I began making mosaics about 15 years ago after visiting the St. Louis Cathedral in St. Louis, Missouri. I began with commercial ceramic tiles but found them very hard on the hands. On a trip to Bath, England in 1996 I discovered vitreous glass. They were much easier to cut, came in many colors, and were of a uniform thickness. Now the only ceramic I use is a 4mm thick unglazed porcelain, which cuts like butter.

The mosaics on this site represent the type of work I have enjoyed recently, primarily religious figurative and/or decorative. Every year I make a mosaic for a benefit art auction for the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City, which explains the amount of dog imagery in the gallery. In fact, two out of three of my muses are dogs; Diego, who enjoys the sun very much (the sundog), and Betty, who likes nothing more than a nice cool hardwood floor and a ceiling fan. Edwina, the cat muse, likes food. In March of 2005 I added another Sheltie muse, Betsy. Really, that was her name when I got her, she is a now 9-year-old rescue and the sweetest thing on four legs.
     
Muse Diego
  
Muse Betty
  
Muse Edwina
  
Muse Betsy
For 18 years I have worked at Hallmark Cards illustrating and designing cards for kids and kids at heart. In he coming weeks I will be developing a site, www.bettybean.com where I will exhibit mosaics as well as other handcrafted items and some of my illustrations.
If you'd like to commission a mosaic for your home or business, I'd love to hear from you. Prices are based on materials used, size, and complexity of design. Email me at donna@sundogmosaics.com with any questions.
 

Thanks for visiting,

Donna Van Hooser,

SunDog Mosaics