I hope my readers have noticed that The Sandalwood Box blog
has been silent for a very long time. I took a hard fall off of the blogging
wagon and have been struggling to get back on it. I have been trying my hand at
making jewelry as you all know and that gives me a lot of joy but honestly I
miss trying new inspired projects and sharing them with you via the blog. So
finally I decided I was going to get back on the creative blogging wagon, and either
jump, crawl, or drag my way up but get on it nevertheless and tackle this
artistic block head-on instead of waiting for it to pass.
As a creative person, I usually find that I have no shortage
of good ideas, but rather that motivation eludes in the face of doubt. Uninteresting
projects and a feeling of desperation leads to trying random things in a
stressed hurried manner. After several botched attempts at making simple mosaic
planters, I decided to slow things down and go back to my early beginnings of working
with stained glass. Instead of attempting quick projects, I chose a fairly
advanced project to focus on.
In my first year setting up home in US, one of the first
things I decided to do was learn stained glass work. I signed up for evening
classes at the local community center and invested in all the equipment
required for this art form. And back in our one bedroom apartment, I set up a
workspace in this tiny slanted roof storage room in the balcony. There I used
to sit at the small table cutting, grinding, soldering and putting beautiful
stained glass pictures together. They were exquisite in my mind; and the sense of
achievement at this rather complex art form, I was very proud of my work. I was awestruck by the light shining through pieces of colored stained glass. It
is fascinating to see light dancing off glass, moving in a sparkling rhythm, like
a fire burning in magnificent colors. I made quite a few that year, including
night lights, candle holders, and window art. I gave away several of them as
gifts and somehow ended up keeping only one piece for myself.
This new project took me back to those creative roots; working
with beautiful stained glass. A mosaic project: to redeem me from the failed planters and as a
practice step towards a complete stained glass project (which I will undertake
soon) considering that the last time I made one was 17-18 years ago.
A Stained Glass Mosaic!
I have had a small end table sitting by my couch that my son
and I had worked on a few years ago; scraping and carving a design using just
screwdrivers and nails. I enjoy projects in which I can involve my loved ones, and
this one turned out all the more precious for that reason. Anyway, a year or so
ago, an accidental spill of nail polish remover ruined the finish on the table
(who knew that nail polish remover could do that?!!). This mosaic project was ideal
for that small table.
So here goes; my latest project: a stained glass mosaic end
table
Don’t the white striations on the blue glass remind you of
grains of sand beneath clear blue waters…giving a sense of peaceful timeless beauty.
This following link is not particularly relevant to this mosaic project but
I like this article about reigniting your creative spark:
