Pink Dahlia

Pink Dahlia, stained glass mosaic, 17.5" x 17.5" (19" x 19" framed), 2014    
Available for Sale: http://kasiamosaicsstore.blogspot.com/ 

Cutting and Arranging Process:  All the glass in the mosaic is hand cut by me.

Grouting Process

Flower Series Continued ...

Blue Dahlia, stained glass mosaic, 11"x11" (12"x12" framed), 2014
Available for Sale via the Kasia Mosaics Store

 Some of the process ...

Yellow Daffodil, stained glass mosaic, 11"x11" (12"x12" framed), 2014
Available for Sale via the Kasia Mosaics Store

  Some of the process ...

Red Sunflower, stained glass mosaic, 11"x11" (12"x12" framed), 2014
Available for Sale via the Kasia Mosaics Store

  Some of the process ...

Lavender Lotus Flower, stained glass mosaic, 11"x11" (12"x12" framed), 2014
Available for Sale via the Kasia Mosaics Store

  Some of the process ...

Tangerine Gerbera Daisy, stained glass mosaic, 11"x11" (12"x12" framed), 2014
Available for Sale via the Kasia Mosaics Store

 Some of the process ...

Mosaic Flower Workshop

Longmont, Colorado February 2014 

Mosaic Flower Workshop at The Firehouse Art Center in Longmont, CO (Feb.28 - March 2). This will be a three day class where the students will have a choice of a few flower templates which I'm creating especially for the class. No previous mosaic experience or drawing skills needed - I will guide everyone from start to finish and the students will all take home a beautiful and professionally framed flower (frames will be custom made by my partner Kyle).  

 

 

Note: My Lotus Flowers are only used for promotional purposes, the templates I will provide will be similar but the students will not be making that exact flower as its part of my ongoing series.

Purple and Blue Lotus Flower Set

Blue Lotus Flower on Purple, stained glass mosaic, 22" x 22" (23" x 23" framed), 2014    $950   
available for sale: http://kasiamosaicsstore.blogspot.com/

Purple and Blue Combination Lotus Flower, stained glass mosaic, 22" x 22" (23" x 23" framed), 2014    $950  
available for sale: http://kasiamosaicsstore.blogspot.com/

Purple Lotus Flower on Blue, stained glass mosaic, 22" x 22" (23" x 23" framed), 2014    $950   
available for sale: http://kasiamosaicsstore.blogspot.com/

Glass selection.

 

Hand-cutting all the glass petals.

The three flowers coming along.  Deciding on the colors for the centers as well as for the backgrounds.

Hand cutting all the glass circles with my steal flat head tile nippers

Ready to glue!

 Grouting!

 

The Dallas Divide

The Dallas Divide, stained glass mosaic, 16" x 48", 2014   available for sale

In September 2013, Kyle and I were planning a trip to the San Juan Mountains here in Colorado.  Due to the epic flood, being displaced from home for nearly six weeks and all that comes with natural disaster, we had to cancel our plans ... This mosaic is my way of visiting the mountains I dreamed of seeing this fall but couldn't.  Below are a few process shot of the making of "The Dallas Divide".

The beginning ... spontaneously working on a very rough sketch.

The aspens are done; some are created with larger shapes of glass while others are made with individual little, aspen leaf shapes. Now onto the pines, then the mountains and the sky!

Here is a good size comparison of the little, hand carved aspen leaves next to my hand.

Here is one of three sections of pines I added to the composition.  All the little trees are created with the three hand tools seen in the bottom right of the photo. 

Here you can see one of my freehand cut mountains created with the same three tools I used to create all the other shapes in my mosaic.  I carefully scored and carved my Rocky Mountains while hoping that my beautiful glass wouldn't CRACK! My initial plan was to make them of many, many little rocks I'd cut out by hand to depict the very, rocky peaks we have here in Colorado.  Anyone who's climbed some of the big mountains here, knows exactly what I'm talking about - it is pretty mind blowing to experience in person!  But the beauty of the glass I chose for this project altered my plans.  I decided to show the overall impression that all those rocks make together to create the illusion of one solid mountain rather than focusing on the many, many parts that make a whole.   

Here I am using the other half sheet of this awesome glass to start the process of creating the mountains on the left side.

 The blue Colorado sky is coming alive!

 Before sectioning off the taped mosaic for gluing.

Here I am holding up one of the sections before gluing it down.  The the glass tesserae are held together on the face with clear tape - that's why I can hold them up this way =)

 Last but not least, actually my favorite part, is the grouting.  Here I am grouting my mosaics in a sanded charcoal grout.

