Polymer clay to the rescue

Octo Girl - work in progress 4 © Eve Lynch

Yesterday I finished up some details on Octo Girl's face and painted her tentacled "hair" to see how I would handle the shading using different tones of blue glass.

I had intended to cut the suction cups out of green stained glass but after gluing a few down I realized that they were going to look too flat for my tastes.

When I started working with mosaic I was frustrated by my inability to get the dimensional look that I had dancing around in my head. I tried using a mixture of stained glass and some chunky ceramic shards but even that didn't satisfy me. I needed a material that was much more flexible.

That's where polymer clay came in.

After deciding against stained glass for the suction cups, I grabbed some polymer clay and a long paintbrush and I started modeling my own.

I rolled out some clay in short, snake-like sections and pushed the end of the paintbrush into the centers forming the suction cups for the tentacles. It was a lot of extra work but I know it will pay off in the end.

Octo Girl - work in progress 5 © Eve Lynch

After modeling each sucker, I baked the whole lot of them and then glued them back into place on the Wedi board. Then they all got a coat of a lime green acrylic paint.

I guess it looks a bit shocking right now, evidenced by the fact that my husband's reaction to her was, "Do you think anyone is going to know that those are suction cups? They're kinda big."

Yeah. The suckers are stealing the show right now. They are a bit large but I want them to have an organic look, almost like some sort of sea pod or coral. I'm not going for realism here. Obviously.

Things will start making more sense once I get some glass around them and paint them with several more coats of acrylic.

She's still a work in progress.

Progress on Octo Girl

Octo Girl - work in progress © Eve Lynch

I finally broke through my creative slump and managed to get some work done on Octo Girl.

I was too focused on "producing" a bunch of pendants for the upcoming Fort Myers Art Walk. I tend to burn every ounce of creative spirit out of my body when I am trying to fabricate, fabricate, fabricate so I put the jewelry aside and worked on my tentacled mermaid.

The majority of her face is finished now so I can start working on her "hair". I used blue acrylic paint to mock up the highlights and shading and green paint for the suction cup areas. These are all guidelines as the design frequently changes as I work.

The strange star shaped thing jutting out of the right side of her head was going to be a starfish in her hair but I decided against it. I think the tentacles will be enough.

The background is going to be a tough decision. Right now I'm thinking either black or white - something to bring out the portrait and not detract from it. I'll have to tackle that decision when I get there.

Hope to work on her some more throughout the weekend.

Inspired by the butterfly

I've loved butterflies ever since I was a little girl. Spotting one was a magical event and sometimes I would stalk them on my lawn...trying to sneak up quietly to catch the unsuspecting beauty in my cupped hands. I caught a few Cabbage Moths this way but never anything as grand as a Monarch Butterfly.
Every summer we would see bunches of windswept Monarchs fluttering across the roadway on Long Beach Island. As delicate as they look, Monarchs are winged warriors, soldiering on according to their migration plans.

I think it is their resilience coupled with their amazingly bright colors that draws me to them...and besides, my favorite color is orange!

When I began researching the Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos, I discovered that Monarch Butterflies are believed to be the souls of ancestors returning to Earth for their annual visit. I love how this culture embraces their ancestors in such an artful way! Reading about the connection between the butterflies and the Mexican culture inspired me to create my first butterfly mosaic, "Return to Me." (Available for purchase through BIG ARTS on Sanibel Island, FL)

I combined my love of the colorful Monarch with my playful take on the belief that the butterflies delivered the souls of the dead.

Return to Me © Eve Lynch

Return to Me, wing detail

After completing the mosaic, I knew I would be inspired by the colors and patterns of the Monarch again. There is so much to love!

Inspiration hit me when I found this giant (5 inch!) butterfly pendant form. My original direction was to design a butterfly with blues, lime green and purple but my collection of orange glass was calling and this is what emerged.

