Standardized Colour Systems

'Channeling Kandinsky'

Glass Mosaic Mirror 24"x32"

Tempered glass mosaic over a painted background,

by Smash Glassworks

I'm admittedly a huge fan of the painting that inspired this piece: 'Concentric Circles' by Wassily Kandinsky.  I have a large print of it in my workspace and it's been the wallpaper on my phone for as long as I can remember.  So, it's no great surprise that I developed this mosaic pattern.  I've used it in several mirrors and even as a tabletop.  I've punched up the colours and made the concentric circles more 'circular', but it's a fairly obvious derivation from the original painting. 

So, when a client asked me to recreate this mirror at several times the scale of any previous version, I was thrilled. The other aspect of customization was to finish the frame in a specific shade of blue (Benjamin Moore Athens Blue), to match their existing decor.  Easily done.

In order to make the colours hang together with the trim, the Athens Blue was substituted in a few strategic places in the mosaic background.  

Standardized colour systems allows me to adapt new and existing designs to specific colour palettes.  It's a pleasure knowing that before a piece is even delivered, it will match perfectly with the client's existing colour scheme.  

Channeling Kandinsky

Kandinsky's 'Concentirc Circles' forms the basis of the colour scheme in my studio space.  I've always had a strong attachment to this painting, and while my copy is admittedly only a well-mounted print, it has managed to hold my attention for many years - far outlasting the Dali phase of my salad days.  (Melting clocks were cool and trippy for a while, then it just got weird.)

It's striking to me - because at first glance, it seems somewhat rudimentary - like a child could paint it.  Then one starts looking at the unusual colour choices.  They're brave ones, even to someone like myself, who doesn't shy away from bold color combinations.  And while shapes are familiar and easy on the eye, the blending of these is brilliant.  My admiration for this painting has inspired this shamelessly derivative collection of glass mosaic pieces I call 'Channeling Kandinsky'.

I decided that my 'tempered glass fragments over a painted background' technique would be the best choice to do justice to the original.  Although I've seen other artists capture the essence of this piece in stained glass very admirably, I wanted to emulate the colour and the blending, rather than seek to copy the painting. Futhermore, as always, I wanted the pieces to have function, as well as form, so I decided to emulate the painting style to accommodate application to household items: coasters, a mirror, and a table. 

In order to make it work, I've punched up the original colours to ensure adequate definition shows through the clear glass mosaic surface.  My circles are more uniformly round for the same reason.  Additionally, the grout lines that separate the individual glass fragments have been gilded with gold metallic powder to make the bright colours pop.

The Mighty Jungle

Mosaic Mirror

The theme for this mosaic mirror frame has been in my mind for some time.  As I began drawing the various jungle elements to be included in the design, it became clear that this project needed to be done on a relatively large scale in order to accommodate the desired level of detail.  (Finished size is 24" x 35").  Even still, it was necessary to investigate some new techniques in shaping the individual glass pieces, considering that some of the details are so small and many of the cuts were too challenging for more orthodox methods.  You can read about some of my discoveries in the latest addition to this blog called 'Tips and Tricks'.  (This new page has been created to serve as a resource for stained glass artists and to answer some of the 'how' and 'why' questions I receive.  The intention is to continue adding to it over time.)

The 'Mighty Jungle Mirror' is comprised of over 750 individual glass pieces in a fairly wide variety of colour, texture and reflective quality.  Since this piece will not be lit from behind, I've used mostly opaque glass in order to make the colours lively.

Detour into Art Nouveau

As requested by my sister.


Mirror Frame: Blues with orange accents. Style: Art Nouveau. Finished size: 12" x 14".
- Posted from my iPhone

Tropcial Influences

Mosaic Mirror

I went a little outside the 'comfort zone' in this latest mosaic mirror.  I probably bent a few rules in terms of the colour combination, but I suspect I was being influenced by the changing weather.  I've never been a big fan of the cold months and with winter on the way, I think the colour schemes one might find in the Caribbean might have been worming their way into my process.

Bewteen the Lines

Mosaic Mirror

The design for this project was inspired by a photograph of a Moroccan window grate.  While the shapes represented by the stained glass pieces are often the primary focus of a mosaic, in this case, the emphasis is on the negative space.  Put simply, the jet-black grout between the glass segments forms the basis of the design, while the diagonal gradient of coloured glass fills in the blanks.  The patten applied to this mirror has been offset to give the impression of having been cropped out of a larger mosaic.

The dimensions are 26cm X 26cm.

Byzantine Influences

I've long been drawn to the Byzantine mosaic found scattered throughout the old world, some of which I have seen in person and others based on the snippets available on the web .  (Granted, it's not  quite the same thing, but one gets an impression.) The complexities of the patterns and the ability to use colour to emphasize or draw out different shapes hidden within the pattern ensure that the eye never gets bored.  Although the colour palette is more modern in this recent project, my goal was to emulate some of the more common floor and wall patterns I've come across in this ancient style.

The finished piece is a framed wall mirror, measuring 26 cm x 26 cm.

Inspiration from the Film Industry

My other half works in special effects in the film industry and from time to time, when a production is wrapped, certain set props are designated for disposal.  Sometimes, these objects are offered to the film crew who are striking a set.  

On one such occasion, a large mirror in a plain wooden frame, (well constructed, I might add), was dragged home and presented as 'something I could use for my glass'.  Nice score, and a good call considering it was a choice between the mirror or a large house plant.  (The plant would have been nice, but not nearly as fun - from my point of view.)  It took some weeks of looking at the mirror, but I knew there was a project in it.

So. the result is one of my more conservative efforts.  The mirror frame was simple I felt it called for a simple mosaic to make it interesting, but not overwhelming.  After all, a mirror is supposed to be more about what you see in it, than around it.