wip

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. 

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​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...

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