Mosaic Art
After decades of cake decorating, I discovered a new creative passion in mosaics. I work with a rich collection of glass smalti and tiles, natural stone, and stained glass. I'm still early in this journey, focused on the joy of making while I develop my personal style.
Featured Pieces
Crustose
Named for the lichen that inspired this piece, look closely in the field and you'll find one of nature's most dimensional and complex surfaces, full of color, texture, and surprising detail.
Clever Lizard
A portrait of my beloved bearded dragon, Lewis. It was a meaty project with 40 hand-pulled threads, but in the end, Lewis approved!
Visit my blog to see behind the scenes and how this piece was made.
Behind the Work
Some thoughts on the materials I love, the space I work in, and the parts of the process that keep me coming back. Check out my Mosaic Blog for more.
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Color Me Rad
Malmischiato is the technique of intentional, beautiful chaos… torch-blending different smalti colors and pulling them into filati threads. I make my own, which is hands-on and a little unpredictable. The colors always surprise me, and I love finding a place for them in my work. It results in tesserae that are richer, sharper, and more complex than anything a single color could achieve.
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My Studio
My studio has two spaces — indoors where I play with materials, work out the details of a project, and finish pieces, and a garage where I fire up the torch, open the bay door, and pull threads. My Uplift desk adjusts from sitting to standing, which makes a difference when I'm deep in a piece for hours. Each space has its own energy, and I love moving between them.
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Smalti Love
Color is everything to me, and nothing delivers it quite like smalti. I work with both Mexican and Italian smalti, but Italian is my favorite. It's less temperamental at the torch, and it carries the history and tradition of Murano glass, largely unchanged for centuries. Di Mosaico is my favorite smalti supplier and getting a shipment at my door feels like Christmas.
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Lost and Found
Pulling threads is where I lose track of time completely. The torch drowns everything out and my mind wanders — it's one of the few places where I'm completely present without trying to be. Torch work is a little unpredictable by nature, and every pull is different. I never quite know what I’ll find when I cut into them, and it never gets old.
“Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.”
— Claude Monet
Photo Gallery
A glimpse into my studio — from my method and raw materials to finished pieces and close-ups.
Favorite Resources
Whether you’re getting started yourself or looking for new resources, below are a few of my favorites.
Inspiration + Artists
Mosaic Arts Online - classes + community
Anabella Wewer - Pennsylvania USA
Sager Mosaics - Pennsylvania USA
Dino Maccini - Italy
Rachel Davies Mosaics - Scotland
Lindsey Packingham - Southwest USA
Karen Sasine - Rainbow Mosaics
Agnes Couret Gaubil - France
Mosaic Supply
Mosaici Dona Murano distributed in US Di Mosaico
Orsoni distributed in US by MosaicSmalti.com
Dona Mosaic distributed in US by Mosaic Trader USA
Mosaicos Venecianos De Mexico distributed in US by Smalti.com
Bullseye Glass - made right here in Portland, Oregon