I am a West Michigan artist and have lived near the shores of Lake Michigan all of my life. I am inspired by the area and by the many places I have traveled. Although I enjoy painting, drawing and working in textiles, glass is my love. I enjoy the way the light plays upon it and see my work as being unique to the medium. I have not seen many artists taking mosaic art in this direction. Unlike traditional mosaic, I like my pieces to entertain and delight the viewer.

To begin my work, I will choose a theme or motif that I am interested in. I will develop several sketches before planning the size and shape of the piece. Next, I will pick out the glass and mosaic materials that I will use. I have incorporated rocks, beach glass, driftwood, shells, copper and silver wire, pewter shot, corks, and various other interesting media for different effects.

The next step for me is to cut out the wood and smooth out the edges. Often the shapes and colors are rearranged as I progress to help the piece flow. Grinding each piece of glass is time consuming and tedious. It is definitely not my favorite part of the process. As I put the glass pieces in place, I am excited to see the image begin to emerge. Grouting is done when all the individual tesserae (name for small glass pieces in a mosaic) have been glued. I love to see the work after grouting. I usually will use black grout as it gives each glass piece a clean and finished look. It also gives the glass a stained glass window effect.

Occasionally I help out in one of the galleries where I show my work and it is interesting to hear customers talk about the art works. I am reassured when I hear positive comments from people who do not know my work or me. When people see my work I’d like them to be reminded of fun times and positive experiences they have had.