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Last Day of Moving Sale!

July 27, 2016, 4:42 pm
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Below is the most recent Kasia Mosaics art sale! Excited to ship this Yellow Lotus Flower to Arizona tomorrow :-) Today is the final day of our moving sale. Thank you to all of our recent buyers for helping us lighten up our load! Check out what's still available at http://kasiamosaicsstore.blogspot.com/


The Kasia Mosaics Studio is moving at the end of July.  We are trying to lighten our load by having a mega sale on some of the mosaics listed in the store.  This is the biggest sale we've ever had so don't miss your chance to take advantage of the low prices.  Sale ends July 27, 2016.  All work available on a custom, monthly payment plan (buyer receives artwork after making first payment).  Email kpolkowska@gmail.com with any questions. 
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Orange Gazania

August 6, 2016, 9:01 pm
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Orange Gazania Flower, stained glass mosaic on board (framed), 30"x30", 2016 available for sale

Sense of scale - the central part of the design. Those tini pieces of glass are all hand-cut and meticulously arranged.

The hand drawn sketches and preliminary color choices.

Progress.

I was having second thoughts about my original color palette so I laid out a selection of colors I liked for the background to get a feeling for what worked best with the arranged flower.

Progress on the foliage surrounding the flower.  Initially I planned to create a broken glass pattern as the background (seen in the neighboring flowers) but as I took a few days to think about the colors, I also changed my mind about the background pattern.

The mosaic is glued, the tape is peeled and its ready to be grouted!

Grouting. 

A few weeks following the completion of my mosaic gazania, I encountered my first real gazania while walking home from the grocery store.  I couldn't believe my eyes as they flowers looked so exotic and somewhat out of place just growing along the curb of a busy street.  Using my phone, I shot an instagram of one and I think it matches up pretty well with my mosaic rendition - what a fun coincidence.  Seeing it among its leaves also showed me that I made the right call on the color and pattern for the space surrounding the flower. 


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Blue Daisy Tutorial

August 8, 2016, 9:29 am
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Blue Daisy, stained glass mosaic on board, 11"X11" (12"X12" framed), 2016

I've recently added the latest tutorial for the students in my Online Stained Glass Mosaic Flower Class.  It is a 30 minute tutorial specifically for Design 11 also know as a Daisy Flower - there are 12 designs in total for the students to download and to use for their fun, learning projects. The tutorails and the templates are only available to registered students.  


The video specifically focuses on the petals of the flower which due to having continuous curves that make a sharp turn make these cuts more challenging.  This template is a bonus for those students who have created at least one of the other flower designs, have practiced cutting glass and feel confident using the tools.
 

Check out the Online Class Promo Video to get a quick glimpse into what this class entails.
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Maple Leaf Mosaic Tutorial for a Beginner

November 5, 2016, 10:03 am
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I created the demo to introduce and summarize a basic mosaic project for indoor display.  The video below provides visuals for each part of the process as well as tips but does not go into full detailed instructions as its a short tutorial and not a full length class. It can inspire a great first project idea for someone who would like to give mosaics a try but does not right away want to invest in taking a class, in purchasing a whole set of tools and/or dedicating the time to practice using them. 

The FREE maple leaf templates can be download via the Kasia Mosaics Classes website using the provided promo code: leaf. 



The project demonstrated in the above video can be done in a day while giving a beginner a taste of cutting and arranging glass into a pattern and gluing and grouting it. The ‘broken glass’ pattern is created with using just the ‘wheeled nipper’. No other tools are used to shape or clean up the glass. This means that the overall effect is crafty and loose. Having completed the Mosaic Maple Leaf, you will know if stained glass mosaics is the medium for you, if you’d like to learn more and tackle more complex projects!

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The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River

November 17, 2016, 1:47 pm
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Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, stained glass mosaic (framed), 60" x 36", 2016
Available for Sale:http://kasiamosaicsstore.blogspot.com/



In 2012, I visited Yellowstone National Park for the first time. I spent a week hiking, observing and feeling the magic of the park. I took photos as I explored the various landscapes.



I hand picked all the glass for this project, searching out for the right patterns and colors that would evoke the feeling of looking at the details of the canyon walls blending together in the distance.



