Its been a few years since I released my last print sale. So for this Holiday Season, I decided to go all out and currently have 4 Limited Time Options Available. All prints will be shipping in the beginning of December and once they sell out, I don't have a planned future date for adding new print options. Below is the latest addition to the Art Shop "Cascade Canyon" newly released as a 10"x20" giclee print.
Print Specs
- This is an Archival Giclee Print signed by the Artist.
- The Open Edition Print will be available for a Limited Time
- It is 11″ by 21″ (actual printed image size is 10″ by 20″ with a 1/2″
white border all around – this border is typically covered by the mat
of the frame though a frame with no mat can work really nicely as well –
if you are unsure about what frame to order, its a good idea to wait
till you receive the print.)
- It is printed with archival inks on high quality matte paper.
This new print is based of what may be my all time favorite and special
mosaic seen below with me for a sense of scale. The hand cut stained
glass mosaic measured 24"x48" plus the outer hard wood frame. Next you can see the mosaic in a little more detail.
Next I'd like to share some of the inspiration behind this mosaics. It was all gathered on foot on an overnight backpacking trip in the backcountry of the Grand Teton National Park.
In July of 2012, Kyle
and I hiked the Canyon/Paintbrush Loop where the mountain views were
spectacular, especially from our backcountry campsite in the Northern
section of Cascade Canyon near Lake Solitude.
Everything was so lush and green, the wild flowers were blossoming everywhere – the blue and yellow ones stood
out to me the most but the reds and pinks were equally impressive. A
thunderstorm was brewing as we arrived at our campsite so we held our
breath as it roared.
Following
the storm a thick fog rose from the ground to fully cover the tall
peaks and decrease visibility of the scenery. Just as we watched it
rise, we watched the fog fall back to the ground and reveal the
spectacular scenery back to us.
The fog kept coming and going until it
fully dispersed at sunset and we got to enjoy watching the mountains be
bathed in the bright light.
We observed the marmots and the picas and
even saw an antelope run across the meadow. We fished in the lake,
listened to the creek run past our camp as we enjoyed our supper and we
slept under the stars.
This was
one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited and used a variety of
views and aspects that I’ve photographed to design a scene which I
hoped would convey all that I loved about it.
Upon returning home to Boulder, I knew that I had to imortalize this experience in a stained glass mosaic. I did a series of pencil and colored sketches and blew one up to a larger scale and dived right into choosing my glass for what would become my most labor intensive 2d mosaic project.
Then, one by one, I began cutting and arranging the thousands of pieces of glass.
I worked to jam pack this landscape with lots of fun details and textures, really wanting to push myself artistically and to create some thing really special that would reflect the magic and awe inspiring wilderness that I was so lucky to enjoy and explore.
And ofcoure, things got really tiny and really, really slow going. But I had a pretty grand vision for this and it really was a true labor of love. I look back on this mosaic and really don't imagine that I'll ever have the same amount of free time to work on something of this sort as I did in my more carefree 20s and when I was able to work for 12 hours some days, standing the whole time and cutting, tiny intricate shapes that my hands are no longer interested in doing. There is a time and a place for everything. Today, I fondly look back on this mosaic and am very happy and excited to share it as a print with those who have enjoyed my mountainous mosaic landscapes.
I look back on some of the photos of me on this hike, like the one below and then the one above of my hands holding a hand shaped glass circle the size of about 1/8" and it makes me remember why I worked so hard to squeeze in all these tiny pieces of glass into my composition. When I looked down on the surrounding landscape from above, I felt like each healthy, large tree could be meticulously lifted with two fingers, each boulder was a pebble and snow packs were just miniature snowballs =) I love the changing sense of scale while hiking and exploring mountainous landscapes on foot. "Cascade Canyon" for me was a monumental feat and is forever a priceless memory and a reminder of my youth.
Below, is another framing/matting concept for the print. It is not so sharp as I pulled it of my preferred online framing shop. Check our Frame It Easy for custom, yet affordable printing options for this print or any other art you may need to get framed and looking great! If you follow my link, you will get 10% off your order:
Frame It Easy This print is only going to be available in a limited number so don't miss your chance to add one to your collection.
The prints do ship internationally. If you have any questions or problems with your order, email kpolkowska@gmai.com
I
wasn't 100% sure about releasing "Cascade Canyon" as I did just add 3
other Limited Time Prints to my Art Shop for the Holidays. But while
on an Epic Roadtrip in New Mexico last week, seeing our van
against the Organ Mountains helped me make the decision =) It will be
available to anyone who reserves it this week.
Can you tell
that I LOVE this mosaic image?!? A sticker of "Cascade Canyon" has been
on the side of our van for the last 7 years! We installed it back in
2015, while on the Kasia Mosaics US Tour. Maybe you've seen it while we
were traveling the country and teaching mosaic art classes?
I can't believe its been so long already. We met so many wonderful
folks around the country and were hosted by amazing people. Its an
unforgettable experience
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