screen so you don't miss the right half.) Thanks!

My Art on TV!

I hope you can tune in to see a segment about my art on TV on Sunday night! Channel 15-1, 7:00 pm PBS/KSMQ's "Off 90". If you don't live in southern MN, you can catch it on this link on Monday or Tuesday.

Next Piece

I'm starting in on my next project for Children's Hospital St. Paul. Here is a close up of one of the little squirrels! He's carrying a bass clef.

Finished! Green Place in the City

This is going into Presbyterian Homes new assisted living home near the campus of St. Kate's in St. Paul. Original design by Sister Ansgar Holmberg. 5' 9.5" x 5' 9.5"

Almost Done!

I'm just finishing up the border today and should be grouting later this week. Here are some photos that show some of the details.

Here you can see the long cleat on the back of the mosaic, near the top. The bottom of the cleat is 10" from the top edge.

This is the small cleat near the bottom. Top of cleat is 10" from edge.

You can see the center part of the mosaic is raised.

Overall shot. Just the border left! Sides and top and bottom are about 69 1/2" inches. (Some spots vary slightly down to around 69 1/4".)

The cleat under the top. (The screws ends will be cut off so they are nearly flush with the nuts.)

Cross section. You can see how the glass is slightly uneven in thickness. Including the cleat depth, the thickness is about 1 1/4".

View from above.

The frame (better than this block of wood!) will cover part of the glass edge and finish it off. About 1/4" or 5/16" overhang on frame might be good.

The frame profile might look something like this.

The top and bottom cleat that will go on the wall.

(Vicki: Dusty Bill 24" x 24". Last original from The Girls and Boys of Mother Goose. Unframed.)

WIP: Green Place

Here's the latest! I'm working on the upper left corner right now. Some work done on upper right as well. Border shaping it out, too!

WIP "Green Place in the City"

I've got three sides done! I've glued the finished panels down on the base. These areas will be raised 1/4" from the background. I've put some glass through the kiln that will give a smooth edge the raised area.

WIP "Green Place in the City"

WIP: "Green Place in the City" This is the center panel. I've muted the mint green from the original. Starting work on the houses now! Once this panel is done, I'll attach it to the large board and start in on the surrounding houses.

Next Project

Here is my next project! I'm collaborating with Sister Ansgar Holmberg to create a large mosaic based on her painting for a new assisted living home. Here is her original painting:

This is the design (see below). It has the original painting in the center, but it's been extended by a circle to echo the interior design theme. There will also be a mosaic border, shown here only with the mustard color.

Here is the board. It is 5'9.5" square made of two layers of wedi board. I made it so the pieces are arranged so there are no straight lines all the way across. This will make it stronger.

I used an overhead projector to trace the design onto the board.

The center green space and all of the buildings will be on a 1/4" raised panel.

Getting started! I'm going to try to tame the greens with more yellow based greens.

At the Dance

In between projects right now, I made this mosaic, "At the Dance". It's 30" x 30". Stained Glass Mosaic. I have a meeting tomorrow about the next project. More on that later. Have a great day!

Three mosaics

These three mosaics will be hung in the elevator lobby in the same building where the mural is going. They are 20" x 20" each. I'm so excited to get them and the mural installed in about a week!

Birthday deals!

My birthday is this month, and to celebrate I'm offering all of you 25% off of everything in my etsy shop! There are mosaics, books, cards, paintings... Just select any items you want and put them in your cart, and then use this coupon code when you check out:

JULYSPECIAL (no spaces)

Thanks, and enjoy!

Barb

FINISHED!!!!

I've just finished grouting the final panel of the mural - the rocks! It will be installed mid-July. Final size is 5 feet high by 13 feet across.

New item in my Etsy store

Hi! I have just added a new item to my Etsy store. It's a collection of ten postcards featuring my mosaic work. I had these for sale at my art tour show and they were a big success. People were getting them to use as postcards, but also just to put up on the fridge, and a few said they were planning on framing some of them. You can buy them HERE. Ten postcards for only $9. Enjoy!

Butterfly Wing

I decided to finish up this butterfly wing before starting in on the final panel of the mural. I started this one during a demo at an art fair in April and it's been sitting patiently waiting for me to finish it ever since.

This is going in the same building as the big mural, but it will be down the hall and around the corner by the elevators. It's one of a series of three 20" x 20" mosaics that will be hung there.

Next Panel Completed!

I've just finished with the fifth panel of the mural. It's a 5'h x 3'w rose and will sit next to the pinecones. This week I'll start on the sixth (and final) panel...rocks!

Work in Progress of Rose

This is my progress on the fifth panel of the mural, a rose. It is 5'h by 3'w.

Mural Work in Progress

I've just finished the pinecones! I'm happy with how they turned out.

Pinecones WIP

Here is a work in progress shot of the pinecones. This is the fourth panel of the mural, so it is also 5' high. I'm happy with how it's looking so far!

Third Panel completed

I've just finished grouting the third panel (out of six) for the mural I'm working on. It's five feet high, and six and a half feet wide so far.

I used some textured leaves that are very pretty and iridescent. I was a little worried about cleaning them, but the grout came right off with a toothbrush.

It Takes a Village

The familiar African Proverb is the title of this piece created for a neonatal unit. 26"h x 38"w, stained glass mosaics, with some screen printing and some fused pieces. My initial design was more of a European style village at night, but they wanted more of a neighborhood feel and daytime. They also wondered if it was possible to hide a kangaroo somewhere in the piece. Do you see her?

It Takes a Village

I'm working on a different piece this week (not part of the mural). It's for a neonatal unit in a hospital. Here's a sneak peek.

Second panel completed

I've just finished grouting the second panel - trees! Here is how it will look next to the first panel. Both pieces are 5'h. The leaf is 3'w and the trees are 1'w. Have a great weekend!

Panel #2

Happy Valentine's Day! I'm working on panel #2 of the mural. Here is a work in progress shot.

First panel is done!

I'm working on a large mosaic mural. It will be made up of six panels. I just finished grouting the first panel, a giant leaf 5'h x 3'w.