Mosaic Class for Garden Flowers

O.k., moving along with the mosaic garden of flowers.
These will look great as individual mini mosaic projects too.

They are four inch squares. Classes for this project are currently available with Me through Mosaic Class at diMosaico.com

I'll demonstrate a different technique for each square such as background patterns, media, application.

Glass Mosaic Flower Garden - SueBetanzos.com

Mosaic Flower Garden - SueBetanzos.com

Dogster Art "Pics We Love"

Yay! My work has been featured in the national magazine Dogster.

http://www.dogster.com/the-scoop/sue-betanzos-dog-art-public  Check it out, it's a fun magazine for dog lovers and their mate Catsers is for kitty lovers. There is a link for it on the page :~)

They showed my acrylics and mosaics below including a few of sweet Risa, my 24/7 K9 companion.

I am excited and honored by this and most of these are available on my website, just click on the purple title to visit the art link.

Betsy - acrylic on canvas

Olivia - acrylic on canvas

Risa Belly Rubs - acrylic on canvas board

Risa Stargazer - mosaic, reverse glass painting

Risa in Yellow - mosaic, reverse glass painting

Almost Finished

Now that it's about done I discover a few things I want to change before I put the mosaic tape. Once the tape is laid on there is no going back.
It is a one time deal.
There are a few things I have learned the hard way for next time.
Can't wait to see this done - it will be beautiful!

Wishing Everyone A Safe Wonderful Independence Day

Fireworks, great food, friends and family - that's how many will be celebrating our Independence Day. I hope it will also be a time to be truly grateful that we live in a country that gives us so much freedom to realize our dreams.

People from many countries still have the perspective that if they can only get to this wonderful country their fortunes will be made. Depending on where they are coming from, that could be true because the things we take for granted like running water, electricity, sewers, paved roads - these are luxuries in some parts of the world. The freedom to travel wherever we want without having to get on a wait list to leave our own country, or how almost everyone has their own car.

So many things, large and small that one can really appreciate if given the opportunity to travel outside our great nation.
Enjoy, reflect, and do a lot of Oooohs and Aaahs as blue, green, red, purple, and gold sparklies rain from the skies with big crackling booms and pops.

*****Oh, please, please keep your pets secured and safe during the evening celebrations since the fireworks freak out almost every dog, cat, horse. ****

Half Way There

Almost there. Still have to do the touchy part of  applying clear tile tape to the face, Carefully lift it off, turn it over, Carefully peal off the sticky paper it is on, then Very Carefully apply it to the round substrate that will be prepped with cement thinset.

It's a one shot deal from the time tile tape is applied to the face to the actual finishing. 

This technique is called the Double Reverse application method in mosaics and can be very touchy. I am both nervous and excited - I love challenging techniques.

I chose this method after reading about it in Sonia King's Mosaic Techniques and Traditions and Sandra & Carl Bryant of Showcase Mosaics use this method exclusively for all their public art installations. Their work is beautiful.

They also work in stained glass mosaics and after reading a forum on their technique I decided to use it for this project because of the extreme complexity of design and shading. 

It sure would be nice to have them here for tips - but here I go!

(the black piece of glass by the ear is for lettering, not part of the design)

Wildcat Wilber

 Another day of succesful glass cutting and I have to say Wilber the bobcat looks pretty good. The rest of his ear and neck will be completed today.  Finishing the lettering should take of couple of marathon days of cutting and fitting.

One of the many things I love about glass is the gleaming jewel toned depth that is possible with the infinite choice of colors and textures.
No two glass sheets are alike and choosing glass for a project is a really fun and personal part of the process of my glass mosaics.

Wilber's fur, with all of the shades and texture is all from ONE sheet of glass. In art, as in life, it's what you do with what you have that makes the difference.
As a mostly self taught artist, the discoveries made in the learning process have opened unexpected doors that I would not have otherwise found. These 'discoveries' (usually in the wee hours of the night) have enriched my work, added the depth that comes from that Aha! moment when that 'door' opens and I find myself in the Land Of Possibilities - exciting!

It's In The Eyes

Still working on this beautiful mosaic and I Love the way the cat has turned out - especially the eye (my favorite part!). It's the eyes that are the key to an animal or human artwork - that "look".

