Keeping up with my Weekly New Work Goal

I have been working on new mosaics! The mosaic above is a tempered glass piece that turned out looking like a bird. I started with a bouquet of Tuberous Begonias (left) made by a friend of mine. Then I put it in Photoshop and did a little Liquifying on it. Only when I showed it to friends did I see that there was a bird in the picture. This hasn't been grouted yet. I think I'll do two or three colors of grout.

On the right is a mosaic I am making for the American Begonia Society convention coming up soon. The picture is a botanical of Begonia boliviensis. I printed the picture on my large format Epson printer.Then I cut out glass squares and glued them down with Weldbond. Unfortunately some of the pieces (especially the long bottom glass piece) didn't get completely covered with glue and have a ripple effect. Hopefully grout will help to hide it.













To the right is another mosaic to enter in the ABS convention show. It is Begonia luxurians. It seems a little dull to me so I may spruce it up with some glitter somewhere. Martha Stewart has glitter paints that are transparent with only the glitter showing. I may try something like that on the sky.

And below we have a couple more mosaics; a cat rock and a big gold mirror, Neither is grouted yet. And I've been making Begonia rocks. I'll post a picture soon.

Still busy working on my mosaics!

San Luis Obispo Art Tour 2011

Morro Bay

Last weekend my friends Mike, Gary and I attended the ARTS Obispo (the San Luis Obispo County Arts Council) 13th annual Open Studios Art Tour. We visited all the mosaic artists and most all of the glass studios. Since the tour covered all of San Luis Obispo County, we spent the night in Morro Bay. Here is the famous Morro Bay Rock which was just two blocks from our hotel.

We also visited our friends Paul and Laurel in Los Osos. Laurel was one of the artists on the tour. She makes beautiful jewelry with polymer clay. She and Paul are also wonderful Begonia growers. Paul is famous for his Tuberous Begonias. And here I am with Laurel and Mike in her gorgeous Begonia garden.

Laurel, Mike and Julie

Heart Mosaic by Passiflora Mosaics

One of the studios we visited was Passiflora Mosaics in Grover Beach, CA. We met Fred and Donnell Pasion and watched them work on their mosaic bench to be installed at the new Cottage Hospital building in Santa Barbara.Cottage Hospital had a call for artists earlier this year and their mosaic benches were chosen to be installed in the new building.

This heart is one of their creations! They also create mushrooms and other forms from styrofoam and cement to create lightweight forms to be mosaiced.

This is another of their mosaics. It is their beloved cat Zoe who is no longer with them. What a whimsical piece!

Gary and Mike

And finally we visited Gopher Glen Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo and bought apples and fudge! Gary and Mike climbed into this pumpkin display for a picture.

What a great weekend! We met many wonderful artists and I was inspired by the beautiful pieces we saw.

Wine & Cheese and Ongoing Cat & Rat Story

Here is my latest work in progress. It is made of marble and is supposed to be a scene with wine and cheese on a table (I should use the tablecloth on my work table - very Italian) looking out the window. As usual, I'm great at the border, not too bad on the wine bottles, but confused about the rest of the mosaic. Does that really look like a block of cheese? Where does the sky stop and the table begin? Should there be greenery outside? A sun? This one is made on Hardibacker, and I'm using Lexel, so it will be fine to hang outdoors.

In making my wine mosaic, I find it's not easy to cut marble. A while back I made a stool top with marble and a kitty coaster. I use the stool in the studio. No cutting or keystoning was required. Just used large and small marble pieces. But this wine mosaic requires a lot of cutting, and it's a dangerous proposition! I have compound nippers that add power to the cut but they are also a bit scary to use! And if you don't hold them just right, the cut pieces go flying or you squeeze your hand with the handles.

In case you'd like a pair, you can buy them at amazon.com for $15.38. I believe I paid quite a bit more when I bought them at SAMA earlier this year. M-D Building Products #49943. I could probably do a better job with a hammer and hardie but...

And on the ongoing Cat and Rat story,  here we have Biscotti trying to find the rat. I believe the cats have found a nest because every day they bring in at least one small rat. Here the rat has gotten away from Biscotti and he's looking for it. I was able to save both rats yesterday, though I have mixed feelings. I really don't want rats in the yard or house, but the babies are very cute.

Last night there were four baby raccoons in the yard. First I hear them come over the fence and then usually pots crashing to the ground. But talk about cute!

Below is a picture I took a while back when this guy was extremely interested in everything going on in the house. Here he is just outside the kitchen door looking in at the cats on the other side of the glass door. 

Mosaic Art vs. Mosaic Craft

So here is a dilemma I have. Where does one draw the line between craft and art? I have been turned down by judged shows because my work was "too crafty." Well, yes, I can see how the piece on the right is crafty. But there are an awful lot of people who love this sort of mosaic for their home. The pink oval mirror below was purchased by a friend of mine. It was entered at the local tennis club's show of artwork created by members only. I sold 16 of 18 pieces I had displayed and got three more commissions. But many of the pieces I made were what many "art people" call crafts.

This mosaic mandala below was sold at the tennis club show. Is this art? Craft? I just don't know!

I applied to the Goleta Valley Art Association earlier this year. I submitted two pieces; the smalti / marble mirror on the left and a replica of an 1800 botanical of Begonia Opuliflora below.. On the round mirror I used computer keyboard keys to spell out words like love, faith, hope, etc.

I was turned down with no remarks from the judge so I have no idea what she was looking for. The sweet part, however, was that one of the women there purchased the round smalti/marble piece. But isn't this art?







Well, I reapplied to the Goleta Valley Art Association last month and was accepted with this piece below I call "Raj" after my neighbor. It is all sparkly mirror tiles. I guess it must be art! The show is now hanging for a month at the Goleta Valley Library.

So I think I will just keep making art and craft and not worry too much about the judges who often seem to have their own likes and dislikes (can I say agendas?). I like doing the crafty things and I like doing more artistic works.

Ready to grout. Is this art?