I hiked along the canyon rim and looked down at the rushing river in the distance. I hiked through the rolling hills, watching the white water flowing through and shaping the landscape around me.


I wanted to show both that lovely turquoise hue that I was fascinated by as well as the strength of the white water.


In the sky I wanted to express light, wispy clouds weaving in and out between a lovely colored blue sky. The canyon walls that shoot down and meet the river are mighty and steep. The water mists them as it runs its course. As it passes, it gives life and creates a unique ecosystem along the canyon walls where moss, shrubs and trees grow.


Looking further toward the waterfall, the details start blending in, the colors are blended creating abstract compositions in this natural landscape. Further above the waterfall, is a forest filled with big trees. Of course from a distance they are tiny, coming together to be a large patch of dark green. But in my mosaic, I chose to highlight them just as the trees that are in the foreground, giving each one just as much value.


The grouting process, for me, is one of the most exciting parts of working on my mosaic art.  It is a that final touch that unifies all the pieces and is a common thread through out the composition.  It is the grand reveal.

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Happy New Year

December 29, 2016, 12:17 pm
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2016 has been a busy year of transition.  The hard work through out the year will pave a way for a very full and creative 2017.  I've moved to a more remote area of Colorado where I have a huge and beautiful studio space.  I have easy access to endless nature as the valley is encircled by mountains, with Sangre De Cristos to the East and the San Juans to the West.  This is a very peaceful and inspirational place where I feel a lot of good energy and excitement to begin working on new projects that I've been busy planning the last few months.  Lots is in the works including a new website strictly for my landscapes, a series of work exploring the landscape of the Yellowstone Region, an outdoor mosaic sculpture collaboration with Kyle Cunniff, a new series of landscapes inspired by my 2015 US Road Trip and more Online Classes for my mosaic students around the world.
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Studio Class in Alamosa, Colorado

January 9, 2017, 10:57 am
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The first Studio Class in my new Alamosa, Colorado Studio is set for February 4-5, 2017! There is an introductory offer: the class is regularly $295 but this first one will be available for $275 and if you sign up with a friend it will go down to $250 for each student. The next class (Spring/Summer) will go up to $325 - still a great deal compared to other similar type workshops that cost $325-$475.  I will most likely only teach a couple more studio classes in 2017 as the year will be busy with a lot of art projects as well as the development of future online classes, so don't miss this class if its been on your must do list!



Kasia Mosaics classes tend to be small, 3-6 students on average, allowing more one on one attention. Learning in an artist studio from a working artist with 10 years of stained glass mosaic experience and a vast portfolio of art work is a unique opportunity. This two day workshop is a valuable for anyone interested in learning a new approach to stained glass mosaics, especially for beginners.  

All the materials including a selection of colorful stained glass, a set of Kasia's project templates, a custom made substrate as well of use of all needed tools is provided for each student. Additionally, every student completes their project in class, having experienced the whole process, gaining the confidence to tackle more mosaic projects at home! 
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Kasia Mosaics Online Class

February 14, 2016, 7:46 am
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Yellow Lotus Flower, stained glass mosaic on board, 11"X11" (12"X12" framed), 2016  ~SOLD
This is one of the designs I've created for my online class.  Besides in-studio workshops, I teach an Online Stained Glass Mosaic Flower Class that focus on my approach to stained glass mosaics.  The class is geared at beginners as well as anyone wanting to try a new technique or simply to get an opportunity to work on some of the designs I've created for this class.  Check out more details here: http://kasiamosaicsonlineclasses.blogspot.com/

Each student receives a packet of 8 flower designs that they get to use during their learning process.  A set of finished mosaic flowers will make an impressive display at home or wonderful and unique gifts for loved ones.

In the class the students get to experience the whole stained glass mosaic process from start to finish at their own pace in the comfort of their home.  The class comes with 3.5 hours of DVD instructions that can be watched at anytime.  I demonstrate how to use the four basic glass cutting tools: a glass scoring tool, running pliers, flathead tile nippers and wheeled nippers while teaching the students how to cut glass for mosaics.  I give many demos including showing how to use my taping technique, how to glue and grout.  Additionally I've recently began adding new demos where I give special tips on each design.  The above flower was created by me while demonstrating how to cut each flower petal as well as how to add leaves to this flower (that can be applied to any of the included templates). 

