About

The journey began with a small mosaic of a tree.  

It was a circle on top of a line and I made it at about 5 years old.

For Christmas that year, I asked Santa for a Mosaic Kit.

Working with dimensional texture and color, in both Textiles and Glass Mosaic, is Joyful. The methodical and many layered steps and techniques required to “paint” in a hard medium of Glass or in the softness of Wool, suits someone who loves working with tools and getting dirty with her hands.

Raised by engineering, gardening, artistic and entrepreneurial parents, with four elder siblings, life was full of adventure, invention, problem solving, seeing things in a discerning way.  

Creative and hands-on pursuits were a way of being in the family.

For Christina, an early painting teacher in childhood opened the door towards embracing the arts in school; ceramics, painting, and sculpture, anything to get her hands dirty!  

Fine Art studies continued at the University of Colorado, but in time a crossroads period gave way to ‘practical’ studies in Business at the intimate Loretto Heights College in Denver (now Regis).  

Partnership in a custom Fine Jewelry business followed, which satisfied both pursuits of career and creativity. In time another career path was presented and followed, built on a knowledge of sewing, textiles passion, and engineering of apparel manufacturing. Employing a strategic eye for color, shape, and form, while using problem solving skills for manufactuing.  Expertise developed at small companies evolved into a creative corporate career, developing sewn products with big brands. Even corporate work in apparel manufacturing was creating a completed form from textiles. 

For sanity, & spirit, alongside this career path, were private studies in sculptural and hand building pursuits. Expanding upon the dimensional skills of jewelry and furniture woodworking, courses included weaving, sculpture, bronze casting, cement forming, and mosaic.

Upon retirement, a studio evolved, where Stained Glass and Textile materials are utilized in two and three dimensional pieces. 

As a lifelong pursuer of outdoor activities, and as a gardener/landscaper always observing  balance, structure, landforms, plants, and animals.  Layers of the earth and biology structures, are interpreted in abstract pieces through pattern and shape. 

Gravitating to seeing patterns in nature and drawn to pointillism, cubism, abstraction of shapes through ‘mosaic’ type interpretations. Breaking something down into pieces, or starting from elemental parts, to create a a complete vision.  

Contact for commissions or availability: christina.mcdonell@gmail.com