I have been fortunate to have been invited to make a micro mosaic for The Ruins Project. It will be installed on an outdoor wall along a giant mosaic map of the Allegheny Gap bike route from Pittsburgh to Cumberland Maryland. Eventually several mosaic artists will create tiny micro mosaics of landmarks that can be seen along the route to be installed on the giant map. The Great Ride bike route runs right by The Ruins Project and many riders stop for a tour, to enjoy the mosaics, and have a cool drink.

The landmark I chose is the Duquesne Incline, a century old cable car, and one of the few remaining inclines in the country. It is located in Pittsburgh, PA, at the beginning, (or end depending on where you begin) of the trail. This is a work in process, and it is currently 2 ½” x 3”. I melted the glass to a molten state, and hand pulled every “string of glass”, that I then cut into tiny pieces to create my mosaic. Each piece is then individually glued into the substrate. As you can imagine this is very time consuming and intricate work. Making mosaics takes me to a world where all of the pressures of daily life fall away and I am in a truly creative place. This is what I like best about artistically working with my hands.

To see a brief YouTube video about The Ruins Project, click the link below. You will also be able to see the giant map that my mosaic will be installed on.

The Ruins Project is a long-term mosaic art installation amidst the ruins of a former coal mine in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Located on the Great Allegheny Passage, this outdoor mosaic museum attracts artists, students, and travelers from all over the world. The walls and rooms of The Ruins represent the rebirth of abandoned American coal country into a spiritual and artistic pilgrimage and destination for adventure seekers and lovers of art and history.