Sancta Clara Sunrise Mosaic

Sancta Clara Monastery | Canton, OH | Stained glass, 24 karat gold smalti | 5’ x 9’

About Sancta Clara Sunrise Mosaic

This mosaic was created as a memorial commission for Sancta Clara Monastery in Canton, Ohio. A family donated the artwork to the monastery in memory of a loved one, envisioning a mosaic background that would make the existing St. Joseph statue truly stand out rather than simply placing it against a plain stone wall. It was completed and installed in 2022.

Designing Sancta Clara Sunrise Mosaic

The client wanted bright colors and was open to my suggestion of a sunrise palette in reds, oranges, and yellows radiating behind the statue. The design needed to work around the statue itself, which had already been completed by another artisan before I began. To make sure the mosaic would complement the figure rather than compete with it, I printed a photograph of the statue to exact scale, cut it out, and placed it over my design under the mesh as I worked. This allowed me to see precisely how the colors would read on either side of the asymmetrical figure and ensure the composition felt balanced without being rigidly symmetrical.

On the other side of the same wall is a traditional Italian smalti mosaic, so I chose to incorporate 24 karat gold smalti into the design as a nod to that work. The gold adds shimmer and a richness that plain stained glass alone wouldn't have achieved, and it connects the two works across the wall. The design was submitted for approval to the Mother Superior of the monastery, who was enthusiastic and supportive from the start.

Creating Sancta Clara Sunrise Mosaic

The mosaic was built on fiberglass mesh in sections and installed with white mortar rather than grey, since even opaque stained glass has some translucency and grey mortar would have dulled the brightness of the colors, particularly the yellow. Black grout was used throughout to give the finished piece depth and definition.

Installation was a collaborative effort with the monastery's groundskeeper, who was remarkably skilled and helpful throughout. Because the glass pieces sit very close together and the sections had to align precisely, we needed to work quickly and accurately, especially on the top curve where any small misalignment would compound across subsequent sections. I would mark each section's placement, he would trowel the mortar, and I would apply the mesh sections while we both kept a close eye on the alignment. We had to shift a few sections slightly and clean up any white mortar that came up between joints before the black grout went in. I left the bottom pieces slightly long and precut for the angle so they could be trimmed to fit precisely on site. Fortunately everything came together beautifully.

The monastery community was warm and welcoming throughout the process. They prepared food for us during installation, and the dedication ceremony afterward was a lovely occasion.