My students also get to participate in a private facebook learning group where they get to post photos of inprogress projects as well as finished ones and ask questions along the way.  They also receive a couple of useful pdfs. For their first project, I include a custom built frame.  Anyone who wants can add additional frames to their initial order or get those at a later date.  Besides the flower templates, I also offer owl and mandala designs that come with custom substrates.  Those are great for future projects but can also be added to the class order.

Adding leaves - each leaf is hand cut by me.
Working on the background.  Each piece is hand cut and fitted.
The mosaic is glued into a custom oak frame built by my partner Kyle.
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New Mandala Designs

February 6, 2016, 7:29 pm
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 Flower Mandala #5, stained glass mosaic, 15" in diameter, 2016 ~SOLD

Flower Mandala #4, stained glass mosaic, 15" in diameter, 2016 ~SOLD

 
Flower Mandala #6, stained glass mosaic, 15" in diameter, 2016 ~SOLD
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Sunset Over Boulder

February 7, 2016, 9:01 am
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Sunset Over Boulder, stained glass mosaic (framed), 24" x 48", 2016 
Available for Sale: http://kasiamosaicsstore.blogspot.com/ 

Having lived in Colorado since the beginning of 2012 I have seen many beautiful sunsets over the foothills.  Often the really good ones are seen from the car, driving between Denver and Boulder or Boulder and Lyons.  You just sit there and take in that fleeting magical color display.  The mountains change colors.  Everything in the foreground begins to blend in and become one, making way for the show the sun has in stored for you. When surrounded by such beauty, you don't always jump at the photo op, sometimes you just look.  I've seen many incredible sunsets here.  This mosaic is an impression that I carry with me.  I just flip through the many beautiful memories I have and there it is, a compilation of my favorite Boulder View glowing in Blue with bursting sunbeams lighting up the clouds.  This is why so many people fall in love with Colorado.

The mountains are made with Kokomo Glass, hand cut by me.

The trees are also hand cut with those same tools as well as using Kokomo Glass.


The sky is created using Bullseye Glass.

The mosaic is custom framed.
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A Mosaic Matryoshka Doll Collaboraion

January 30, 2017, 12:31 pm
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Johona-Mai, stained glass mosaic sculpture, 48in x 24in x 24in, 2017 by Kasia Polkowska and Kyle Cunniff

Johona-Mai, Navajo for Sunny Bright Flower was named to honor the Navajo Nation who's ancestral land we inhabit.  She was created in Alamosa, Colorado - the land of 'Cool Sunshine'.  To reflect our region, we incorporated Southwestern colors, focusing on the bright blue of our big, clear sky and the warm yellow of the ever present sunshine in the San Luis Valley.  Johona-Mai was sculpted by hand and is adorned in a modern, colorful, hand cut stained glass mosaic pattern. Her form originates from Russia, where the first Matryoshka  Doll was made and has since become a symbol in Eastern European Culture where Kasia was born.  Today the doll has a place in contemporary pop culture around the world. The form of our doll was kept traditional to inspire the nostalgia one often feels when laying eyes on a nesting doll.  The decorative motif highlights the purity of the form with color, pattern and the innocence of a flower often present on traditional dolls but with a contemporary flair.

 Detail of face - all glass is hand cut custom for the doll.


The concept sketches.


The mosaic beginning of the mosaic fabrication with basic hand tools.


The construction of the custom form designed for the doll.


Stacking, gluing, shaping the form.

A section of the mosaic cut, arranged, taped and ready for fitting.


Kyle reinforcing the pink foam form with fiber mesh and epoxy resin. 


Meanwhile, the mosaic is being constructed and tested against the form of the doll


The form is beautifully sculpted and ready to be mosaiced!

 The final fitting and gluing of the dolls face. 


The artists and their dolls, one all finished and the other a work-in-progress.


The fitting, gluing, tape peeling - repeat, repeat, repeat!


The gluing process for a 3d mosaic is much more demanding than our usual 2d work.


More tape peeling and inspecting our glue job.


All the glass on the sculpture is hand cut and shaped by Kasia. 


Getting close to finishing the mosaic aspect of the sculpture.


