Work samples

  • Sun and Fire
    Sun and Fire
    Commission of a stained glass mosaic fireplace insert.
  • Med-Chi
    Med-Chi
    Commission of the facade of the Med-Chi building in Baltimore, in stained glass mosaic.
  • Free-form Seed Beaded Necklace for Lynn
    Free-form Seed Beaded Necklace for Lynn
    I made this freeform peyote necklace as a commission from a friend for his wife's birthday present. This type of beadwork is done with Fireline, a very fine fishline, on a needle, and has no pre-conceived plan. It just grows.
  • Peony
    Peony
    Peony done in a painterly stained glass mosaic style.

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About Barbara

Baltimore County  

Barbara Svoboda
Resident of Catonsville
Taught art for 33 years in elementary schools in Anne Arundel County.
Have taken mosaic classes with Isaiah Zagar, Susan Crocenzi, Gila Rayberg, Rick Shelley, Bonnie Fitzgerald, Candace Clough, and Yulia Hanansen.
Teach mosaics in various venues, including AVAM and the Gem Cutters Guild.  I also teach jewelry classes through the Baltimore Bead Society.
Have had a number of commissions, and have shown work at the Creative… more

View Barbara's Resume
Jump to a project:

Garden Wall and other Yard Art

Our backyard garden wall. This took me 3-plus summers to complete the 4 panels. It is 12 feet across and 5 feet high, done in the pique assiette, or broken china method.  During the pandemic I also created a group of garden sculptures.

  • 4-Panel Garden Wall
    4-Panel Garden Wall
  • Barbara and Garden Wall
    Barbara and Garden Wall
    My biggest project to date has been a 4-panel garden wall of broken china, in our back yard. Each summer I did a panel.
  • Closeup of wall, ungrouted
    Closeup of wall, ungrouted
  • right panel, right side with pig, ungrouted
    right panel, right side with pig, ungrouted
  • Quilt-inspired Tabletop
    Quilt-inspired Tabletop
    Tabletop on porch, stained glass mosaic based on an African-American quilt.
  • Stained glass mosaic fascia board on porch
    Stained glass mosaic fascia board on porch
    Stained Glass mosaic fascia board on porch
  • Bird Mailbox
    Bird Mailbox
    Pique assiette mailbox
  • Animal Planet
    Animal Planet

    Repurposed a giant metal sphere that a neighbor found, using a lot of little china animals to populate it.

  • Convergence of Planets
    Convergence of Planets

    A large broken mirror became the centerpiece and inspiration for this outdoor mosaic.

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    • Smaltimore Series

    A couple of years ago I started a series of Baltimore-related projects, incorporating both polymer clay and mosaics of various kinds, including tempered glass mosaic. Since then I have continued to create more "Smaltimore" pieces, due to popular demand!
    • Smaltimore
      Smaltimore
    • Smaltimore Row Houses
      Smaltimore Row Houses

      Polymer Clay houses on a round substrate.

    • Smaltimore Square
      Smaltimore Square

      Tempered glass and polymer clay houses to depicting Baltimore.

    • Madonna of the Marble Steps
      Madonna of the Marble Steps

      Tempered glass, polymer clay, in honor of the Baltimore step scrubbers.

    • Large Smaltimore
      Large Smaltimore

      Polymer clay on a large round substrate.

    • Closeup of Madonna
      Closeup of Madonna

      Mixed Media portrait of a step scrubber.

    • Small Smaltimore
      Small Smaltimore
      A Smaltimore piece on reclaimed base, with polymer clay and tempered glass mosaics.
    • The Longer you Live Here
      The Longer you Live Here

      Polymer clay houses with tempered glass center.

    • My Heart Belongs to Baltimore
      My Heart Belongs to Baltimore

      Semi-circle rendition of my polymer clay city houses.

    • Smaltimore, Hon
      Smaltimore, Hon

      Polymer clay row houses tell about a city where lots of folks know each other.

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    • Pique Assiette Mirrors with China Figures

    I acquired a ring saw, which enables me to saw china. This opened doors for me, in that I could include 3-D figures in hanging mosaics by sawing the backs flat.

    • Pique Assiette Mirror with Bird and Roses
      Pique Assiette Mirror with Bird and Roses

      Large mirror with pink antique tesserae 

    • English Garden
      English Garden

      Elegant mirror with flowers and bunnies.

