There is an ever increasing appreciation and desire to house cultured and classic art in the personal spaces of our homes. It has been an American tradition in the construction process, to sacrifice the presence of these refreshing investments for the sake of more square footage. As of late, the trend is beginning to blow in the direction of deeper roots tapping into our European heritage. The passion to live in larger boxes is diminishing and a renewed sense of understanding is beginning to emerge: that a house without the presence of original art is a cold and lifeless place.
Natural stone is beautifully vast in color and composition. Today’s technology has lead to inventions in modern machinery that quarries some of the most extraordinary stone ever seen. There are literally hundreds of geological wonders that are available to display in a home or business. But the real experience of depth and beauty in the stone is realized in how it is put on display.
Opus Sectile Mosaic art is rare and highly coveted. But as a
Professional Mosaicist, I sought to develop a new technique of
integrating the art form that would conjoin the past with the future.
This hand crafted method is accomplished by using an Italian field tile
scheme as the background for a mosaic design. Careful, full thickness
cuts are made in porcelain, ceramic or natural stone tile that cope to
the mosaic image. The result is a perfect collaboration of artistic
design and practicality. This development is opening up the opportunity
to enjoy again the stimulating presence of authentic art in our most
common places.
Altering the color of stone while preserving its natural beauty and caricatures is an age old art form. Combining the ancient Roman art of fire tinting with new concepts and modern dyes, I have been successful at producing a technique that uses a specialized color pallet, penetrating chemicals and intense heat in order to drive the dye deep into the stone. The colored stone looks so natural that even a trained professional would inquire of its geographical origin.
