I am placing six of my stained glass mosaics for sale. The auction will take place on Ebay, August 6 to August 10. The mosaics are from my series, Each Piece Has a History. These mosaics are set and framed in vintage pieces such as silver plated trays, ceramic plates and old mirrors. They show signs of their past use, making them unique, one of a kind. Somebody, somewhere, sometime handled these objects. They have a history. The reserve bid for Each Piece includes a stand and shipping. For shipping outside of the continental United States, there is a fee of $30. If you have questions, please ..read more

The mosaics highlighted in this post are from my series, Each Piece Has a History. I found four, old dinner plates while browsing through several thrift shops in Chicago, years ago. The plates were sitting on a shelf, collecting dirt. Although dirty and showing signs of use, the plates were in good shape, just needed cleaning. The blue rims were attractive, caught my eye and I thought they would make interesting frames for stained glass mosaics. I bought them, at $2.00 a plate, a bargain. The Polish Horses These two mosaics are set in dinner plates that were made in Poland for Crate and Ba ..read more

I bought this old brass tray several years ago at the Ark, nearby my old studio in Chicago. It was my favorite junk store; a great place to search for vintage objects that have been discarded and abandoned. Many items, like the old brass tray, are dirty, tarnished or scratched. But with a good cleaning and a little care, they can be revived. Cleaned and basking in sunlight I cannot find a manufacture’s mark on the plate. Where and when it was made  is a mystery. However, somebody, somewhere, at some time held and used the old brass plate. It has a history. Before giving a new life to ..read more

The Ballerina Mosaic has two faces, set in a vintage, two sided, vanity mirror. My guess is that the mirror is a Hollywood Regency mirror, circa 1940s to 1950s. There is an identifying mark on the inside of the base, GIM 897. The gilded frame, pedestal and base sport a floral design. Although the mirror glass is in good condition, the patina on the frame, pedestal and base attest to a past history. Someone, some place, some time ago looked into this mirror. Although, I am giving the mirror a new life, a new purpose, there is always a past history. The design for the ballerina came from ..read more

The Ballerina Mosaic has two faces, set in a vintage, two sided, vanity mirror. My guess is that the mirror is a Hollywood Regency mirror, circa 1940s to 1950s. There is an identifying mark on the inside of the base, GIM 897. The gilded frame, pedestal and base sport a floral design. Although the mirror glass is in good condition, the patina on the frame, pedestal and base attest to a past history. Someone, some place, some time ago looked into this mirror. Although, I am giving the mirror a new life, a new purpose, there is always a past history. The design for the ballerina came from ..read more

This vintage silver plated tray, like many of my other finds, was sitting on a shelf in a thrift shop, along other trays, neglected. It was tarnished, showing its’ age. Despite the visual signs of usage, the flat surface of the tray could be cleaned and polished to act like a mirror. The rim was wide, making an elegant frame for a mosaic. After the tray was cleaned, I did several visual studies before starting the work on the mosaic. I didn’t follow the color schemes of the studies, but settled on the image of the horse. And then gave a name to the tray, Norfolk’s Horse, after the mark (N ..read more

I found this Butler’s tray at a thrift shop, close to my old studio in Chicago. The store, called the Ark, now closed, was a wonderful place to find vintage objects, tucked away on old shelves: silver plated and brass trays, elegant serving bowels and dinner plates, vanity mirrors and more. Great objects to house and frame a mosaic. This butler’s tray has a history. It is an example of a vintage tray that is marked, tarnished and scratched, establishing a prior use. The manufacturer of the tray was William A Rogers, founded in 1890 and was absorbed by the Oneida Company in the late 1 ..read more

I recently moved to Saugatuck, Michigan and while setting up a temporary studio space, I began to unpack some of my stained glass panels. Sadly, I discovered that one of the panels was broken, snapped into two pieces.  This was a piece that I did several years ago, just as I was getting back on my feet, after a lengthy hospital stay. In a way, sad, it was part of my rehabilitation program. However, accidents do happen; the glass was broken. Work in Process Finished, Intack Although the glass was broken, I was aware of a traditional Japanese aesthetic concept, wabi- sabi, where beau ..read more

  Due to the pandemic shutting down many thrift and antique shops, my search for vintage objects to house and frame my stained glass mosaics was diverted to Ebay. This time, I was looking for vintage brass trays that had the markings of a past life, a history: dents, scratches, tarnish and there marks. On Ebay, I found an oval brass tray, made in Hong Kong, that had true signs of use. it was deeply tarnished and scratched. Cleaning the tray was a combination of elbow grease, baking powder and vinegar, a messy but effective cleaning solution. It worked. I wanted the flat base to be cle ..read more

THE ROCHELLE TRAY To see larger images, just click on the photos. I discovered this tray, deeply tarnished and scratched in a local Chicago thrift store. The tray was made by the International Silver Company, a popular manufacturer of silver and silver plated objects from the 1930’s to the 1960’s. The company worked with well known designers and used movie stars such as Judy Garland, Joan Crawford and Carol Lombard to promote its’ products. The company ceased operations in 1983. Tarnished & Scratched Rim With Scroll The size of the tray and the rim with the flowing scroll intrigued me ..read more