Featured Glass Artist: Danielle Casali

Danielle Casali is Ed Hoy's International's Mosaic Pet Portrait class instructor and is also primarily known as a mosaic muralist from St. Charles, IL. 

Artist Bio

Danielle, who holds a Master’s degree in sculpture, has been creating mosaic murals since her junior year in college. Locally, she has completed about 12 in the tri-city area and beyond. Her next project will be a collaborative mural for the City of DeKalb for the south wall of their city hall and measuring about 600 square feet.

As Danielle initially explained in her written proposal to the Friends of the Library, “The overarching theme of the artwork, like a good mystery novel, is to inspire wonder and investigation. It is my hope that this piece will also inspire interaction with the library and its resources.”

From concept to completion, this labor of love took six months. Now, glowing in the sunlight and nested in the prairie grasses of the terrace garden, library patrons are sure to agree, Danielle did a stellar job.


"There are some works of art that just come through you. They require you to quiet your thinking mind and they sit deeply at the base of every other possibility. They come intuitively with much more ease and clarity.
So, I woke up the next morning with a clear vision of a Luna Moth. I still had no particular reason for feeling pulled this way, but it felt right. A gorgeous image, a little trendy, perhaps a little indulgent, with a clear connection to the native prairie plants in this garden, and it fit the bill for a whimsical, natural image requested in the call for art." - Danielle Casali on her latest giant mosaic Luna Moth.

You can find Danielle's work samples online here or follow her on Instagram!

Mosaic Pet Portrait

Create a custom pet portrait with mosaicist Danielle Casali. Honor your furry friend, memorialize a beloved pet, or create a unique gift for someone else! We will hand-cut stained glass pieces to create a one-of-a-kind, grouted mosaic portrait. You will send a selection of your favorite images to the artist and we will decide together which one will be printed in a provided 8” x 10” frame. During this two-session course, you will play with color selection in glass, learn hand-cutting techniques, and be guided in the use of color and tonal selection to tesselate your portrait. No drawing skills or prior experience is needed. All levels are welcome. You may register for the free open studio for extra work time if needed, or to grout your piece after the final session. You may also opt for the instructor to grout your finished piece for pickup at a later date.