Tell us a little about your artistic background:
For as long as I can remember I wanted to be an artist. During high school and afterward I attended technical college focusing on Commercial Art. In the summers I apprenticed at a sign company designing and painting signs and names on boats. After graduation I interviewed at several advertising agencies and a neon sign shop. I decided to go the commercial route doing illustration, layout, design and eventually became Art Director for an agency in the Minneapolis area. Soon afterward I entered the world of commercial printing, job planning, estimating and managing unruly clients. My creative energy wasn’t being utilized anymore – and I missed making art – so I started taking a night time pottery class once a week and got hooked on clay.
Do you have any professional art training?
No, but I wish that I did!
How did you get started in mosaics?
Funny story. A neighbor at the condo where we lived bought a used surfboard on Craig’s List and wanted to make it a backer for the shower at our outdoor community pool. He was retired and hell bent on me painting something creative on that surfboard, and he’d handle the install and plumbing aspect of the project. At the time we had an aging dog that I’d have to stand outdoors waiting for her to “do her business.” That neighbor would see me out there just about every time and harass me about painting the surfboard. I finally relented and told him that I would rather make some tiles with the clay and kiln that I already had rather than paint it with enamel paints. That surfboard is still there! A friend of a neighbor saw it and commissioned me to make one with a gecko for his outdoor space next!
How long have you been creating mosaic, art, etc?
I’ve been creating mosaics for more than five years now. It’s not been a seamless transition from having been a potter for so long but, I love to learn new things, problem solve alternative materials, and explore unique ideas.
Did you start with mosaic or did you work in other mediums before working in mosaic?
While I was still working in the printing industry I started taking a night time pottery class once a week and got hooked on clay. Eventually leaving stable employment, building a pottery studio, doing craft shows, gallery shows, art tours, sending work to galleries and doing commissioned works. My pottery was always illustrative, containing carved images of mostly birds and nature. I couldn't leave a pot alone without decorating it! After more than twenty years of making ceramics, my spine was screaming at me to stop; a few spinal fusions later I thought maybe handbuilding and slab work with clay would be a bit easier on my back but it was still too physical for me. A box of clay will always weigh 50 pounds, a bag of clay will weigh 25 pounds, and said clay will need to be moved around, manipulated, formed, hand-carved (for what I loved to make), glaze will need to be mixed and kilns will have to be loaded and unloaded. But man do I ever miss making ceramics!
What about mosaics resonates with you?
Reusing donated and less desirable items, reimagining a knick knack or what a single plate can be made into. I also love the “hunt” for materials, some things are found curbside, at thrift stores, yard sales and even snail-mailed from friends. It's fun for me to find ways to express art with strong unyielding materials like stones, metal, stoneware, fragile stained glass, fine china and trinkets.
What is your favorite part of the mosaic process?
I appreciate being able to walk away from working on a mosaic and the ability to pick up where I left off. Kind of like a jigsaw puzzle the mosaic is waiting for me just where I left off last. I also like being able to rearrange bits and try different colors, shapes or materials before permanently adhering everything to a substrate. Working with clay wasn't like that, it demanded attention or it might dry out, need to be wet down, crack, be too hardened to carve or it might be too wet to work with, whoops I bonked it or the handle fell off, etc.
Do you have a favorite subject matter? What is it?
Birds! Everything about them intrigues If all else fails, put a bird on it.
Where do you find inspiration for subject matter?
Nature and silly humor.
What is your favorite thing you have created and why?
I haven't made it yet, but every new project is exciting to me.
What would you like to learn/add to your mosaics experience?
Outdoor sculptural forms, and I've always had a deep desire to learn how to weld.
What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of mosaics?
For me figuring out portable hanging hardware for gallery installations and custom work that a client may not want permanently installed on-site.
What is your least favorite thing about mosaics and why?
The mess of grouting but, oddly at the same time it's so gratifying to see the results come together.
Tell us a little about your studio and attach a photo or 2 of your studio space?
My studio is tiny but mighty conveniently steps away from our backdoor. The small footprint has forced me to think of vertical storage and organization.
Do you have any studio helpers(pets)?
My husband Jason helps me with the heavy lifting around my studio, I also ask him to do “Color Consults” usually mid-project and he has great instincts. Also, my best friend (a jeweler that I met at an art fair many years ago) weighs in on design decisions via text photos, and we chat on the phone almost daily while I’m working in my studio.
Do you listen to music while creating (what type/bands)or do you prefer the TV(what shows/genera/channel)? Silence? Podcast? Etc.?
Music (Spotify) is a constant in my studio, usually at loud volume, and I enjoy all genres except country (sorry country fans!). Podcasts are very distracting for me as I’m already a squirrel.
What is one of your favorite quotes or sayings?
I’ve never chosen the path of least resistance.
If you could give readers one single piece of advice, what would it be?
Change your grinder bits more often, don't undervalue your time when estimating a project and finding a partner with spousal health insurance benefits is very helpful.
Tell us about your single greatest mosaic moment:
I haven’t had my greatest mosaic moment yet and I still feel like a young pup in this media. My greatest ceramic moment (brag) was being invited to the AKAR Yunomi Show. I remember where I was when I got the invite and what I said to my husband “It’s the equivalent of being in the Super Bowl for clay!”
Attach 3 of your favorite mosaics by someone else…Why do they capture your interest?
Cherie Bosela’s (and I’m not trying to be a suck-up I promise) Sandhill Crane project slayed!! The colors, design, scale of the project and the cranes participating! So good!
Caroline Jariwala of Mango Mosaics in England. The joy, color, and use of crockery that she puts into all of her mosaic work and commissions is wonderful! Also, on a side note I love listening to her accent when she speaks!
Ememem for “flacking” mosaicing annoying asphalt potholes under the cover of darkness into beautiful art like a modern day Robinhood Picasso.
Do you have a favorite color palette?
I do not have a favorite color and feel as though having a favorite color for me would feel very restrictive. However, I end up using many shades of blue and green in my work.
