Sunday, July 31, 2016

Stained Glass Mosaic Table


        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:



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