When people view my work, they wonder...
how did you get from this [above] to this [below]?
How did I end up creating mosaic portraits
out of junk mail?
Well... imagine two lines in space...on a course to intersect.
My work represents those converging lines.
Line one - I've always painted portraits. Years ago, I started attempting to make my paintings resemble mosaics. Like, actually painting the "grout" or grid lines. Didn't look great. I am a pretty good painter, this just didn't do the trick.
Line two - I started doing traditional mosaic work, studying the ancients... in Italy, in Turkey, in Cyprus. I did a great job creating the obligatory planters with broken china. I created a celestial tile mosaic on my kitchen counter. I did my bathroom floor using 40 shades of blues, greens, metallic, white... glass tiles. And many other pieces. I am a pretty good mosaic artist.
THEN...I saw the mosaic stained glass portrait in Venice [Italy]... so I started to attempt to create portraits out of tile...out of glass...out of stone...out of buttons...and then paper.
It started small, and it grew. Practice...time...it became more intricate...more challenging...and eureka! I found my groove. I've been creating a connected body of work in this style, using my own technique for many years now.
I hope you like it! - Now, here's some inspiration and examples. Enjoy.
Part of the reason I created an "Angels & Icons" series came from my love of religious mosaics and Russian Icons.
glass mosaic |
glass mosaic |
My first attempt at paper mosaic, influence by religious glass mosaics |
Russian Icon |
glass mosaic |
There are more - check on my site for Saints, Angels, & Icons.
Arabic tile work, Louis Comfort Tiffany and Antoni Gaudi are other inspirations:
a paper mosaic I created to match my bathroom floor |
Samarkand |
Tiffany glass mosaic portrait |
Travel also inspired me - to locations in the Mediterranean, but I have yet to visit Barcelona [home of Antonio Gaudi] or Samarkand. |
my bathroom floor |
an early attempt at junk mosaic -I created this in 2005 from buttons, beads, toys, etc. |
Antonio Gaudi mosaic in Barcelona |
Tiffany glass mosaic |