This painting of a sunset at Little Molas Lake near Silverton, Colorado.
Over the years, I have spent many beautiful days and nights camping and
hiking in this special, remote part of Colorado.
This is one of my favorite views from the dispersed camping area at the lake. I love looking at the nearby flaura and fauna with glimpses of the pristine water, the line up of the powerful trees with the beautiful silhouette of the mountains and finally a subtle, colorful sunset that creates a soft vail over the whole scene.
The actual visit to the lake that inspired the painting was in September of 2018, just about a month prior to my first son Ethan, turning 1 year old. This special place can be enjoyed by nature lovers of all ages and abilities. Even though it is in a remote area, it is very accessible during Summer and Fall.
Here is Ethan at 3 years old holding the painting of our special place =)
Angle view in natural light.
Angle view in natural light.
The painting is 12"tall and 24" wide by 2" deep.
Here you can see the side view - the painting is 2" deep.
This is the basic edition of Kasia's popular Online Mosaic Owl Class. That said, its anything but basic.The class is oriented around a learning project designed to give the students a comprehensive understanding of Kasia's stained glass mosaic process from start to finish. The Owl Design is simply used to aid in demonstrating the vast array of lessons and concepts. Plus it makes a lovely souvenir!
A complete beginner is able to easily follow along each part of the mosaic process while mastering this fun approach to glass mosaics while building a strong foundation in this versatile art form. But the class can be enjoyed by any level mosaic artist wanting to improve their glass cutting skills or to try a fresh approach to mosaics.
Students have an option to upgrade to the Extended Online Mosaic Owl Class at any time.
Create Substrates for Small/Medium Indoor Mosaic Projects
There are demos for how to create the owl silhouette substrate as well as an attractive rectangular substrate.
Learn which hanging hardware to use, how to attach it and how to treat the substrate as well as the edges to create a beautifully finished mosaic.
The Owl Project Templates Is Included In The Class
Kasia created this fun, whimsical design specifically with optimal learning in mind. are unique to Kasia's classes. Learning is made easier and more fun when you know you're working on a pattern that has yielded beautiful results over and over.
Mosaic Owls created by Kasia's Students. Students enrolled in the Online Class can purchase additional project templates at 20%off. Additionally any student from this class can upgrade to the extended class by paying the difference.
Learn to Choose a Strong Color Palette
The class has an in-depth lesson on choosing your color palette. It explains how to examine a mosaic design to better approach what some peoples see as an intimidating part of mosaics, something that can sometimes keep folks from getting started. This is just one of the many supplementary color diagrams from that lesson. Kasia likes to uses imagery to help students understand the concepts she uses in her own mosaic art. So there are lots of color swatches in this lesson that don't just address the glass but the grout as well.
Use Hand Tools to Precisely Cut Glass for Mosaics
The class includes tutorials, demos and practice exercises for how to work each of the 4 basic hand tools Kasia uses to create all of the fun glass shapes in her mosaic art. Additionally, Kasia demonstrates how to use the 4 different types of glass scoring tools popular among mosaic artists.
You only actually need two of the basic tools for precision glass cutting: a glass scoring tool and running pliers thought the flathead tile nipper is very handy in shaping small circles as well as smoothing out any glass edges that were not cut as well as you'd like it to be but you'd like to salvage them.
Learn Precision Glass Cutting For Mosaics
Kasia designed the class project with teaching precision glass cutting in mind. She demonstrates how to create stencils, how to properly position and trace the shapes onto glass for optimal success in scoring and breaking. She includes not just do's but also don'ts. Students get to see the techniques used practically and can follow along with their own project.
Kasia applies the same glass cutting theories to her non-template based mosaics. But the class project allows for learning through repetition which is ideal for learning any new skill and can be further applied outside of this class to any future project.
Arrange and Fit Glass Into a Mosaic Composition
The students work on top of the provided template. Kasia demonstrates arranging the glass, giving tips on how to get the best results. There is more to consider than one may realize. The taping method also know as the front-mounting technique will is covered in detail - this is a favorite technique with the students as it allows for more fluid work, there is no need to stop to glue one piece at a time and to interrupt the creative process.