Fiery Lotus Flower

Fiery Lotus, stained glass mosaic, 11.5" x 11.5", 2014

available for sale: http://kasiamosaicsstore.blogspot.com/

 

 

In this photo I tried to catch some of the light reflecting on the textures of the glass. This effect takes some of the color away so I almost never photograph my mosaics this way as I'm a major color freak So just imagine it a little bit more saturated in the areas where the light hits Hard to capture all the qualities of a glass mosaic in one shot ...

First day back in the studio following the latest near three week hiatus ... so easily I was consumed with new projects ... literally I was being one with the glass that day =)

 The mosaic all cut and arranged before glueing!

Grouting in charcoal sanded grout - my favorite part =)

As 2013 quickly approaches the end, I'm looking back on this year's projects and making plans for the new year. Some of the mosaics I'm planning for 2014 are Colorado and Montana inspired landscapes, a self-portrait, an owl or two, a series of lotus flowers ... mhhh can't give everything away just yet but it will be a busy year for sure Happy New Year to All!

Turquoise Lotus Flower

"Turquoise Lotus Flower", stained glass mosaic, 22" x 22" (23" x 23"), 2013
Available for Sale Via my Online Shop: http://kasiamosaicsstore.blogspot.com/

Here is a look at the beginning stages of the project.

I hand cut all the petals by these three basic glass tools.

 A closer look at the center, created with all hand cut circles.

 The mosaic is all glued and the tape is peeled away.

 Grouting is my favorite part of the process! 

2014 Stained Glass Mosaic Class

As many of you know I will be teaching a Stained Glass Mosaic Class at the Art Garage in Denver at the beginning of next year.  It will be a four week long class for beginners where the students will learn the basics of stained glass mosaics while creating and completing their own, unique compositions. 

.

You can register on the Art Garage Events Page:  http://artgaragedenver.mycustomevent.com/

Please email me with any questions: kpolkowska@gmail.com

 

Sanitas Valley

Sanitas Valley - Spring, stained glass mosaic 24" x 24", 2013   ~SOLD

I've taken lots of photos of Sanitas Valley as I come here often because its pretty close to where I live.  Here in Colorado, there are infinite places to hike around and to challenge yourself going up all the high peaks.  I often like to take the more relaxing path, one like this where I can simply enjoy something beautiful while taking an easy morning stroll taking in a familiar view which I've really grown to love in all seasons and all times of day. This is the photo I chose to base the composition for my mosaic rendition. 

 

Above is the charcoal pencil sketch I created for the Sanitas Valley mosaic series.  This black and white sketch isn't only the basis for my latest mosaic "Sanitas Valley - Spring" but it will also be used to create a winter, fall and summer version, maybe even a night time scene with as starry night sky.

Sanitas Valley is a pleasant and rewarding trail between the  the Hogback Ridge and Mount Sanitas with a perfect view of Green mountain which is one of the high peaks here in Boulder.  It is one of my favorite trails here in town and I visit it often.  From the first stroll down this path, I knew I either wanted to draw this place or to create a mosaic tribute to it.  I've walked here during every season and decided that I wanted to recreate the spring version first.  Day after day I went in spring, waiting to see an abundance of purple flowers ... I had no luck, maybe bad timing.  I saw lots and lots of yellows =)  So I reluctantly decided to go with the yellow flower fields as seen in my sketch above.

Once I had all my concepts ready, I printed out an enlarged version of my sketch.  Once all pieced together, this is where I arrange all my glass - its a map of sorts.

Little did I know that this mosaic was meant to be purple from the start.  When I started laying out my color palette in glass, yellow just didn't make any sense so I decided to wing it and started pulling out my purples.  I took a deep breath and began to create the spring version of Sanitas Valley I wanted from the start.  I live up in the canyon about 30 minutes out of town in the mountains and don't always make it down to the local trails to see all the flowers blossom so I tell myself that I must have just missed the purples =)

Here is a shot of the mosaic all ready for gluing and after it all it turned out exactly as I planned initially - an impression of a crisp early morning in the spring when the ground is turning green in the mountains and the purple flowers are shooting up faster than you could count them.

I picked these grouting photos to share because I wanted everyone to see how the big green mountain is created using iridescent glass which creates wonderful effects in the changing light. Those psychedelic looking pines are actually forest green but when the light catches them right, they shimmer with a rainbow of color. The circles in the sky as well as in the flower fields are also iridescent so they have a similar effect.