    • Flamingo in a Garden
      Flamingo in a Garden

      Vintage flamingo in a beautiful garden

    • Pink Buddha with Roses
      Pink Buddha with Roses
      Happy Buddha shrine-like mosaic with mirror
    • Japanese Tea Garden
      Japanese Tea Garden
      Pique assiette mosaic of a Japanese woman in a garden gazebo
    • Buddha with Stars
      Buddha with Stars
      Blue and gold pique assiette Buddha.
    • Peace Offering
      Peace Offering

      I acquired this teapot that had no lid, so I cut the back off, and used her to showcase Capodimonte flowers.

      Available for Purchase
    • When Pigs Fly
      When Pigs Fly

      Taking apart and reassembling is one of my super-powers!

    • Don't Fix it if it Ain't Baroque
      Don't Fix it if it Ain't Baroque

      I did some matchmaking with this one, pairing up a couple of "made in Occupied Japan" china figures, a repurposed vase, and a plate with people of the same period.

      Available for Purchase
    • You are my cup of tea
      You are my cup of tea

      Two gentlemen using innuendo to compliment the other.

      Available for Purchase
    •

    • Painterly stained glass mosaics

    I took a class with master mosaicist Yulia Hanansan, and made several mosaics in her style.
    • Orchids from the Conservatory
      Orchids from the Conservatory
      Orchid from the Conservatory at Druid Hill Park, done in stained glass in a painterly style.
    • Peony
      Peony
      Peony stained glass mosaic in the style of Yulia Hanansan.
    • Orange Flower
      Orange Flower
      Stained glass mosaic in a painterly style.
    • Fragile Flower
      Fragile Flower
      Stained glass mosaic flower in a painterly style.
    • Rufus and Sophie
      Rufus and Sophie
      Painterly style of glass mosaic, a portrait of our two kitties, Rufus and Sophie.
    • Vincent with Blue
      Vincent with Blue
      Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh done in a painterly style of mosaics.
    • Orange Vincent
      Orange Vincent
      Stained glass mosaic of Vincent Van Gogh
    • Poe in Glass
      Poe in Glass
      Stained glass mosaic of Edgar Allen Poe
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    • Commissions

    Works that clients have commissioned me to do .
    • Mary Ann and mirror
      Mary Ann and mirror
      Stained glass mosaic mirror commissioned by neighbor for their home.
    • Fire
      Fire
      A stained glass mosaic commissioned by some friends for a fireplace insert.
    • Memories are Made of This
      Memories are Made of This
      Pique assiette mosaic made with family china pieces for a client. It hangs in her kitchen.
    • Purple and Green Leaf Table
      Purple and Green Leaf Table
      Mosaic table for the deck of some friends in Philly. My first commission.
    • Med-Chi Facade
      Med-Chi Facade
      A commission from a friend who was retiring from Med-Chi, and wanted a mosaic of the facade of the building to be the gift from her colleagues. It was the hardest mosaic ever, since I had to cut each tiny brick and arrange them in the requisite pattern.
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    • Pique Asiette Portraits

    After taking workshops with Gila Rayberg and Candace Clough, I made a number of portraits with broken china.

    • Edgar in his living room
      Edgar in his living room
    • Vincent in China
      Vincent in China
    • Mestiza Madonna
      Mestiza Madonna

      Portrait of Frida, depicted as a revered woman.

    • Ruth
      Ruth

      I just had to do a portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her lace collar.

    • If There's a Will
      If There's a Will

      Pique assiette mosaic of William Shakespeare. I particularly liked doing the collar.

      Available for Purchase
    • Mona
      Mona

      I loved choosing the crockery to break for this mosaic.

    • Ode to Persistence
      Ode to Persistence

      It is so much fun to depict Frida that I have done it three times!

      Available for Purchase
    • Patron Saint of Perseverance
      Patron Saint of Perseverance

      My first Frida portrait.

    • Self-Portrait
      Self-Portrait

      My first pique assiette portrait, of myself.

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    • Jewelry: Freeform Peyote Necklaces

    Using seed beads, fireline, and a needle, I concoct these freeform necklaces without any plan.
    • Freeform Peyote Necklace
      Freeform Peyote Necklace
      Commissioned for a friend's birthday present from her husband, in her favorite colors.
    • Turquoise and copper necklace
      Turquoise and copper necklace
    • orange heavy necklace on shawl.jpg
      orange heavy necklace on shawl.jpg
    • Closeup of freeform peyote
      Closeup of freeform peyote
    • Pastel Free-form Peyote Necklace
      Pastel Free-form Peyote Necklace
      Freeform peyote beaded necklace
    • Soiree
      Soiree
      Freeform peyote beaded necklace
    • Closeup of Freeform Peyote
      Closeup of Freeform Peyote
      Closeup of freeform peyote
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