Adding the last piece of glass to the composition of the doll's scarf and the whole sculpture in general


All glued and ready for grouting!


This final step was exciting for sure!  FYI the doll weighs under 60 pounds.


The grouting process - the black really makes the bright colors pop!


Details of the grouting process.


Grouting the doll was tedious but rewarding.

The doll is adorned in an exquisite pattern that can be admired from any angle.
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Johona Mai - A Glass Mosaic Matryoshka

January 30, 2017, 9:09 pm
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Johona Mai, stained glass mosaic sculpture, 4ft tall by 22"wide/deep, 2017  by Kasia Polkowska and Kyle Cunniff  

Johona Mai set up in Alamosa, among the sagebrush, surrounded by the Sangre De Cristo Mountains

Johona Mai waiting for the sunset.  The photoshoot was set up to highlight Mt Blanca (14,351feet tall) in the background.

The artists, Kasia and Kyle, with the completed collaborative sculpture.  Kyle sculpted the form.  Kasia adorned the form with a hand cut stained glass mosaic.  The artist duo worked on the concept, design and colors together.

Johona Mai set against Mt Blanca watching the sunset over the San Juan Mountains to the West.

Kasia and Johona Mai.  Ever since starting to the concept design for the sculpture in December of 2016, Kasia envisioned taking the doll out to the vast sagebrush fields in the San Luis Valley.  One of Kasia's dreams/future projects is to design and set up a Sculpture Park in the valley.  This will be a collaborative project with artists partner Kyle.  Please email Kasia at kpolkowska@gmail.com if you are interested in supporting this project which is in its early development phase.
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Kasia Mosaics via Bored Panda

February 13, 2017, 6:11 pm
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For an inside look into my work, read I Hand Cut Thousands of Pieces of Glass to Create Beautifully Intricate Imagery 

Excerpt from the article: "While designing new works, I sketch, always striving to create something new and original. I love coming up with new patterns and giving life to funky creatures and inviting environments. For each composition, I carefully hand pick the glass which I then cut and shape into thousands of unique pieces to create each mosaic."
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Kasia Mosaics Via Bored Panda

February 17, 2017, 7:46 am
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For an inside look into my work, read I Hand Cut Thousands of Pieces of Glass to Create Beautifully Intricate Imagery 

Excerpt from the article: "While designing new works, I sketch, always striving to create something new and original. I love coming up with new patterns and giving life to funky creatures and inviting environments. For each composition, I carefully hand pick the glass which I then cut and shape into thousands of unique pieces to create each mosaic."
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Online Mosaic Flower Class

March 7, 2017, 1:05 pm
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I've designed the Kasia Mosaics Online Flower Class for people who would like to learn a new craft while creating something beautiful that can be displayed at home as an attractive art piece or be gifted to a loved one as a special present.


This Online Class is a unique opportunity for students to learn from a working artist but in the comfort of one's home and at one's own pace.  The class covers the entire mosaic process needed to create one of the 12 flower designs included in the class.  Additionally, each flower comes with an option of 2 background designs. Creating even one of the dozen flowers will teach the student the basics needed to jump into their own mosaic projects.  Some students choose to make all 12 flowers, treating the online course as more of a an intensive workshop where they strive to master the basics of glass cutting, including curves and circles.  

This is a full curriculum that can be utilized at its minimum during a quick week where a student creates just one flower or as long as 3 or even 6 months while the student carefully analyzes each lesson and learns via repetitive practice, creating all 12 designs.  Each design has its own special lessons that will help the student develop essential glass cutting and shaping skills.

Students in the online mosaic class gain full instant, lifetime access to the course immediately after registration.  This means you can start learning right away and come back to the course material as often and as many times as needed.  Additionally all student have access to a private Facebook group where they can ask questions and post photos of their progress and their completed class work as well as post class projects.

To register and to read more about the class, visit the Kasia Mosaics Online Class Website  This class is available worldwide with students from across the globe signing up each month!
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Yellowstone - Chromatic Spring Mosaic

March 24, 2017, 1:50 pm
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Chromatic Spring - Yellowstone National Park, a framed stained glass mosaic on board, 36" x 48", 2017 ~Available for Sale
  

In 2012, I first visited Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. I visited many of the geysers and was completely captivated. Seeing them in person was pure magic. Each one was more unique and beautiful than the previous one. Above is a photo I took of Chromatic Spring - one of my favorites.  That is the photo I used as inspiration for this new mosaic.


