Why Stone Mosaics? 
All artists are intrigued by natural textures – from the marbling in woods to the shapes formed by mineral deposits. I'm obsessed with them.

From a scientific point of view, the entire world is a mosaic with the unchangeable atom as its component. So the challenge was to find a way to express imagery without destroying the material's natural state. So I use unadulterated natural gemstones -- not etched, carved, or colored  in any way -- to allow their integral qualities to add significance to the piece.  

Stones buried for millions of years are able to project an image that will survive forever. In fact, this addresses a major problem for artists, which is how to get their work to survive fading and erosion. Until now, there was no way to render a photographic quality image that wouldn't deteriorate when exposed to light. Even the best techniques will last only a few hundred years, but with proper care the images in these stones will last thousands of years even in direct sunlight.  

What is the Process?

Once I've created the primary image (generally from a photographic source), I select gemstones that best embody the subject. Then the image is then translated into the tonal range of the stones. This is the most difficult part of the process and it takes a few weeks to learn how the stone's colors and contrasts will relate to the final image. Unlike a traditional mosaic in which the artist can exploit a palate of colored tiles which can be cut to size, the array of color and shape is severely restricted,  which happily gives the final artwork its elusive qualities. Although I developed proprietary computer software to track the contrasts, colors and modulations of the stones and guide their placement, the process has less to do with technology and more about getting feedback from the stones. And it's not a matter of simply matching shades...every striation and color of every stone plays a role in the overall work. 

Every stone presents its own challenge. Should it be rotated left, right, or turned upside down? Since I only work with a limited number of stones, it's possible that even though stone A might work in a particular position, perhaps stone B would work satisfactorily -- freeing up stone A for a different placement. This is where the software is useful, but it can't (yet) compete with the human eye. There's a magic in seeing the image emerge, and it's what overcomes an otherwise exasperating experience. 

What's next?  
Architectural scale artwork using natural stone – either marble, granite or gemstones in which the component pieces are one or two feet in size. The final pieces will be anywhere from 10 to 100 feet high. When you view a mosaic of this size, a really special magic kicks in. As people approach the artwork they experience the strange sensation of having that the image slowly disappearing until all they see is the beauty of the natural material.