The Artist

dabbled in mosaics years before, and now I plunged in again with renewed interest and energy—-but this time I brought new strengths: years of study in art history, experience in graphic design and interior design, a high standard of craftsmanship honed by an earlier stint in the pottery studio, and my professional background in marketing and retail advertising.

A basement studio was set up in short order, and soon I was stocking up on opaque stained glass and scouring flea markets and yard sales for antique dishes and interesting forms to cover in mosaic. The materials themselves were a source of inspiration.

Each piece of glass was alive with color and texture.

Rhonda in her studio

…and the vintage plates—each one a lovely memory of a family’s history— presented infinite possibilities for experimenting with color, texture, and pattern mixing.

Best of all, the work was so much fun! A puzzler from way back, I loved the process of drawing in mosaic, of piecing together a design composed of fragments of glass or china no bigger than a fingernail.

As I studied the mosaics of the classical world, as well as the work of contemporary mosaic masters, my creative sensibilities were ignited. Everywhere I looked I saw motifs and patterns I could interpret in mosaic. Over the course of two and a half years, as I completed piece after piece, my technical proficiency grew and I began to tackle projects that presented more complex design challenges.

Finally the day came when I made the jump from hobbyist to full-time mosaic artist. My first commercial endeavor—a line of mosaic mirrors—was marketed to local craft galleries and home decor stores, and Mosaic Mountain Arts was on its way.

I am proud to be a member of The Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA). One of my mosaic mirrors was featured in the SAMA International Juried Exhibit of Mosaic Art in Miami, Florida, January - February 2003. Another piece, Meditating Woman, was selected for SAMA's juried show held January 15-April 4, 2004 at the Museo ItaloAmericano, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, California. A third mosaic, November 3, 2004: Darkness Descends, was featured in SAMA's 2005 exhibition at the Ellipse Art Center in Arlington, Virginia, held March 17 - June 4, 2005 in conjunction with the society's annual conference in Washington, DC.