Alice’s Tea Party
16” x 19”
I found the Alice in Wonderland tea pot at St. Vincent de Paul. It shouted out to be used in one of my 3D mosaics. The teacups and saucers also came from trips to St. Vinny’s. In my imagination, the tea party always took place with a mismatched tea set. The top to the tea pot comes off and if you peek inside, you’ll find it is full of tea, as are the teacups. Time is a very important issue in this story and is represented by the four pocket watches in the corners. The Scrabble letters creating the border spell out a quote from Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll.
Of course, I couldn’t leave out the Queen of Hearts.
If you tour Epic Systems, you will find this mosaic in the Alice building.
Apple
10 ½” x 11 ¼”
The apple is made of blown glass. Hopefully, this one wasn’t poisoned by an evil witch.
If you tour Epic Systems, you will find this mosaic in the Grimm’s Fairy Tales building.
Autumn Tree
You can almost feel the gentle breeze as the leaves fall from this autumn tree.
The mosaic is bordered with discs cut from a branch of one of the maple trees in my yard. I coated the discs with polyurethan to protect them.
Coffee of the Day
These chefs are serving up a brew, just for you.
Cool Beans
12 3/8” x 12 1/4”
These charming little expresso cups would make even someone who doesn’t drink coffee want to try one.
You can almost smell the aroma as the steam rises from the cups.
I Scream
Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream topped off with a maraschino cherry. The Scrabble letters spell “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream” around 3 sides. The tablecloth and background were designed to be reminiscent of Wilson’s Ice Cream in Ephraim, Door County, WI.
My Best Friends are Books
16” x 16”
I love to read and it has always been one of my favorite ways to spend time, although these days working with glass competes with my reading time. The inspiration for this piece came to me while I was having an MRI on my shoulder, which I injured in pursuit of my art. I searched for a long time to find just the right ‘book’ to be used as the centerpiece.
Look for this mosaic in the Wizard’s Academy at Epic Systems.
Queen of Hearts Fireplace
Epic Systems commissioned me to create the Queen of Hearts fireplace. It is located in the Alice building, at the top of the grand stairs. The fireplace surround covers 14 square feet. It took me several months to complete, working at it full-time. The surround includes: 45 hearts, 31 roses, 2 Cheshire Cat smiles, 2 crowns, 4 Drink Me bottles, 3 keys, 1 teapot, 2 cups & saucers, 4 top hats, and 6 pocket watches. I made the playing cards from fused glass.
Rice Bowls I
16 5/6” x 16”
How many times have you scooped up a healthy mouthful of rice with your chopsticks only to have most of it drop back into the bowl? This piece is designed to be a companion to Teahouse I.
The mosaic is framed with Chinese Mahjong tiles.
Sundaes with Toppings
Approximately 12” x 14”
There’s nothing better than an ice cream sundae with all the toppings. These sundaes feature ‘strawberry’, ‘chocolate’, and ‘vanilla’ ice creams. You can see the ‘chocolate syrup’ oozing down inside the glasses. Of course, they’re topped off with a cherry. Choose your toppings from the ones made up on the Scrabble tiles framing the piece. The tablecloth and background were inspired by Wilson’s Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlor in Ephraim, Door County, Wisconsin. Their iconic red and white canopy says ice cream to generations of visitors to Door County.
Swing into Summer
12 1/8” x 14 3/8”
Did you grow up with a rope swing to play on? Maybe it was at the cabin. Maybe it was at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. If you were lucky, it was right in your own yard.
Remember when we were little and we thought that if we jumped off the swing, we’d be able to touch the sun?
Teahouse
16 5/6” x 16”
Look closely at the teacups and saucers in this mosaic and you’ll see beautiful Asian ladies in their elegant attire. This piece is designed to be a companion to Rice Bowls I.
The mosaic is framed with Chinese Mahjong tiles.
The Ruby Slipper
I covered a red ceramic shoe with clear iridescent glass. The light reflecting off the iridescent glass makes the colors change and sparkle. It really looks like a ruby slipper. Gravity was not my friend when making this mosaic. Each tiny piece of glass had to be held in place until the glue dried enough to hold it. You will find this piece in the Oz building.
Tree Tables
14” x 14”
These small occasional tables feature a tree with spring foliage and in Autumn. If you look carefully at the spring tree, you’ll see a nest of cardinals in the branches. Momma cardinal is busy collecting worms in the grass. I made these elements using fused glass. This is a glass-on-glass mosaic with transparent stained glass glued to clear plate glass. Do you see the design reflected on the floor from the sun?
Watering the Flowers I
These tiny little clay pots have gorgeous flowers made of millefiori growing in them. Millefiori means 1000 flowers. The water is made from silver Van Gogh glass. There are tiny bees visiting the flowers and a ladybug on one of the pots.
Watering the Flowers III
12” x 14”
Sunflowers are so cheerful; they always make me smile. Who can resist flowers growing out of these pots?
Take a look inside the pots, where you will find ‘soil’ to nourish the plants. The flowers painted on the pots complement the millefiori flowers. Millefiori means 1000 flowers. It’s important to make sure your thirsty flowers are well watered.