Crepe Myrtle House
by Greg Chase
24 3/4 x 18 1/2 x 1 3/4 inches in frame
Glass mosaic of yellow house covered in crepe myrtle trees in the French Quarter neighborhood.
There’s something about the shotgun homes of the French Quarter, Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods that I find captivating. The simplicity of design coupled with the creativity of their owners makes for a magical photo walk. When I started doing mosaics I knew this is where I wanted to start.
I use mostly Bullseye and Oceanside stained glass for these mosaics. The vibrancy and opacity work well for the rich colors of the neighborhoods.
Though not the largest, the Crepe Myrtle House, 809 Gov Nicholls St, was actually one of the most complex mosaics I’ve made. Organic shapes are much harder to create in glass than straight lines. A tremendous amount of grinding went into making each random flower cluster and leaf background fit together. The shutters are a unique type of Bullseye glass that is both textured and iridized. Like the Van Gogh glass of the Cat Art House, it was a first for me.
-Greg Chase