The Front Mounting Technique For Glass Mosaics
Many beginners glue their mosaic projects one piece at a time. This can be very tedious, messy and interruptible to the creative process. The front mounting technique for stained glass mosaics, more commonly known as the tape method, makes the whole mosaic process much more enjoyable and less time consuming. You get to work on your mosaic without the pressure of gluing as you work. This technique also allows you to change your mind and to edit your project as you make progress.
Glue A Taped Mosaic in One Step
Learn how to transfer the taped mosaic onto substrate for gluing. For a project this size, it quick, clean and easy! No more gluing one piece at a time =)
Grout Your Mosaic for a Beautiful, Finished Look
Learn about choosing your grout and how to grout your project.
BONUS: Interact with Students from All Over the World
All Online Students receive access to a private Facebook Group where they can ask questions and to share photos of their work. Kasia visits weekly and always gets back to all questions. Other veteran students also offer advice from years of experience at this point - Kasia has been teaching Online Mosaic Classes since 2015.
What You'll Need to Get Started
Please take a look at the Free Preview of the Needed Materials in the Table Contents of the Class - this is near the bottom of this page. There is a complete outline of suggested materials and tools you will need to create and indoor project. Included are some links to the harder to find items. There is a separate resource list visible only to the online students.
How to Register
This 3 minute video will walk you through setting up a student account and class registration. Remember to save your username and password as that is your key to the class.
Once you register for the class and your order is processed by Kasia Mosaics, you will receive a Welcome Email as well as an invite to the class facebook group page. Both will be emailed to the email address associated with the paypal account used to purchase the class. If you would like this info to be sent to a different address, please notify us after you register.
The Class Table of Contents
Visit the class page on the Kasia Mosaics Classes website to see the table of contents for the class - linked below. The class material is documented in detail and is divided into parts and lectures that consist of videos, supplementary written lessons and photos. Students are encouraged to first follow the class in the order of the Sections and Lessons for best results and upon completion to refer back to specific lessons for refreshment. The class project template is well as the bonus template are also included as a pdf downloads.
Once enrolled in the class, students have a lifetime access to all the class material and project template from anywhere in the world.
This painting is of the view from the Emerald Lake Hike in the Rocky
Mountain National Park in Colorado. The scene is one of my favorites in
the park. It is the view of Hallet Peak and Flattop Mountain seen from
the frozen Dream Lake along the snowshoe trail I hiked many times. You can also say that its the view from Emerald Lake below because it is pretty much the same =)
Above is a photo of me and my partner Kyle at the end point of the hike standing on frozen Emerald Lake. This is the third and last lake along this lovely hike. For those wanting to give this pleasant winter hike a go, here is a link with more info: https://www.theoutbound.com/colorado/snowshoeing/snowshoe-to-emerald-lake
I brought out the sketchbook and graphite to get ready for this painting. I had lots of fun with
reliving one of the views along the Emerald Lake Hike in Rocky Mountain
National Park through my pencil. This scene is from the crossing of
frozen Dream Lake which is so beautiful in the winter. I loved
hiking/snowshoeing this very pleasant trail when we lived in Boulder and
miss it.
Wintry Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain, graphite on watercolor paper, 12″x12″
The painting is custom framed in a hardwood, gallery type floating frame
made of oak, stained in ebony black and finished in semigloss.
Here you can see the painting outside, lit up by natural warm sunlight.
Here is an angle view of the painting that highlights the gloss varnish that I applied to it.
Its fun to look back on hiking at Emerald lake through my photos and then to look at Kyle holding the painting and to think that this is a real place that we've been to and not just a fairytale. It is so beautiful in real life and I feel that it was a privilege to have been there, more than ones and in all seasons of the year. Winter though might offer the most unique view that really feels otherworldly. That's why I wanted to paint it.
My partner Kyle is holding the painting up, showing a sense of scale. This painting is 30"x30" making it a pretty nice size.
Chromatic Spring, 36" x 48", framed stained glass mosaic on board ~SOLD
In 2012, I visited Yellowstone National Park for the first time. I spent a week hiking with a good chunk of time visiting lots and lots and lots of geysers. Below is a photo I took of Chromatic Spring which inspired the above
stained glass mosaic that I created years after that first trip to
Yellowstone.
From all the geysers and springs I got to enjoy in Yellowstone, I feel like this one really lent itself to becoming a mosaic. It encompassed the colors I loved and hinted at the textures that drew me in, plus it was set against a forested hill which for me really tied the whole composition together.