Emerge, stained glass/millefiori butterfly pendant, 5 inches © Eve Lynch

Art journaling with Frida

Gifts from Rebecca Collins at ArtPaw.com

I love getting real mail...anything beautiful and colorful - ephemera and books are my favorite. (I love books!)

Today was a great mail day. One of my mosaic partners in crime, artist Rebecca Collins of Art Paw, sent me The Diary of Frida Kahlo and some postcards of her brilliant pet portraits.

I haven't read this Frida book yet and I was delighted that Rebecca sent it to me. (Thanks Rebecca!)

The book is actually a published version of Frida Kahlo's real diary and at first glance I know that I will enjoy reading through it.

As an artist and an avid writer, I really enjoy reading an artist's thoughts as they progress through a series of artworks. I have learned that writing about my artwork as I create it helps me establish a path for where I want the piece to end up and also helps people who view my art understand where I am coming from. I find that the pieces of art that I connect with the most are often ones that have struck a chord with me emotionally.

Being able to read Frida's thoughts and see some of her sketches is very interesting. It makes me want to start a physical art journal, something in a Moleskine, not just a blog that resides out here in the clouds. I don't particularly like my handwriting or any of my finished sketches (is that weird?) but I do see the benefit from having something tangible that I can go back through and read later. Besides, I can pass it down to my son one day.

My father is an artist (in my eyes) but has chosen not purposefully make art. Even though he doesn't see the value in his talent, I still hold onto his drawings from when he was a kid. I grew up marveling at his ability to draw so well at such a young age and his "portfolio" is among some of my most prized possessions.

I see Frida's journal in much the same way...only she's unwittingly passed it down to all of us. Art really does make the world go round.

Creative blockage

Cute island cottage, Captiva Island, FL © Eve Lynch

I'm smack in the middle of a creative slump. I can't seem to get into the groove...and I actually feel sick when I think about creating something.

Not a good prognosis for an artist that has deadlines looming.

One of my submissions was not selected for a juried exhibit and it left me feeling shaky. There is just something about dealing with rejection that makes me question everything that I am doing.

It would definitely help if galleries provided some form a feedback as to why artwork was not accepted. I know the request is illogical and ridiculous but I still want some clarification! What the hell was wrong with the artwork?

(deep breath)

I'll get over it. I've been here before.

I had a small hiatus from my artwork and my usual routine and spent a nice chunk of time on the local beaches with my family. It definitely felt good to get away from everything and retreat to the Gulf of Mexico's welcoming arms. I am so glad we live in paradise.

Stepping back into my studio after being on a mini vacation has been like trying to get a kid to go back to school after a long summer break. I'm still not ready to start thinking.

I'm hoping I'll get there soon. Octo Girl is waiting.

Funky fish donation

"Calypso", stained & tempered glass, 6x6 in © Eve Lynch

I've been so busy lately that I've had no time to work on my larger artwork.

I've been making jewelry and just finished this small mosaic for a local fundraiser...a crazy fish character that I named Calypso!

He's been donated to the Island Coast High School's Academy of Natural Resources for their 2nd annual fish fry and silent auction.

The Mosaic Tile House

 Mosaic Tile Bench © Cheri Pann

California is a mosaic mecca!

Some of the most amazing examples of public mosaic art seem to originate in the state. I'm not sure if it is the great weather or the congregations of creative people, but CA takes the cake when it comes to over the top creativity.

One colorful example is the Mosaic Tile House in Venice. The entire property is covered with mosaic work! I am just in love with that bench and tiled rainbow walkway.

The artists, Cheri Pann and her husband Gonzalo Duran, are responsible for this fantastic wonderland. The installation reminds me of Isaiah Zagar's prolific mosaics in Philadelphia because the couple creates a lot of the tiles themselves. They also incorporate broken crockery and other bits of interesting material into their work. You can really tell that the house has been a labor of love.

