More Tile!

As I posted earlier, I have been working on a series of tile plaques. This one I made as a gift for the lady who gifted my dear, sweet mare to me. Last week's loss has devastated me, but I know I am not the only one who is hurting. (see gloryofthewind.blogspot.com)

My heart flies with Riyah still, as I know that her spirit lives on.

I know there are other Angel Horses out there, too.

These two petroglyph hangings depict actual Utah rock art. I have three more tile plaques in the works, but I'm trying to space them out with other mosaics so my hands don't end up too calloused from the tile nippers!

$48 each

Horse of a Different Color

This mare and her foal are definitely horses of a different color. This mosaic was inspired by the incredible art of the late Laurel Burch who made the world a more colorful and vibrant place.

This was a fun piece to work on and I let it happen as it would--not a lot of real forethought--just went with the flow. I do definitely prefer working with glass over tile, and the blue and green glass were works of art all on their own. I couldn't bring myself to cut the green into pieces, so I kept it as intact as possible to keep the beauty whole. Glass is just so cool. Actually a solid liquid--go figure that one out!

I love the femininity of the mare and the cockiness of her bright-eyed colt. In someone's world there very well may be horses of these colors!

$195

I have been working on a few fun projects this week. I am doing a series of tile "petroglyph" type mosaics, and they look awesome! I haven't done much with ceramic tile in the last few months and my hands can tell! I am redeveloping my callouses and my forearm muscles with my tile nippers! It's fun though. So what if I end up with Pop-eye arms. Or arm, since I am strictly right-handed! I have lots of floor tiles and it's fun to nip away at them!

$48

I started a small experimental piece the day before yesterday, wanting to see if I could manage to convey sunlight on a horse in a small image. The smaller the image the harder shading becomes since the glass pieces tend to get tinier and tinier. This glass horse mosaic is 8" inches in diameter. ($65) I finished the horse and the background and grouted it yesterday. Then I entered it in the county fair this morning! (Not because I think it is necessarily one of my best pieces, but because it is small and new.) I also entered the glass transom "Mountain Morning" as well as the two petroglyph horses. The horses are for display only, but at least mosaics will get a showing.

Here it is...the sign over the studio door. This will be a great test of the polymer modified thinset! I want to know it outdoor mosaics in Utah can hold up to our harsh temperature extremes. I hope so! I have several other "tests" going on as well, including a little tile horse in my rock garden. Ceramic tile (porous!) is asking for trouble with the snow and ice we get all winter, but I need to know if it will stick. If it's still there this time next year I will be amazed!

More on that next time.....

Studio Sign!

Well, I guess it's about time. I have finally created a studio sign. Haven't got it hung yet, but I will mount it above the door to my studio tomorrow. Salt Creek Mosaics has been around for four years now, and I'll finally look official!

This is a pieced-together version of the sign--three pics merged into one. I'll post a better one tomorrow when it is in place. This at least will show some detail.

A Bump In Life's Road

Things are slowing down somewhat from the last few weeks and I am hoping to get some serious studio time. So many projects in my head and not enough time to get them done! I am currently working on a permanent mosaic sign for my studio. May actually even get completed this week! Ha! Like I would seriously even consider predicting that, since road bumps always get in the way!

My beautiful sweet endurance mare has been diagnosed with an OCD bone chip in her hock and will have surgery the week after next. Ouch on the pocketbook. Sigh. I am listing several mosaics at rock bottom prices in hopes of raising the money to help pay for this very expensive procedure. She is young and healthy and I feel she has every good chance of a strong recovery, so I am going forward with this. Prayers and positive thoughts our way are appreciated. Also, please pass this link to all your friends. (Also see www.gloryofthewind.blogspot.com for more details.)

My Mare Misty $150

Horse of Color $75

Bottled Dreams $75

Desert Sand $95

Afternoon Shade $175

Summer Fun

OK, my last post showed the newest "transom arch," but I decided I should show the first transom arch I made also. I finished this one a couple of months ago. It's entitled: "Morning, Noon, and Night." Those who know me well will understand that I have often been accused of having horses on the brain morning, noon, and night. This is not strictly true. I also have mosaics on the brain as is aptly proven here. This fantasy depiction shows three silver horses galloping through a glassy sky sparkling with mirror glass and shiny gems. It is designed to fit above a doorway (preferably the one closest to the barn!) $175

Finally we have a house number! We have lived here for a year now, and we are formally identified at last! No more explaining to UPS men and friends how to find our house without a number. It's there and it's visible. Just wait till my studio has a proper sign!

