Janice Genger of the Virginian Pilot:
writes about her experience at Stained Glass and Mosaic at Pembroke Mall

Upon entering the Stained Glass and Mosaic store in Pembroke Mall, I stumbled backward in sheer awe.

On an easel stood the most incredible mosaic. Tens of thousands of pieces of glass formed the Currituck Beach light. Set against a realistic cloudy blue sky, the red brick lighthouse was surrounded by bushes and trees in all shades of green. Small birds flew past the light.

If this was an example of what I was expected to produce, I figured I should turn back while I was ahead and still feeling artfully sufficient in life. But William Keightley, the gentleman who owns and runs the store, assured me that  I wasn't expected   to create anything as immense. He had created the lighthouse himself over 800 hours, using more than 20,000 pieces of glass. I had an afternoon.

I set out perusing the available surfaces. You can mosaic just about anything - ceramic flower pots, wooden trivets, even wooden birdhouses. I settled on a $25 picture frame. The cost included all the materials, instruction, and studio time.

The frame already had a faint outline of a sunflower in one corner. Being a bit concept challenged I decided I would follow that guide. Containers of cut glass tiles, glass sheets and beads were at my fingertips. Gloves helped me avoid the rough edges as I rummaged through the bins. I decided on yellow for my sunflower, green for the leaves and shades of blue for the background.

I hauled the bin of yellow glass to the work area - one big table running down the center of the store.

Keightley gave me a pair of dorky safety goggles. While they did keep glass from flying into my eyes, they did nothing to stop a shard from puncturing my finger. Such is the life of a mosaic artist.

For custom shapes I used a glass-breaking tool. Keightley showed me how to produce canoe-shaped pieces by placing a small piece of glass between the tool and clamping down. Together, two pieces formed a flower petal.

But somehow all the ones he did turned out perfect, while mine were just plain odd. My sunflower ended up looking more like the sunshine.

As I glued pieces down with Elmer's, my mosaic began to take shape. Up close, it was just a bunch of glass pieces glued to wood. But Keightley encouraged me to step around the table and look at it from a distance.

Oh my gosh! It was gorgeous. I couldn't believe I had made that.

After two hours, I was finished. I placed a small pink square in the corner as a signature. Don't all great artists have a trademark?

I went home with a bag of grout. After 24 hours, the glue had dried on the mosaic. I followed the directions, mixing the powder with water and spreading the paste-like mixture into the little crevices. I wiped the top with a damp sponge and let it dry.  

My work may never adorn the walls at the Chrysler Museum of Art, but I do feel as if I created my own little masterpiece.

    
       By  Janice Genger