Tell us a little about your artistic background:
I have just retired from a 45 year long career in performing arts (dance, to be specific). I performed professionally for 20 years and then moved into choreography and instruction. Most of my artistic background is actually in performing arts. I began my visual art career in 2000.
Do you have any professional art training?
Yes, but my formal degree is not in art. I am formally educated in information systems. I have studied art in earnest for the past 20 years.
Top of a desk by Cheri Glover
Mosaic art originally turned my head when I was in Napa, CA working for Robert Mondavi Winery. There was a mosaic statue of a monk outside the winery that a friend of mine was doing some maintenance work on that snagged my curiosity. But I fell head over heels in love with mosaics many years later after attending a local art show and seeing the work of a local artist, Chrissie Grace. Her whimsical style and her colorful art captured my heart and Chrissie began mentoring me that very day.
How long have you been creating mosaic, art, etc?
24 years
Did you start with mosaic or did you work in other mediums before working in mosaic?
I began with mosaics. Then I took a zillion art classes/courses/workshops so I could understand color and shading, along with composition and depth.
What about mosaics resonates with you?
The process of taking many pieces of various things and putting them together into one unit, one body of art to create something altogether new, is fascinating to me. And how the colors mix with the grout to accentuate the piece.
What is your favorite part of the mosaic process?
Adding the grout and seeing the piece come to life.
Mason Des Chats by Cheri Glover
Where do you find inspiration for subject matter?
Generally, my clients bring an idea. I play with sketches, search images and sleep on it. Eventually something inspires the image.
Could be something I see when I’m driving, or something someone says out of the blue. I don’t have just one avenue for inspiration. But I have a wonderfully supportive artistic husband who is always happy to let me bounce ideas around, which is immensely helpful.
Do you have favorite materials you like to work with? What are they?
I have recently discovered the joy of working with mexican smalti. And I’ve always enjoyed working with glass.
House on the Hill by Cheri GloverWhat is your favorite thing you have created and why?
“The House on the Hill”, which was a (mostly glass) piece I did for a Gallery Show at the Crossnore School in NC. It’s my favorite because it was my first large piece, and my first attempt using glass to create a piece of whimsical art depicting a serious subject matter. (The Crossnore School is a place for children who need a home, and the cottages for the kids are nestled in amongst hills throughout the campus). I wanted to portray the comfort and safety of where those kids get assigned to live using colorful, joyful art.
What would you like to learn/add to your mosaics experience?
I am both anxious and excited to begin doing some portrait work. It’s been a goal for years. Now that I’ve retired, I hope to see it come to fruition.
What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of mosaics?
Choosing the best adhesive or substrate is often my most challenging task. Thankful for the people who are willing to discuss pros and cons.
Outdoor Patio Table Top by Cheri GloverWhat is your least favorite thing about mosaics and why?
The mess of grout and thin set. I like the process, but do not like the mess. And the bandaids.
Tell us a little about your studio space:
I currently have an artist’s bench in Luna Mosaics Studio in Orlando, and also have a studio in my home. I use the Luna Mosaics studio space for the majority of mosaic work, and my home space for the other art mediums I enjoy.
Spartacus by Cheri Glover
Do you listen to music while creating (what type/bands)or do you prefer the TV(what shows/genera/channel)? Silence? Pod cast? Etc.?
I alternate listening to a good (easy to follow) book and upbeat music. My music selection is as eclectic as my book selection, from Bach to Stevie Ray Vaughn. I was a musician as a kid and young adult, so music and I are old familiar friends and it is comforting to have in the background. But aging is weird, and sometimes silence is golden ;-)
What is one of your favorite quotes or sayings?
"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time" - Thomas Merton
Tell us about your single greatest mosaic moment:
I assist Cherie Bosela with her mosaic mural installations on occasion. We recently installed an 800 sq ft mural. Nothing has compared (so far) to the feeling of “great accomplishment” as “buttering” the back and watching Cherie put in the last tile on that beast of a project. It was a magnificent moment!
Do you have a favorite color palette?
Seems like turquoise and anything else. I’m mostly into bright colors.
Attach 3 of your favorite mosaics by someone else…
Einstein by Janis Nunez
Little Girl by Gloria Morales
Self-Portrait by Cherie Bosela
