Nature Mosaics

Drawn to where water meets land and sky meets waves, Joseph Kaftan works primarily from photographs of the outdoors he takes throughout the Pacific Northwest and around Lake Michigan. His work, now displayed at The Flying Pig in Algoma, explores the tension between the fleeting impressionistic moments of nature and the mosaic medium.

Kaftan’s home and sheet glass studio is in Seattle on the Puget Sound. He frequently returns to the family cottage in Door County, where he works with smalti glass tiles. His art is fueled by the way glass holds and reflects light and expresses translucence, especially as it suggests water.

“Growing up fishing on Lake Michigan, I loved the taxidermy trout and salmon on the walls of bait shops and local taverns. I have never had a catch stuffed, but my mosaic fish on boards honor that tradition. These days I do most of my fishing from a kayak,” says Kaftan.

Trained as a graphic designer, Kaftan is also an avid outdoorsman and a professional kayak instructor. In 2013, he was selected for the Northwest Mosaic Artists Today show in Tacoma, Wash. His work is shown in galleries throughout Washington and Wisconsin and will be on display throughout the summer at The Flying Pig.

The Flying Pig Gallery and Greenspace, open 10 am to 5 pm daily, is located at N6975 Highway 42 in Algoma. For more information call 920.487.9902, email [email protected] or visit theflyingpig.biz.