Stone Artist

Beauty is just a stone's throw from Ellen Williamson. She gathers small stones and creates mosaic tables and murals for homes around Chicago. For eight years she has been collecting thousands of tiny beach stones in subtle shades of blue, gray, green, white and red to complete her projects. The lighter stones are used for the background, while the more colorful ones fill in the scene. She prefers to work with the stones in their natural state and never chips, breaks or cuts a stone to fit her vision.

History Nuggets

• The earliest known mosaics date from the 8th century B.C. Stone, marble and limestone mosaics were often used for floors and pavements because of their durability.
  
  
• Glass wall mosaics became popular during the Hellenistic period (300 B.C. to 300 A.D.) and continued through the Byzantine Era (330 A.D. to 1400 A.D.).
  
  
• The art form enjoyed a revival in the 19th century, when many public buildings were decorated with mosaics made of ceramic tile or glass.