I guess the best way to describe why I do what I do, is
through my love for my own horses. That
saying "The outside of a horse is the best thing for the
inside of a man" is so true. If you ask anybody
that owns a horse, it's its own addiction.
Even if you have as many horses as you can possible
handle, you will still always be ready at a moments
notice to hop in your truck (with trailer in tow, just
in case)
and go look at a "fabulous, been there, done that"
horse. Because, you just might perhaps
possibly squeeze one more horse into your life, pasture
or wallet.
Since I grew up with horses I thought the next step was
to bring a horse into my own children's lives
But, since I have 3 little poopsies I couldn't possible
ask them to share. So, as all guilt ridden
mothers do, I brought home 3 to start the cycle of our
horse habit. We now own 8 total, 2 of those are
mini's, so they don't really count as real horses, they
are more like a large dogs. That is what I keep
telling myself.
I did manage to keep two of my children riding almost
everyday, and convince my husband that he loves to ride
also. If you want to see what my kids do
with their horses that consume our summers go to
www.ehcapa.com We are very proud of them and have a
great time traveling with our kids and the Eh Capa team.
I guess I have always somewhere deep inside me had an
artistic gene that needs to burst out and create.
It first showed itself as a painting business doing Faux
Finishes and Murals, then in painted furniture and by
playing with oil paintings. By accident, I
discovered that I really enjoy working with glass and
tile shards, mortar, glue and grout. In
doing glass mosaics I get to do all the things I love to
do. Create a design, pick a style and size, add a
special flair to make it unique to that person or place
and find the perfect color of glass or tile to capture
the essence of the subject.
The
process: idea to beauty
It starts
with an idea for an image or pattern. A scene or image
that caught my eye, or something new that popped into my
imagination. Sometimes someone comes to me and asks me
to do a glass collage of a favorite place or horse or
something to remember the great times their kids are
having with their horses.
I then
make several trial sketches, playing with the
composition of the image until it suits me and the
person requesting the special piece of artwork.
I sift
through my extensive stock of colorful glass, looking
for just the right colors to bring the image to life.
If things work out right I won’t have all the colors I
need or a need a particular, new color and I get to
visit the glass shop – one of my most favorite places to
go.
The sketch
is transferred to the base, a very flat, stiff, sturdy
material that is waterproof so that it stays flat and
straight when the wet grout is applied around the
glass.
Then comes
the step that gives a GiddyUp Mosaic its most unique
character, the images is partitioned into many, many
sweeping curves, flowing shapes that give life and
movement to the image.
The
numerous glass pieces that make up the collage are then
each individually and painstakingly cut to match the
shapes laid out. They are permanently affixed to the
base, leaving space between them for the grout.
Grout is
applied to fill in the spaces between the brightly
colored glass shapes. The grout is tinted, with its
colors selected to complement the colors of the glass
used. The grout helps to seal the glass in place and
gives a smooth, even surface to the piece.
Then,
depending on the creation’s role in life, hardware and
other pieces are attached: picture hanging hardware for
mirrors and wall mounted art; hooks and chains for
multi-piece glass collage signs (entryway welcome signs
are a favorite); and table legs ,bases and cabinet doors
for pieces which will have a functional life.
The final
step is the hardest, delivering the special item to its
new owner. After all that work and care it is sometimes
hard to see them go.