I finished my second "mosaic transom" this week. It's an arched stained glass mosaic designed to be attached to the wall above a door like a true transom window. Of course it's opaque so no light shines through, but it is still beautiful. (Hey, if anyone out there would like a glass-on-glass mosaic for your real transom window, just let me know!) I didn't actually care for this piece very much until it was finished. The grout just pulled it all together and I like it very much. So much that I'm thinking it needs to hang in my house! (At least until sold!)($175) The glass colors are stunning together, and it looks very natural. The photos don't pick up the glossiness of the glass, or the true reflective colors, either, unfortunately. Oh, well, take my word for it: this piece really shines!

I'm off to finish the house number plaque for our mailbox today. I have tons to do this week regarding my oldest daughter's wedding and my youngest daughter's doctor's appointments, but I do so want a house number!

I have finished the glass and tile table I was working on at last! This has been a great creative learning experience with extra-special interest to me.

Using a double-reverse process really stretched my brain! Trying to work in reverse is bad enough, but doubling the confusion was even more challenging! But it worked: the different thicknesses of the tesserae required this method, and the finished table is smooth and level. I had never worked with unglazed ceramic tile before, but in the process of creating this table I discovered it's a fun, easy tile to work with. I love the color range available, the tiles cut easily, and the matte finish compliments the reflective qualities of glass perfectly. You will definitely see more of these tiles in my upcoming work.

I presented this table to its new owner earlier this week. She loved it, and I am so glad. I have to explain that although this table was a commission piece, but I wasn't paid in cash. We had worked an exchange deal on a horse. The owner gifted the horse to me, but Judy sent her to the trainer for her first 30 days in exchange for the table. I actually brought the horse home from the trainer's in December of last year, but was unable to work on the table until my frozen studio thawed out this spring, so I was a little behind on the payment. Sorry, Judy! Anyway, it was a happy exchange for all involved. The previous owner is happy that her horse has a good home, Judy is happy with her new table, and I am ecstatic with my new horse, Glory Al-Riyah. She is a beautiful young bay mare, who I adore. We are having a good time together, training and working toward a long partnership and endurance career. (see Riyah's blog: www.gloryofthewind.blogspot.com)

I am in the "complicated" process of grouting the table I have been working on. This entails each section being pre-grouted, cleaned, flipped, and carefully placed into the thin-set coated Hardi-backer. I then soak the backing paper off, sponge the tiles clean, and prepare to repeat with the next section. It really is quite complicated, but it seems to be working out nicely. I finished laying the top today, so tomorrow night I will be able to re-grout the entire table top. I will leave it to cure for a few days before I finish the edge. I do believe it's going to look nice!

I spent a few hours this afternoon working on the coasters for the grout study. Since the weather has remained nasty, I set up a wet space in my studio. It actually worked well and I didn't make a huge mess. And it was relatively warm, too!

For the coasters I used the same unglazed porcelain tile and stained glass as I used on the table. I mixed up a batch of thin set and then my first grout sample which was charcoal. After pre-grouting and cleaning the lizard mosaic, I spread thin set on the tile base. I also back-buttered the mosaic with thin set to even out the difference between the tile and glass thicknesses. After aligning the mosaic on the tile, I laid another larger tile over it and tapped carefully with a hammer to set the mosaic into the thin set. I then wet the backing paper and peeled it off a few minutes later. The mosaic was then carefully cleaned again to remove excess grout. When the thin set and grout have had time to set (a couple of days) I will re-grout the top surface. The grout colors are charcoal, natural grey, and tan. As expected, I like the charcoal best. The natural grey simply mutes the whole thing. Tan looks good. I could actually consider that one also. I'll make the final decision tomorrow. I'm ready to get the table finished!

