Kris Mahoney was born and raised in rural Southern Indiana.  She entertained herself playing in acres of fields and woods. She recalls the excitement of accompanying her mother when she occasionally volunteered in a local thrift shop. Kris begged to take home sparkling costume jewelry, metal sequin purses, and glass bobbles. She amused her parents in the evening by dressing up in these, dancing and telling their fortunes. Now living in East Tennessee Kris is an artist and Psychologist with a focus in early childhood education. She still gets to play and remains fascinated by things that sparkle.  

Kris is enchanted and inspired by the shimmering rivers of the Smoky Mountains and the countless species of plants and moss that can be found within a square foot.  She creates mosaic glass botanicals, by applying intricate floral designs to vintage doors, windows and other surfaces.  Her mosaics are highly time intensive and reminiscent of classic works from this centuries-old craft.

“I’m drawn to curving stems and petals as well as nature’s delicate, repetitious patterns.  My favorite media for creating mosaics is hand-cut stained glass.  Light reflects and twinkles off of facets, causing the space it inhabits to come alive.  I delight in combining incongruent colors of glass, such as a petal of turquoise- brown next to one of iridized red, together with a delicate stem of citron green.”