bits of colored glass

There is something provocative about holding a bit of colored glass up to the light. A piece that looked black on the table suddlenly glints a deep purple or a vivid green. What appeared dull and mundane now reveals internal swirls of complex color. Shattered, broken pieces meant for the trash can be redeemed, arranged to form an image of wholeness. A cathedral window has an ethereal elegance. But a mosaic is different; it is more humble, composed of smaller insignificant shards, bound together with earth. There is nothing like feeling the weight of a fragment of glass in my hand, imagining its greater potential in a mosaic that will bring someone else pleasure. Some of my creations are meant to be thought-provoking while others accentuate the beauty of the glass.

I’ve been a puzzle fanatic nearly all of my life. When I was a child, I sat and put together puzzle after puzzle while I listened to movies and tv shows. In 2007, I decided to create a glass mosaic on the top of a coffee table. I worked on it for 3 months as I had time. I thoroughly enjoyed the process, of creating my own design and watching it grow; of being unconstrained by a previously set pattern. I enjoyed it so much I wanted to create another, but the materials had been so expensive I knew I had to find another means of obtaining the glass. I discovered that custom stained glass window and door businesses throw away their scrap from projects, because the pieces are too small to be used again. About 95% of my mosaics are now created from this recycled glass.

I hope you enjoy the work posted here. I love to do commissioned work. Please contact me at bhirsbrunner [at] gmail [dot] com with any inquiries.