There are no stupid questions....a.k.a. Frequently Asked Questions

Who does the artwork?

Every single mosaic collage is made by me, Steve. I do not have an overseas sweatshop or an army of workers mass-producing the work, although I do have an assistant who helps me on grout day. Because of the nature of the art, each piece is an original.

Do you smash things with hammers, or throw them on the floor?

NEVER! There is no violence involved in my work. Each piece of tesserae is carefully cut, shaped and fit into its place. Were I to smash things, I would lose the pretty patterns, pictures and shapes that comprise my collage-themed work. I do not break things -- I creatively rearrange them!

Where do you get the materials (china, tile, dishes, game tiles, etc.) that you use in making the collage mosaics?

I am constantly scouring every antique mall, estate sale, auction, thrift, rummage sale, and even the occasional trash heap, to find pretty ceramic pieces to work with!

What kinds of tools do you use to cut the tesserae?

The most often-used tool in my studio for cutting and shaping is tile nippers. Nippers give me a lot more control when trimming the edges of the tesserae.

I also use a concrete-cutting saw blade on an electric saw to score and cut straight lines (e.g. cutting the tea cups in half). I employ grinders and Dremel tools for smoothing and shaping edges.

Isn't the work heavy? Is it made of concrete?

The work is not as heavy as it looks, because 75% of the thickness is made up of wood (high-density particle board instead of plywood, which warps easily). Any of my mirrors can be hung on the wall without using wall anchors --

just use two regular (large) picture hooks.

After I cut the frames and outline shapes, each piece of tesserae is glued onto the wood individually, using Heavy Duty Liquid Nails. After the glue has dried for at least 24 hours, I then use sanded tile grout to fill in between the tesserae.

Your grout work is so smooth! How do you get such a nice finish?

I spend a great deal of time and effort on the grout finishing process, using a tile sponge over and over until the grout is really smooth and clean. This is the step that separates the amateurs from the professionals: having the patience to work the grout finish to perfection.

After the work is grouted, it must be buffed and polished as well. I use small brushes to clean up every nook and cranny.

You must have a lot of fun doing this kind of artwork!

Yes, I do! It is a lot of hard work, but collage mosaics is such a versatile art form that I can pursue many different themes and styles. I want my work to be whimsical, uplifting, sometimes challenging and spiritual, and colorful. God has given me a lot of joy in my life, and I feel the need to express that joy in my art.

Practically every art piece has a saying or message on it. Where do you get these wonderful sayings?

About 90% of the sayings I use in my work are originals that I made up. My meanings are not necessarily "religious," but rather encourage good relationships from person to person, and from person to God. Sometimes I will use other phrases if they have special meaning to me.

Using Scrabble, Boggle, Anagrams and other letter tiles in my work gives me the opportunity to share my positive messages of love, selflessness and faith.

How many shows do you do in a year? Where do you go? How do you do it?

I do about 20 or 21 shows a year, from January to November.

My shows take me from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and the Palm Beaches in the winter, to Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, New York, Ohio, etc. in the summer.

I travel in a box truck that used to be an Air Force truck. Sometimes I sleep in the truck; other times I will stay with someone in exchange for an art piece....

You can see my scheduled calendar of art festivals here.