The Scarlet Lotus

The Scarlet Lotus, stained glass mosaic, 34.5" x 34.5" (36" x 36" framed), 2015 ~SOLD

A red lotus relates to the heart, it is associated with love and compassion. It is an exquisite flower that easily captivates whomever casts their eyes upon it. In nature it emerges from muddy, murky waters to bloom into a perfectly clean flower. Because of this it has come to symbolize purity and has become a much loved symbol of beauty in various cultures, all having a somewhat different interpretation. What I love about this flower is that it follows the cycle of light, opening up during the day and closing at night – rebirth is a symbol that I am particularly drawn to. 

The lotus flower inspires me to begin each day fresh and clean. Furthermore, it is a sign of enlightenment – breaking through the darkness. I love looking back on times when I broke through the darkness inside, learned something new about life around me or about myself. For me lotus is a beautiful reminder of the potential we have when we open up to the light.

 

Above is a the beginning process of the project.  All of the stained glass in this mosaic is completely hand cut by me using 4 basic hand tools. 

Here you can see the mosaic progressing.  During this stage, I wasn't yet sure if I was going to incorporate the red specs of glass into the background design.

Above is a photo of the grouting process - my favorite part! 

This mosaic is pretty, pretty large! It measures 3ft by 3ft but weighs under 30lbs. It is custom framed and has a hanging wire on the back for easy hanging on a wall, just like a painting.