Great Blue Heron 1

2020

Michelle Sider

Huntington Woods, MI, USA

17 x 27 x 1.5 inches

stained glass, iridized glass, Italian smalti, Mexican smalti & gold smalti

not for sale

Inspired by the simultaneous grace and deadly precision embodied in the motions of a Great Blue Heron hunting at the water’s edge, I created Great Blue Heron 1.  I am surrounded by these large and fascinating birds in and near the lakes by my home. I chose the theme of contrasts to reflect not only my feelings about these birds, but also to express this idea through the materials that I chose.

In this mosaic I focus on the dichotomy of movement, light and reflections versus stillness, volume and texture.   I chose a variety of different types of glass to capture the fleeting nature of the reflections in the water and the way in which the sunlight plays upon the surface. I enjoy the way in which my eye dances across the shining surfaces and reflections in the water.  For contrast, I used stone and Italian smalti to create the layered textures, volume and density of the Heron.  These materials speak to the stealthy stillness of the Heron, the weight of the large bird and the intricate arrangement of feather textures. I had fun layering the stone to create patterns in the bird’s feathers and hope the viewer likewise enjoys the andamento, layers and patterns found in this feature of the piece.