This week I'm playing in the studio.  I'm currently enjoying working with some discarded floor tiles I found on a hike, so much so, that I went back to collect more.  It's a gorgeous and rich shade of brick, has wonderful texture and very easy to work with. From a mosaicist's standpoint, it doesn't get any better.  

I love texture. It's probably why I need to touch everything. I was told once by a mosaic artist friend that it's not cool to run your fingers over a mosaic, but I say phooey to that.  It's one of the characteristics that draws us to mosaic art.

A few days ago, I happened upon a glass bowl/platter made in Turkey. It had lots of visual texture, as well as some of the most beautiful colors.  Shiny, glitzy things aren't really my thing, but I was drawn to the colors of this dish.  Immediately, I considered buying it to break down into tesserae that I might use in a mosaic. Since it wasn't overly expensive, I did exactly that. The cashier was astonished that I was buying it to destroy, but I assured her it would come back  breathing new energy and beauty. 

​I regret not photographing it before I broke it into smaller, more manageable chunks, but I couldn't wait to get started with it. It would be the perfect ally to the rough, brick texture of the floor tiles I found.  The contrast of the two materials go so well together and I'm having such a good time experimenting and playing, that it wasn't long before I became very attached to this project.  I've really grown to love the textures together and the colors are so rich. The glass reminds me of the deep amber of caramel, something that is also near and dear to my (pastry baking) heart. I'm excited to see where this leads. Stay tuned...

Just finished. I’m pleased to share my most recent mosaic artwork with the world.  The idea and inspiration for this project came from my yoga practice. As I become more in tune with the flow of yoga, its connection to my art becomes stronger and more apparent. 

​In readying myself to begin a new artwork, there are several steps I take before adhering anything to a substrate. For this project, I wanted to explore a ‘balance and flow’ concept, so I began by doodling a series of thumbnail sketches that would outline a very basic plan of how the andamento, or flow of lines would take shape. Once I selected the thumbnail that best suited my intention, I drew “placeholder tesserae” on tracing paper that I would use in the mosaic to ensure the finished art looked similar to what I had originally envisioned. Only then did I begin considering materials and colors that would enhance that image.  What feeling was I trying to convey and how would I best utilize color, shape, size, texture, orientation and contrast to deliver on the idea of balance and flow?
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I’ve been waiting a very long time for this to happen. It’s been at least 4 years since I began to build my own website. What I didn’t realize or want to admit is that I cannot be good at all things, even though I strive to.
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Admitting that I needed help and then actually asking for it, is something that nagged at me, constantly. Not this time though; not now.