Mosaic Installation at Camp Ocean Pines

Camp Ocean Pines Workshop

Here is the workshop at Camp Ocean Pines! The new concrete risers were just installed, and there is a channel in each riser. Our job was to install mosaic strips into those channels. In my previous blog, I showed how we made the strips at Passiflora Mosaics in Grover Beach, California. Now we've all gathered at the installation sight in Cambria. There were about 10 volunteers in addition to Fred and Donnell, our leaders and creators of these strips (see my previous blog). 

They had set all the strips where they were to be installed. Fred mixed up many bags of thinset, and we were ready to go. I spent most of the morning on my side in the dirt gluing strips into the channel. I was hot and dirty and my back and knees were struggling to work properly, but it was a very rewarding endeavor. We worked all morning and by lunchtime all the strips were installed. 

At the front of the installation, Donnell created a beautiful design with tiles, stones and some pieces from (I think) a car that Fred used to own. It looked beautiful and very California! 

After a great lunch prepared for us by the talented chef at Camp Ocean Pines, I had to leave. Our show at Salon Patine had to be taken down at 4pm, so I jetted home to get out of my dirty clothes and meet my friend Gary at the salon. 

The taking down of the show certainly went faster than the putting up, thank goodness. At the end, I sold nine pieces and enjoyed the whole process. Thanks again to Rob Hofberg for allowing us to have a show at his shop.

Creation of Mosaic at Passiflora Mosaics in Grover Beach

In April I drove to Grover Beach to join the volunteer group creating the first part of a 250 linear foot mosaic. There were 13 volunteers, and we finished almost everything in one day. The design was created by Donnell and Fred Paison, owners of Passiflora Mosaics in Grover Beach. Fred had already prepared the mesh strips, and our job was to glue the various materials to the mesh. Each strip was about three feet long. Heavy plastic was taped to the tables and then mesh was taped on top.

An empty canvas

This is how the tables looked when we arrived. Fred and Donnell taped the mesh to the tables with marks to show the width the tiles had to be. If the tiles or plates or marbles didn't fit inside the lines, then they wouldn't fit in the channel that would be made at the final installation site at Camp Ocean Pines.

So we were given instructions and we started glue.

Donnell gives instructions

Starting to glue

I cut more plastic to go under the mesh

Fred makes more strips

Donnell glues

Lots of strips done!

Once we were finished, we removed the mesh pieces from the plastic strips so they could be transported to Camp Ocean Pines in a couple weeks. It was a very enjoyable and satisfying endeavor.

Next I'll tell you all about the installation.

It's April!

And today is my birthday so I HAD to post something. So what's new on the art front?

Walls at Salon Patine

Well, Gary and I hung our show at Salon Patine. It was a lot of work. They have half the hanging system. The top part is there, but you have to fashion your own hanging piece from fish line! And they have so many large walls that the pieces look tiny. That round mirror on the white wall is 20" across. Gary hung 10 beautiful fused glass plates. I hung 36 mosaics. And there is still room for more.

Next Sunday, April 21st, is our reception from 1-4 pm. If you're in the neighborhood, please stop by.

Gary's Fused Glass Plate

The plate on the right is Gary's "Iridized Zebra Stripes" at Salon Patine. It is stunning! And below is another piece of mine. I cut the rose center with my ring saw from a beautiful English plate. Some would cry "sacrilege" but the plate was purchased at a thrift store for less than $10. I had no choice but to buy it and incorporate it into a mosaic!

I'm going to stop now because I also have a Begonia meeting here on Sunday. So far we have 45 people attending, and I have work to do in the garden.

See you next time!

March 2013 - In like a Lion, Out like a Lamb

Or in my case, a squirrel. We don't have a lot of squirrels here in Santa Barbara, but this little fellow found the "sit in" bird feeder and stayed for a meal. Several meals, in fact. He likes to taunt the kitties while jumping around in the trees. He's very cute!

Today Gary Hunt and I are hanging our show at Salon Patine. Gary has beautiful fused glass plates, and I have, well, all kinds of stuff. Please stop by and see our art. And we're having a reception on April 21st, 1-4 pm. Stop by for some wine and cheese and convivial fun with other artists.