Until that trip, I've never seen any geothermal activity in person. I was completely
awestruck. The colors, the textures, the patterns, the smells - it all
intrigued me. Then, throw that among the pristine Yellowstone landscape
where bison, grizzlies, wolves and many more animals roam - and I felt
like I was in a fairy tale. I was so giddy because I finally made it to America's Park - a dream come true that exceeded my expectations.
Believe it or not, this is just a handful of the geysers I visited and took photos of. There are so many in Yellowstone. It is like a geothermal all-you-can-see buffet. But definitely don't get too close as they are scolding hot and extremely dangerous.
Honestly, it can be difficult to really take it all in because it requires ample time to not become overwhelmed. It is easy to try to hurry to 'see it all' in an afternoon if you didn't plan to love the geysers as much as I did.
Even though I did alot of research leading up to my trip and I knew there would
be a lot of really neat geothermal features, I was not prepared for the
magnitude of what I would see. These were natural features, the kind that I've never seen before or even really imagined could exist. They were completely new to me and that is what I found especially beautiful, having a completely new experience in the outdoors. It was magical and surreal and euphoric.
The first spot I visited, took way longer to explore than I anticipated.
I was completely dumbfounded when I realized that hours passed and
there was still an infinite boardwalk of points of interest to explore.
After that first day, I must admit, I felt fatigued with seeing too much. I was so happy and tired at the same time - it was amazing.
It was all so cool that I just didn't want to miss any of it. But after
that first exploration, I readjusted my pace and tried to take it in
slower. I spent a week in Yellowstone and was lucky to have multiple days to visit various goethermal sites and to even try to avoid the crowds which was a sweet bonus.
I look back at these photos and think to myself 'I got to peek inside the Earth - Wow! That was something - what a grand experience.'
Each new geyser I walked up to seemed more intriguing than the last one. It really was pretty
overwhelming for the senses and for the brain to wrap itself around what it was seeing. It was definitely not possible to capture in photos but ofcourse I still took some and am so glad that I did because I would not have believed what I saw if I didn't have these to look back on.
4 million people visit Yellowstone National Park each year and I was one of them. It is a place that has so much to offer and it attracts visitors from across the globe. Everyone takes away their own special memories and hopefully leaves inspired to be a better stuart to our powerful yet fragile planet.
Its been years now since I've visited the park but looking back at these images, I long to go back and to once again be amazed by these sights in person. I may have to wait a few years though for my little boys to be old enough to safely take in the grandeur of Yellowstone. These funky, colorful holes in the earth are so attractive, that I imagine it would be a mission to keep the boys from trying to run up to them so we'll wait a bit =)
Below you can see me working on my version of Chromatic Spring. I got to time travel back to Yellowstone while meticulously choosing each piece of glass to cut and shape into one of the many shapes that came together to create my humble tribute to this magnificent place.
I do feel proud of capturing the feeling of the the textures of the landscape in glass. I love looking at this mosaic. It is eyecandy for my soul <3
Chromatic Spring is a hand made stained glass mosaic, custom framed in a deep gallery style float frame created with hard. It is 36" by 48" in size and is ready to hang on any wall like a painting.
As
part of the sale, I am offering Free Crating and Shipping within the
continental US. The mosaic purchase is available on my custom monthly
payment plan. After the first payment, the mosaic is shipped to the
collector who then makes the remaining payments till the art is fully
paid for while getting to enjoy it in their home. Email kpolkowska@gmail.com with questions/inquiries.
Currently the prints are 20%Off with 2 Free 'Bear Witness' vinyl stickers plus get Free Shipping for the Holidays in the US. You can also save 10% on your frame and matting at Frame It Easy by following the link in my Art Shop (linked above)
My 'Bear Witness' stickers than can also be purchased separately: https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product-category/art-prints/ These are durable, vinyl 4"x4.75" and brightly colored. I only have 5 of the iridescent ones left (these are also a limited run).
Each print is hand signed and numbered by me.
The prints are of a mosaic that I created as a gift for my first born son back in 2017.
Here is my son Ethan next to one of the prints. He was just a few months old here.
Here is Ethan with a framed version of the print. He is close to 2 years old here.
And here is Ethan holding one of my last prints next to his mosaic bear in his room.
Autumn Sunset at Little Molas Lake
Angle view in natural light.
The painting is 12"tall and 24" wide by 2" deep.
