Mosaic highlights of 2012

Well what a year it has been for creating mosaics!

Here some of my mosaic highlights of the year...

The year started with the Faberge Big Egg Hunt and my two mosaiced big eggs - 'Time to Bloom' and 'Love and Flourish'.

'Time to Bloom' was situated for the hunt in a rather lovely place in Mayfair outside the resturant 34,  frequented by the stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow with it's own door man in a traditonal bowler hat and tradional coat,a rather nice man, whom kept an eye of the egg and talked to visitors about it too! It was sponsored by 'Caprice' during the hunt.

I loved the light here, it gave the irredecent tiles and the mirror tiles a chance to twinkle. This egg was sold for £5001, beating Rob Ryan's egg by £1 on the online auction site! Time to Bloom is now at the entrance of the home of someone in the music industry, which makes me smile!

'Love and Flourish' was placed in the Duke of Chelsea Square, another lovely place to enjoy a coffee and watch the world go by. 'Love and Flourish' had a white rose on one side and the orchids on the other, compared to the winding spring blossoms on' Time to Bloom'. The light again, just made the tiles sparkle and this mosaic was stroked by the public, one of my reasons for using these tiles.

I really enjoyed mosaicing these pieces - a new challanging shape and being inspired by nature with my own stories behind both pieces ( read previous post). This size is huggable too!


Private Commissions...

I have also been commissioned for various private mosaic installations this year, that I will not post pictures of here,  that have eaten up months and endless cups of tea and many, many happy hours cutting and sticking..from monsters, maps, traditional mosaic scenes, journeys, handmade personal tiles and little funny in jokes, animals and teapots / crowns to mention the ones from the top of my head, it's been an eventful year.

Funny stories of sitting in a doctors' waiting room, to balancing on a duck board balanced across a working jacuzzi, eating ice-cream with clients from Edinburgh, to sharing' in jokes', having drawings of monsters taped to the walls, there really hasn't been a dull moment. When friends ask, 'So what have you been up to?' Sometimes, I don't think they are ready for the response...

I have been able to indulge in using fab-u-lous tiles from white gold, iridescent tiles, resin, clay inserts, wonderful Italian tiles, crystals and even plain glass..

Galleries and exhibitions...

Having work shown as part of '15' exhibition at Metropolis Art Gallery in Westbourne, Bournemouth  was indeed rather lovely to be in the company of a wide range of artists and subject matter. It gave me a chance to work on new and exciting range of map and flag  mosaics using some of my own tiles and trying something new.
Check out the gallery online: www.metropolisartworks.com

National Trust ' Star Gazing trail'

I was delighted to be part of the current sculpture trail at Mottisfont Abbey of stars. I mosaiced a 3D star and it proudly sits outside in the formal gardens at the front of the house ( near the mosaic angel).

 



   





It was a challenge, as the structure is made from steel rods and each side needed a substrate to adere the tiles too and still be waterproof and reflect and twinkle as stars do!

I am very pleased of the finished product and the placing of the star, as as the sun catches the tiles, this star really does twinkle.

The making of a heart...





 

I really enjoy using my creativity and mosaic skills for public art and fundrasing for good causes..so I applied to mosaic a table top heart to raise money for a very good cause..a hospital in San Francisco!

The heart was shipped over and the fun began! The heart was mosaiced with mini white, silver glitter hearts, all handmade.  The mini hearts were happily stuck on by the kids on the childrens' ward of Poole hospital..there was only one little problem..getting the heart to the hospital..so I flew with the heart to San Francisco..what an artist will do for their art!

The heart will be part of 'Heroes and hearts 2013' and will be on exhibited at Macy's until the public auction on Valentines day. To find out more click here: https://www.sfghfoundation.net/hh/hearts_and_artists.html

 

 

 

And so..

 I am very lucky to wake up and work on projects that stretch my creativity and create mosaics with love, a bit of twinkle and normally a mug of earl grey tea in the other. I would like to thank my lucky stars for these projects and for the love and support of friends and family for their help. (and the lashings of tea!)
Each year I am amazed at the projects I am lucky to work on and the mosaic madness - so here's to more wonderful projects, be it grand private commissions and wonderful public and charity mosaics that work hand it hand - the private commissions allow me to indulge in charity mosaics and think of
those 'out of the box' ideas...'wishing you all a wonderful 2013and I will keep you posted of my mosaics.