Thoughts About My Art

 

I love mosaic – not only because it is a beautiful and practical art form, but also because it philosophically represents patterns in life that I observe.  I see life as a compilation of bright and dark days, interesting and dull moments that form an overarching statement of who we are.  In other words, each life event is an element of our life’s mosaic.  Only when we can see our life in perspective, can we see pattern and meaning.  Each individual element may seem insignificant, but in observing the whole we see balance achieved by all of life’s events.

 

Over the past few years, my work has become more architectural and abstract.  I am inspired by the geometry of Frank Lloyd Wright’s stain glass windows and the unique color combinations and “stacked” designs of Gustav Klimt’s paintings.  I want my work to be visually engaging while at the same time be comfortable to live with.  Whether I am creating art as a large focal point or small accent piece, I hope my work is uplifting, a conversation starter and a statement of each owners individuality.

 

My Process

 

While my mosaics are often mistaken for ceramic, glass, leather and even linoleum, they are actually made with handmade and hand painted paper. I began my art career as a traditional mosaic artist creating designs with broken tile.  However, I quickly became frustrated by limitations I encountered with both color and texture.  I also wanted mosaics that were lighter weight, flexible and more intricate.  Therefore, I innovated this unusual art form that combines elements of mosaic, collage and quilting.

 

My work begins as I paint paper using a variety of different painting and printing techniques.  When I   paint a “palate” of papers, I focus on color harmony and creating interesting texture.  I may also choose to include exotic handmade papers such as cork, banana bark, mango leaf and chiri bark that add unique texture.

 

Once I have prepared my papers, I turn the papers into intricate sheets of mosaic tile using a technique similar to strip quilting.  The individual squares of paper combined to make these sheets of mosaic tiles are often as small as 1/8” x 1/8”.  I then cut the sheets of mosaic tile into squares and rectangles and reassemble them once more in a patchwork pattern.  Finally, I cut sections from this patchwork design and glue them onto black ¼” fiberboard tiles.  The fiberboard tiles are then composed on the final art form and the entire piece is finished with either lacquer or resin.

 

For an in depth explanation of my process, please purchase my book Perfect Paper Mosaics.  Perfect Paper Mosaics was published in 2006 by Sterling Publishers and contains 122 full color pages that describe ten paper mosaic techniques and sample projects to introduce the reader to each skill.  It can be purchased online here, or at Barnes & Noble Booksellers. 

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