Each sea glass mosaic I create has a story to tell. All of the sea glass I use in my mosaics is tumbled only by the surf - collected mostly around Southern California, but also along the coasts of 8 different countries; the shells are all found on beaches I’ve walked; and the wood I use is entirely re-purposed.

Sea Glass

Some people call it sea glass, others call it beach glass, and a few even call it mermaid tears.  Any way you say it, I only use the kind that I've found in the sand - glass that has been tumbling in the surf for years.  I've been collecting my sea glass since I first learned about it back in college - over 24 years now!  I will never use any machines to tumble any of my glass.  

Re-purposed Wood

Use what you have, and keep it simple.  Some of my most beautiful wood came to me looking rough and battered.  I use repurposed wood, mostly old fencing, for the backgrounds of each piece.  With some grinding and cleaning, I've given new life to these pieces of weathered wood.

The Finish

I want to make sure that all of my sea glass mosaics will last.  That's why I coat the front of all of my mosaics to seal and protect them. This gives the sea glass a shiny finish, like it's been just picked from the edge of the ocean.  Each piece of wood soaks up the seal differently, so many pieces will have a uniformly shiny finish in the background while others may have a more rustic, patchy finish.  

I know many people will hang them in their bathrooms, so I've come up with this seal to ensure the sea glass will never fall off even in damp conditions.  However, I do not recommend displaying my pieces outdoors.

The Process

Once I've prepped the wood, I hand paint the piece, then mosaic over the painting using mainly clear sea glass, and in some cases green sea glass and brown sea glass as well.  It's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle - I sift through my vast collection of beach glass to pick out just the right shard to build the final picture.