Creating ‘Boundless’

Boundless was inspired by a very personal journey of self discovery, a love that changed me, and the possibilities that followed. The design came to me while I was chillin' at a campsite, sitting quietly with my sketchbook and colored pencils — sometimes the best ideas show up when you least expect them. At 6×15 inches this is a large piece for this method and took 100 hand-pulled malmischiato threads to complete. From mapping out materials to laying the final tessera, this piece spanned four months of work. It turned out exactly as I hoped — and not quite like I expected.

Behind the Scenes

All my pieces begin with a sketch. But this piece is complex and a couple different concepts came together as I was making it.

I sketched the design at full size to get a feel for the color palette and transitions.

I worked out the thread formulas that would make up the ribbon. I just love playing with color!

I pulled 35 threads for the ribbon — 30 from my formulas and an additional 5 threads of transparent colors.

I then snipped and sorted the threads into custom trays my husband 3d printed for me.

Over many sessions I laid down the ribbon in Apoxie Sculpt, working my way up and placing each tessera with intention — all while listening to music that matched where I was in the story. Before pausing between sessions I scraped away the excess so the edges stayed clean for when I applied the background.

With the ribbon complete, I calculated how much smalti I would need to make the background. I divided it into nine zones, moving from darker hues at the bottom to lighter tones at the top.

I had to wait for a shipment to finalize my formulas, but once more glass arrived I carefully mapped out each zone — weaving in flecks of the ribbon colors throughout.

The background was enormous for this method — 65 threads in total! The first three zones at the bottom move quickly through darker tones with 5 threads each, while zones four through eight have 8 threads, and the final zone 10 threads — giving me more room to linger in the lighter shades as the piece rises toward the top.

I made little painters tape tabs to mark where each zone would transition, then started laying the background from the bottom, working my way up.

Four months, exactly 100 threads, and more sessions than I can count. But Boundless is the piece I needed to make. It pushed me technically and personally, and I came out the other side with a finished piece I'm deeply proud of. It will always hold a special place in my studio.