Look what landed in my inbox this morning! This free e-book, put together by the lovely Louise Gale as part of the heART movement, it pulls together the wisdom of many creative souls (including yours truly), reflecting on how we can live from our hearts. Appropriate for this day of hearts don’t you [...] Read more...
British Mosaic Forum in London
The annual day out for British Mosaic Art last weekend, held at the exquisite V&A in London proved to be a veritable feast for the mosaic artists soul. I am sure the British Association for Modern Mosaics (BAMM) who organises the annual gathering will add detailed info on each talk to their website. I’ve been [...] Read more...
Mosaic & that special something….an opportunity for you!
There is something special about making mosaic art. If you have already been captivated, you will know what I am talking about. If you have not come under its spell, let me explain. Mosaic making has some (almost mystical) ability to take us beyond ourselves and into ourselves, both at the same time. In connecting [...] Read more...
Call yourself an artist?
Picture this. I am exhibiting at the weekend. My mosaic art is on display as part of the annual “Artsists Open House”. The sun is pouring in, catching the edges of tiles and glass, making it gleam. My daughter, Isabella, comes for a visit. After a while of hanging around, she takes a piece of [...] Read more...
Exploring the making process…silversmiths & mosaic artists speak
We often explore why we make. But what about how we make? I’m not talking about technique but about the process. How does that something, that did not previously exist, start its life in you? How does it evolve, develop, become solid and tangible? Have you ever looked at your making process in detail? And [...] Read more...
Is it art and are you an artist? A new way of looking at things…
I have followed the ‘ what is is art?’ debates for several years, often with bemusement from a non fine-art trained person such as myself. Cerulean Rendevous by Carole Choucair Oueijan (mosaic) My gut response is to reject the authoritarian, ‘closed-shop’ spirit that would bring about categorisations such as ‘this is and isn’t art / [...] Read more...
What is our work about?
I am trying to understand why making is so transformative. I am sitting in my studio, cutting and laying tiles, placing them, moving them a millimetre this way and that until my eye is satisfied. I am making colour choices and pondering the reflective qualities of material. Materials given to me by the Earth and [...] Read more...
For the Artist at the Start of Day
This piece of writing is from “Benedictus: a book of blessings”, by John O’Donohue (see Amazon widget on the right). John is a most beautiful Irish poet and philisopher who died a couple of years ago at the young age of 49. I often listen to recordings of John’s talks while I am making [...] Read more...
What pulls you?
One of my pieces for the art fair this weekend has sold! This is very wonderful but I have to get my skates on and keep making as I am now one piece down and want to make sure I have enough beauties to sell (here’s hoping!). Sister Sun What really interested me about selling [...] Read more...
Unseen art & the one-eyed monster
On Sunday we went to see a comedian performing his show called “Britalia”. I spotted it in Time Out and thought “yeah!”. The theme was all about how he grew up in Brixton (London) but in an Italian family. There were several moments of empathic delight as I sat and listened to him, relaying his [...] Read more...
