Most of the first year was spent bringing the house up to code with the 21st century. Window replacement. Insulation. Chimney repair. Fresh paint. Lots of pruning. Starting the gardens. As we move into the second phase, creative abundance, there will be more mosaic news to share on these pages. For now, we can share projects that are in the works! The Front Entry Before:

Not entirely bad but the brick was cracked and we were drawn to our vision of what it could be. The 3 1950′s pillars had to go. We hired contractors to remove the old brick and build substrate for a mosaic entry surround.

At the moment, most of the neighborhood is still in the dark as to why someone would build a crazy, ugly wall on the front of their house that they have otherwise put a lot of love and energy into fixing up. All will be revealed as the nice weather returns next Spring. Just inside the front steps there will be an entry altar.

I found a beautiful Buddha that coincided with a gift of chipped china from a friend who passed away a few weeks after she gave it to me. I don’t generally use china in my mosaics but this all came together as if it was meant to be so there is a little bit of my friend’s spirit now in the wall. Here’s the start of the altar:

Front Porch Ceiling Insert The insert for the ceiling of the front porch is now complete. A mosaic column similar to those we created to Cosmic Cottage will replace the 2×4.

The welcome blessing reads… Please… Let your sun ~ your concentrated energy, your own submerged authentic, vital power, shine out from you. ~ Raicho Hiratsuka The Fireplace Before:

During: This is the vertical panel prior to grouting.

After:

When the flames of the fireplace flicker, there is a very nice jeweled effect. In addition to the amethyst slice, the piece contains labradorite, paua shell, rhinestones, millefiori, turquoise, and swarovski crystals. It’s quite a lovely place to gather with family and friends.

The mosaic door surround for the French doors in my studio has been finished!

While it was important to honor the creative vibe of the studio, these doors also transition family and guests into our garden. I wanted to make that connection and chose a favorite quote for the theme: The difference between sanity and insanity is a dedicated greenbelt, not a line to be crossed with a single step.

My grandmother as a young girl serves as both artistic muse and garden inspiration. She grew amazing Victory gardens in her day!

We’ve started bathroom demolition but the weather got nice. The old orchard trees were removed and 2.5 cord of wood donated to the Mary’s River Gleaners. (Local non-profit providing those in need with firewood to heat their homes.) Bruce built an amazing arbor. Mosaic inserts will be installed into it’s upper framework at a later date.

Focus for the next few months will be the front porch entry and altar. I’ve been studying the mesh method and it looks promising. The beauty of it is in being able to work indoors during the creative process. When Mother Nature and I can agree on a weekend, we’ll do the installation. It is going to be so much fun to watch people as they try to figure out how something so detailed showed up in only the span of a weekend!