Here are a few of the pieces you'll see in the show.

It's Almost April!

Where did the month go? I haven't posted since the beginning of March, and many things have happened since then. But if I try to tell you about everything, I'll never finish this so I'll do one thing at a time.

I attended Laurie Mika's polymer clay class at Tami Macala's Santa Barbara School of Mosaic Art. It was wonderful! My friend Nancy had signed up for the class and then wasn't able to attend so she offered her space in the class to me. Thank you, Nancy!





Laurie is a wonderful teacher and artist. She has written a book entitled Mixed Media Mosaics. I read it over and over and learn something new every time. And by attending the class, I saw some of her techniques first hand and am amazed again. I just wish I could remember how to do them all.

In the class we all made triptyches (works of art divided into three sections) using polymer clay. I am really in awe of the talent I saw around me. As I've said before, I need to actually look at something to give me an idea of what to do, but these women just got started and knocked out incredible pieces.

More later on the rest of the month!

Aged Transfers

Laurie Mika

Finished Triptyches

My triptych - not yet finished

March Blog Update

Well, once again I made a big mistake and had to find a way to cover it up. This frame is a cupboard door from my neighbors who own a kitchen design store. They give me the doors when the patterns are no longer for sale and I make them into mosaics. Now many of the doors have an inner raised area rather than just an inset where I can put the mosaic.

I loved the color on this one so I fiddled around and put Italian marble in the recessed area and thought it looked pretty good. I made some fused glass pieces in the shape of a wine glass and a wine bottle. I was liking it more and more! Then I filled in the rest of the background with an outdoor scene. I was quite pleased with my work!!

The Goleta Valley Art Association had an ingathering last Friday so I got out the drill to make holes for the hanging hardware in the back. And I drilled one of the holes through to the front! I couldn't believe my stupidity. Or carelessness!

So I remembered some little stars I had and used one to cover the hole! I put a few more to make it believable. And I think it still looks pretty good.

Sometimes I think I have too many geegaws but then something like this happens and I'm glad I have them.






I've been working hard to create new mosaics for my upcoming show in April. And I finished one of the two cat mosaics a friend has commissioned of her cats. I struggle mightily with these cat portraits. This is Charlie with Biscotti giving it a final rub. My friend was very patient with me but once I finish her second cat, I think it will be the last cat mosaic I make. At least for other people. I like the ones I've done of my Orange Boy and Patches. But making a mosaic really look like a photo isn't easy for me. I'm happier with a blue Patches!

Patches

Studio update

Well, it's about time I posted to my blog. It's been a very busy month of January and so far February! My show at the Good Cup Downtown is going well, and I invite you all to stop by for coffee. It's right next to the Fiesta theater, 918 State St.

I have applied for membership the Santa Barbara Studio Artists group, and one of the criteria was to send pictures of my studio. So I tidied it up a bit and took some pictures. I have a kiln now and, even though I'm a complete novice, I've been having fun testing and fusing. I bought the Paragon Caldera XL kiln which has three shelves that are 7" x 7" each. I've rounded some millefiori and fused some little bottles.

Picture and text placement is having its own way so I'm just going to leave everything as is. Over on the right is a wonderful rotating cabinet that I believe was made for CD cases. It is perfect for all my glass beads! Below are various views of the studio. I dare not move too much because then all the pictures will rearrange themselves so I'm going to post this for now and then tell you more about what's up in the next post. See you soon!

Biscotti watches the upheaval

Glass storage in indoor studio

Millefiori too close together in the kiln!

Here is the little kiln. I also plan to do some jewelry in it. Before I knew better, I tried firing some millefiori in a non-stainless steel bezel. That didn't work very well.

Happy New Year 2013

Happy New Year! It's been a very busy month, and I've been neglecting my blog. My first resolution in 2013 is to update my blog more often! I have still been working on a mosaic a week and, in fact, have made many more than four in December.

But back to my mosaics...my show is going well at Good Cup Downtown. One of the mosaics I made this month was a Christmas tree which I loved. Someone else loved it too and bought it.

I also made another mirror to hang over the fireplace after I sold the English transferware mirror. So that's all for now. I have a persistent cat on my lap wanting attention so I'll give in and pet him.

Transferware Mirror