Chromatic Spring, 36" x 48", framed stained glass mosaic on board https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product/chromatic-spring/
In 2012, I visited Yellowstone National Park for the first time. I spent a week hiking with a good chunk of time visiting lots and lots and lots of geysers. Below is a photo I took of Chromatic Spring which inspired the above stained glass mosaic that I created years after that first trip to Yellowstone.
Until that trip, I've never seen any geothermal activity in person. I was completely awestruck. The colors, the textures, the patterns, the smells - it all intrigued me. Then, throw that among the pristine Yellowstone landscape where bison, grizzlies, wolves and many more animals roam - and I felt like I was in a fairy tale. I was so giddy because I finally made it to America's Park - a dream come true that exceeded my expectations.
Believe it or not, this is just a handful of the geysers I visited and took photos of. There are so many in Yellowstone. It is like a geothermal all-you-can-see buffet. But definitely don't get too close as they are scolding hot and extremely dangerous.
Honestly, it can be difficult to really take it all in because it requires ample time to not become overwhelmed. It is easy to try to hurry to 'see it all' in an afternoon if you didn't plan to love the geysers as much as I did.
Even though I did alot of research leading up to my trip and I knew there would be a lot of really neat geothermal features, I was not prepared for the magnitude of what I would see. These were natural features, the kind that I've never seen before or even really imagined could exist. They were completely new to me and that is what I found especially beautiful, having a completely new experience in the outdoors. It was magical and surreal and euphoric.
The first spot I visited, took way longer to explore than I anticipated. I was completely dumbfounded when I realized that hours passed and there was still an infinite boardwalk of points of interest to explore. After that first day, I must admit, I felt fatigued with seeing too much. I was so happy and tired at the same time - it was amazing.
It was all so cool that I just didn't want to miss any of it. But after that first exploration, I readjusted my pace and tried to take it in slower. I spent a week in Yellowstone and was lucky to have multiple days to visit various goethermal sites and to even try to avoid the crowds which was a sweet bonus.
I look back at these photos and think to myself 'I got to peek inside the Earth - Wow! That was something - what a grand experience.'
Below you can see me working on my version of Chromatic Spring. I got to time travel back to Yellowstone while meticulously choosing each piece of glass to cut and shape into one of the many shapes that came together to create my humble tribute to this magnificent place.
I do feel proud of capturing the feeling of the the textures of the landscape in glass. I love looking at this mosaic. It is eyecandy for my soul <3