For the eyes I had the perfect one inch scrap of glass the exact shade I needed.
Every scrap of glass is saved for these "in case I need it" and eventually they get used. Same for the nose - scraps of the perfect shades of rose needed.
 Saving the letters for last since that is the least fun part for me.

Watching the piece come into focus and develop as I paint with glass is one of the most satisfying part of mosaics.

Challenging my abilities with new materials, sizes and shapes is exciting because like a story I am writing I know the beginning and the end - the middle "how" part is the discovery.

So in a sense they are picture stories written in glowing jewel colors and textures - each vibrantly different and unique by process as well as subject.

Mosaic Day

Still working away at a mosaic that if  I had the time to devote exclusively  to would take a couple of weeks to finish. But time is what has been very short since last year when mom got cancer, had to go through a lot  of chemo/radiation plus other commitments.  So now I am devoting as much time as I can to finish this very cool mosaic. There are hundreds of stained glass pieces to go. I will be using a Double Reverse method of application; hence the layout on contact paper over the cement board hand painted with the logo to get it as accurate as possible.
Cement mortar is the adhesive that will be used to attach the finished mosaic to the board. No room for error - a one time deal.  Then colored cement Grout to fill in between the lines and add stability to the piece. This is for an outdoor sign to be mounted onto a gate. The outdoor grout will allow for expansion and contraction of weather heat and cold. Using the correct quality materials is what extends the life of outdoor installations. Always research the specs of materials to be used in any permanent artwork for outdoors. I have learned so much since starting mosaics.

Below are two pieces being offered in my Studio Cyber Savings. (yep, click on the words to view the sale site!). Nebula mosaic, had tinted grout, hand made box frame, signed. And an acrylic chickadee painting for springtime.
Excellent savings for original artwork  that is handcrafted by ME! Plus most of the smaller pieces offer FREE Shipping in the lower 48 USA only. If not in the states, just contact me for shipping fees.

Arizona Centennial

Guess what?! Out of 225 entries, my mosaic Gila Dream was one of the ones selected for the Tohono Chul Park Arizona Centennial exhibit! Yay! I am thrilled that one of my favorite pieces will be on display. Tomorrow is the reception so I will be there with my little name tag to meet everyone, mingle and of course snack on the bites catered by Trader Joes.

Can't wait to see the rest of the fabulous art. I always love the anticipation of seeing what is in the rest of the exhibit!

Sweet Risa Mosaics

I am reposting this favorite series because I am starting a couple of new pieces. I immersed myself in mosaic sites to get jazzed about doing a new more 3-D piece involving paper clay or foam. I also am starting a couple of portraits of my Best Girl Risa. She is having a few health issues that come with being 11. It's so hard to watch our companions age. So I am doing what I have been Meaning to do for years - her portraits. I have designed them several times already - well now I'm doing them.

Hawk Dreams Sold

Well I just have to say it. When a favorite piece sells I wonder if I should have sold it and then tell myself to stop being so ridiculous. After all, that is my business and I should not get so attached to my work. I think as artists, we all have certain pieces that we fall in love with and hang onto for a while.

This piece held a special place in my heart and I was glad it found a good home. It's one of those pieces where everything felt so right and it was a pleasure to gaze on it every day.

Reverse glass painting mosaic with stones & mirror.

Red Tailed Hawk 10"x 27"

Heart Break

A new and much improved picture of my Diana Gabaldon piece. It is a quotation from Dragonfly in Amber from the Outlander series. Went to her lecture and she signed this piece! She is pretty cool and a savvy business woman.

Plus a picture of another finished commission of St. Francis and client doggie - Wilson the Westi. 8" x 10" reverse glass painting.

STAR student Mosaic Project - Finished!

The installation of the 9 stars went pretty smooth. Each piece had finished edges which really cut down on time. The students completed their mosaic stars and then I did a marathon grouting of nine stars and nine hearts.

Students and everyone were excited to see them finally up and each piece is very unique and each star has the students name tag on it.