The beginning stages of the mosaic.  All the glass shapes are hand cut with basic hand tools seen in this photo.  I was working to create an abstract interpretation of the geyser created of a variety of funky, organic shapes that would come together to create an impression of the colorful spring.


The geyser is arranged and taped.  Here I am moving on to working on the tree covered hill in the distance. 


Every single piece of glass in this mosaic is hand cut and shaped by me.  Here you can see one of the many trees I've created to line the hillside behind the geyser.


The clouds are coming along.


Finally the building phase of the project is complete.


Here the mosaic is being sectioned off for gluing.


All glued and ready for grouting!


The unframed mosaic is being grouted.  It will be professionally framed once the process is complete.


The grand reveal!


Close up detail of the glass while the grout is still wet.


Polishing the mosaic, wiping away the remaining grout film.

Chromatic Spring - Yellowstone National Park, a framed stained glass mosaic on board, 36" x 48", 2017 ~Available for Sale
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A Limited Edition Art Print

April 5, 2017, 9:55 am
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Later this Spring 2017, we will be releasing a Limited Edition Archival Art Print of one of my recent landscapes. The chosen mosaic will be professionally photographed for high resolution, crisp image (see details below).


This will be a signed and numbered, archival art print with a frame option. We have not yet decided on the paper but will most likely go with an archival water color paper on which we printed our last print.  Size of the printed image is yet to be determined but it will be medium in size.  Here are the numbers we are considering: A 12"x20", B 12"x24" and C 16"x20".

We'd like to get your opinion on which image is your favorite. We'd also like to see how many people would be interested in the non-framed vs the framed option. A, B or C? You can leave a comment here or vote on facebook where the majority of the voting is taking place or instagram where people are also leaving us input. Thank You All for your input!
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New Landscape Portfolio Website

April 20, 2017, 12:21 pm
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This week I published a new website for my Landscape Portfolio: https://www.kasiapolkowska.com  That will be my primary website for my fine art work.  The Kasia Mosaics Website will still be up as it contains a greater variety of projects from different time periods and functions more as a blog.
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Johona Mai Sculpture Installation

July 17, 2017, 5:28 pm
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On June 2, 2017 my collaborative sculpture, Johona Mai, created with artist Kyle Cunniff was installed on Main Street in Alamosa, Colorado.  Below area  few photos from the installation day.  Our sculpture was chosen to be among 17 pieces in total, all part of Alamos's First Artscape Program.  To see all the other sculptures, visit the City of Alamosa website here: http://cityofalamosa.org/public-art/  This is also where you can vote for the People's Choice Award for your favorite piece.  

Read the article about Alamos's first Artscape here: https://www.alamosanews.com/article/alamosa-launches-first-artscape  Kyle and I were speakers at the event.

Easy transportation from our studio to the install site, 3 blocks down.

She was in good hands - the Alamosa Public Works Crew did a great job.

The sculpture was welded onto a 34" tall base.

Just doing my rounds and making sure that she is positioned onto the pedestal just right =)

John Mai, all set to spend her first evening away from home! 
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A New Kasia Mosaics Classes Template

July 18, 2017, 10:17 am
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This is the latest mandala design I created as a template for the Kasia Mosaics Classes Website. This design is available as a download via the Templates Section of the site which offers mandala, flower, owl and geometric patterns for glass enthusiasts, hobbyists and Kasia Mosaics Students.     
Seen above, the pre-gluing and grouting this new design measures 14.5" in diameter and then 15" in diameter once glued and grouted.  This particular patter is meant for intermediate glass students as it contains very small, harder to cut shapes in the center. 

If you've never worked with glass but would like to build up to being able to create one of the Kasia Mosaics Mandala Designs at home, take a look at the all-level, beginner friendly Kasia Mosaics Online Flower Class.  This class will teach you how to use the tools I use to create all of my mosaic work, it comes with 12 flower project templates, shows the entire process from start to finish with added tips and additional tutorials as well as access to a private Facebook learning group. 
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