Photos by Garrett Cook Steve Gleason works on a 48"H by 96"W mosaic of asymmetrical daisies. It will consist of approximately 40,000 tiles when completed.

Steve Gleason

PROFESSION: Mosaic tile artist

COMPANY: Redfield Tile Works, LLC, Chandler; (480) 250-3615; redfieldtile.com

TRAINING: Primarily self-taught

BACKGROUND: In college, Steve Gleason kept his future career options open, working and attending school full time, training to be a pilot, and apprenticing with a local tile company. In the end, he rediscovered a passion for art. “I had a high school teacher who really influenced me,” he explains. “I always had the spark for art; she just set the fire.”

Merging what he learned during his apprenticeship with his own design ideas, Gleason found his niche in handcrafting glass-tile mosaics. Without any formal training, he taught himself how to design, cut and install mosaics that are as varied as his clients. In 2005, he and wife Beverley started Redfield Tile Works, LLC, allowing him to focus on his art full time, while Beverley manages the business end.

To create a mosaic, Gleason works closely with the client to develop a custom design, such as a floral or desert scene. After completing a full-size sketch, he hand-cuts glass tiles—often as small as a fingernail—and places them one-by-one onto a cloth or Plexiglas backing that he installs in large sections. Depending on its size, a completed mosaic can contain more than 100,000 tiles, and the labor-intensive process can take months. “You have to respect the materials,” he comments, explaining that the translucent nature of glass tile requires precision and exactness to ensure that no flaws are visible.

The artist says he looks forward to the challenges of each mosaic, and makes pieces that are installed in kitchens, bathrooms, on exterior walls and in pools, or framed and hung as artwork. Despite the patience required to design an intricate mosaic, Gleason enjoys the creative outlet, saying, “I had the option to go in a bunch of different directions, but I always knew art was going to be a part of my life.”