Students did their personal strength words on their mosaic stars as part of a leadership project. Glass, tile, glass gems, mirror were some of the materials used to fabricate the stars. the mosaic stars are part of a mural for the inner courtyard of the school. Pictures did not come out as well due, I think, to the sun being directly in the camera lens which was facing east into the sun at times. Good part was the shade during the installment!

STAR student Mosaic Project

Here are more student pieces for the star mural project. I have been doing a grouting marathon to get these done in time for installation and still have three more to go. Plus the large logo star! All are glued onto 1/4" hardi backer cement board, then cut with an angle head grinder, then grouted. Stars are 3' x 2' approx. and hearts are 10" and done on 1/2" Easy board. Stars will be installed onto a painted brick wall with thin set and anchor bolts. Same for the little hearts. Custom grout was used in Dove Grey. Kind of dark now but on a south west facing wall it will lighten up. Back to work now!

Blue Coyote Mini mosaic WIP

Still playing with tempered glass in the mini mosaics. Made copy of my painting to for mosaic. No glass on it yet. This one will be sent as a sample when finished. The appeal of the TG is that it allows painting as well as mosaic. Painting, drawing, design is the foundation for my artwork. The visual "comfort food" that always soothes and restores the creative juices.

Think I am drawn to trickster tales in general. A great book on trickster tales I just finished - The Coyote Road Trickster Tales edited by Ellen Datlow. An anthology of tales by popular fiction authors and illustrations of Charles Vess. Introduction and Preface was fascinating and I learned much about the history of trickster folklore in different cultures.

Gila Mosaic & Risa - Watz Up!?

Grouted and Finished! A jewel like Gila Monster. When seen up close the real life Gila reptiles are beautiful with their beaded skin. Slow moving, they are part of the Fragile series I am working on. For the next mosaic class, Coyote the trickster will be featured and students will have the opportunity to interpret coyote folk tales in artful mosaic booklets. Ages 8 - 13. Can't wait to see what they come up with!

And Risa, constant companion doing her Watz Up face.

St. Francis Mosaic & Mosaic book

This is a special commission done with a little kitty and an owl - so cute! It has an amethyst stone, turquoise, beads etc. The painting is very detailed and I loved doing it. Also the work in progress of another mosaic booklet. I wish I had remembered to take pics from the beginning! At this stage the tempered glass is being added. Then I will grout, using two colors this time. It is part of a series I call Fragil, focusing on endangered species. This is a desert Gila Monster.

New Mosaics

Well it has been too long since my last post. Easy to get out of the routine of posting and so much has been happening. The glass pins have taken off as I knew they would. Those that see them end up placing an order - yay!

Also I will be teaching mosaics thru a summer program this June. The project I proposed combines my love of mosaics and books. Student ages will be 8 - 13 and I am so excited to start the classes. They will be making mosaic books. The end pieces will be mosaic and the content will be student choice of words, phrases, story. They are very different and it will be wonderful to see what the students come up with. I always learn so much from them. Here is the prototype that I will send to United Way as part of the grant application. Pandas are a favorite subject and the sample is 4"x 4". It is an accordion style folding book. Still have to finish the inside content. Can't wait to start!

New mini glass works

New works are smaller for the upcoming shows. Mirror mixed media mosaics and tiny jewel colored 1" glass pins and pendants as well as the framed glass paintings.

My other series I like to refer to as SOL (Smiling Out Loud) pieces are dreamlike images inspired by St. Francis, Madonnas, angels, folktales, proverbs, love, and dogs (love dogs!). Vibrant jewel tone color palett combines with wildlife and the SOL pieces. A direction my work has moved toward since 2005.

Featured in several of my pieces is my k9 Aussie companion Risa. 

The glass paintings glow with color and gold metallic highlights in both series. It's fun to toggle/play between them for endless design combinations!

 The light shines thru the sides in the glass pins highlighting the glitter in them. I have always wanted to make a few of these - they are so cute and colorful to wear! Just had to finally make some :~)

 Currently on the easel is a shy, mysterious, lovely Kit Fox.

Sharing Risa Love Mirror

New piece inspired by the quote:

"To the world you may be one person,

but to one person you may be the world".

Heather Cortez

This is not only for pet owners, but for parents, teachers etc.

Reverse glass painting, mirror, turquoise.