All the rainy weather we are having is getting in the way of me finishing this table! I am ready to get into the "wet phase"-- thin set and grout, but it is too cold and wet to work outside. My studio is warm with the space heater cranked up, but it's hard to do the water work in there. I may have to commandeer space in my husband's shop. I could fire up the wood stove and be nice and toasty. Who would think it's the end of May? It feels like March.

I have made a set of coasters to match the table. I will use these to do a grout study and determine the grout color for the table. I love to use charcoal (almost black) grout, but I won't decide for sure until I see the finished coasters. Will post pictures when I get them done.

I spent a good part of the afternoon in my studio (space heater on HIGH!) since it was cold and stormy outside. I do get more done in the studio during bad weather; in good weather I spend most afternoons with my horses! I am now at an impasse with the table, though; I do not have the tile I need to finish. I have placed an order for several shades of blue unglazed porcelain---I just hope I like the color. It's hard to order on-line when I can't hold the tile and see the colors in person. It will be a week until delivery.

I still need to make several grout samples. To do this I will mosaic a set of four coasters. They will have the same tiles/glass/colors as the table, but I will use four different grouts--one on each. This will help me determine which grout will look best. I usually prefer very dark grout in my pieces, but sometimes other colors work better. We'll just play around and make a set of coasters to go with the table.

The St. George Arts Festival was spectacular! Wow! My husband and I went down to the Festival and spent several hours looking at the incredible works of the talented and gifted artists represented there. Paintings, photographs, sculptures, woodworking, ceramics (Yes, I did make a couple of small purchases!), jewelry, stained glass, fused glass, and one mosaic booth. I can't list them all, but it was so worth the trip down to see everything.

The mosaic booth was great--mostly mosaicked mirror frames in geometric patterns using cut stained glass as tesserae. I liked their choice of colors, although I do not really care for the very reflective iridescent glass they used in many of the frames. (It reminds me of the color of gasoline on water.) I prefer looking into glass--most stained glass has real depth and an inner dimension that the iridescent glass just doesn't have. I did think this husband/wife team had several very elegant pieces. All of their pieces were very similar (mirrors) though, and I like to see more variation. They did have two vases (still geometrics) that were nice.

We loved the Arts Festival. I am considering applying for acceptance next year. It would be a big step for me, but one I feel I should take. I need to pursue a more aggressive marketing strategy so that I actually turn a real profit. Of course, I also need to frost-proof my studio so I can work year round! I did not like having to take the whole winter off this year. I certainly learned something about my new space--it needs mucho insulation!!

My studio is a great place to hole up and work without distractions. I can make a mess, leave it and go in the house to fix dinner, and not worry about the glass shards on the floor or the tools left out. It's great.

I am currently working on a 30" diameter commissioned table. It is for an outdoor covered patio in Southern Utah. I am about 3/4 of the way through laying the tiles and glass. I am using a reverse method since the glass and unglazed porcelain tiles are not the same thickness. It's a big project, fun too, as this is the first time I have used the unglazed porcelain. I love it! It's fairly easy to cut and the colors are perfect for this table. The non-reflective quality of the porcelain really sets off the reflective qualities of the glass. I will post more later about this project!

Welcome to Salt Creek Mosaics! It is here I hope to share a few of the creations that come from my studio, Salt Creek Broken Arts. I will post thoughts on my art, sources of inspiration, techniques, successes, and marketing strategies. I plan to frequently add photographs of new and past works as well as works-in-progress.

I love what I do and I'm happy to be able to share some of the fun! Working with glass and tile feeds my desire for tactile work. I love the feel of the various textures in my hands-glass, tile, the tools, grout. I used to do lots of fiber and textile arts for the same reason. I find that the glass and tile colors and textures are stimulating and enticing to work with. The challenge of the technical aspect is exciting, too!

Buying glass is great fun! Occasionally I plan a project and then shop for and purchase the glass or tiles I need. More often, I buy a particular sheet of glass or a tile because of its own intrinsic beauty. I often find that a certain glass will cry out to be included in a particular project; often my plans will take dramatic turns within the course of the creation of a piece depending on the feel I get from my materials.