There are several articles on the website that explain their processes. In Clay Times Part 1 (see website) Cheri talks about some of the mistakes that the couple made along the way. My ears perked up when I started reading this part as she reveals three basic mistakes every mosaic artist comes across at some point...

• Mastic and mirror don't mix
• Don't mosaic on wood if the piece will stay outdoors
• Acrylic paint stained grout will eventually fade outdoors - use grout colorants

I am inspired by the way that this couple just jumped in and started creating without worrying about being perfect. I would love to find a little cottage by the sea and cover it from floor to ceiling with colorful tiles.

Play Doh mojo

Plague Skull, polymer clay © Marc Damicis

Thanks to the ever watchful eye of Google Analytics, I pinpointed the source of the traffic that arrived on my blog last Wednesday to give me a good talking to about comments I made about polymer clay. While reading through several forum pages of comments about my blog post, I happened upon a polymer clay artist that seems to be channeling my Play Doh mojo.

Dyneau had this to say about the polymer clay/Play Doh snafu -

"Polymer Clay is Clay, it is the adult version of the dreams we had as children, the wishes we had wanting to save and cherish what we made as children. We can leave the adult world for a just a little while but at the same time be Great Artists with very creative minds and the whole time, we are enjoying the heck out of doing it.  So, forgive me if I don't take offense because I pray I will always have that "kid" inside of me to keep me alive and happy.  Everyone thinks different, thats just my take on it."

Her comment about polymer clay being the "adult version of the dreams we had as children" is sublime. 


Every time I make something with clay or glass, I am satisfying the primal need to create that began with my first box of crayons, my first tub of Play Doh and my first bottle of finger paint. I feel lucky to be able to find that inner child day after day.

The Octopus's Garden © Eve Lynch

Last week I posted that I felt polymer clay was like "Play Doh for grown-ups" and I received a barrage of angry comments from polymer clay artists so I wanted to clarify things a bit and elaborate on the comment that started it all.

First off, I've been using polymer clay for over a year now. I took up the medium when I became frustrated with the rigidity of glass and I've been using the stuff in my mosaic work whenever I want to squeeze an extra WOW! in there. I'd have to say that it is my favorite material.

When I was a kid I used Play Doh a lot and my mother even made bread dough clay a few times a year. I loved the way that I could instantly create something without a learning curve. The material brought me joy and heightened my tactile awareness. There were no rules to follow and I liked that.

Years later when I finally picked up polymer clay, I was thrilled that the experience was unchanged. While I mostly use use polymer clay to add details to mosaic work, I really do feel like the medium has become my own form of Play Doh...and that's a good thing.

When I pick up a lump to work with it, I love the way it makes me feel like I can do anything. Here are some of my artworks that feature polymer clay...El Corazon (skeleton with anatomical heart), Clockwork Heart, Man Eater (carnivorous plant), Deep Sea Angler (angler fish on reef), Beatles Freak (zombie), Zombie Buddha and The Octopus's Garden (currently part of the Brevard Art Museum's traveling exhibit).

Renew & Replenish

Fern ©  Rebecca Geoffrey

Today I am reminded of how I must continually challenge myself. Every time I hit that wall that makes me want to hang up my mosaic nippers, I look to other artists to renew my faith in the creative process. I find artwork that inspires me and makes me want to better myself and hone my craft.

Recently I discovered Rebecca Geoffrey, an artist that works with polymer clay and sterling silver. Her jewelry is amazing and it is hard to believe that she transforms polymer clay, a material that I liken to Play-Doh for grown-ups, into such a high end product.

Rebecca's creations make me want to branch out (no pun intended) and learn how to fabricate my own jewelry blanks.

I emailed the artist about her metal working skills and she was kind enough to point me in the right direction and give me some tips on where to start if I ever decide to embark on a metal working adventure.

Creative karma at work!

Squid, you inspire me

We are shaped and fashioned by what we love. - Goethe

Sea Stroll with Squid Ari Abramczyk

Tweaking your blog design

When I decided to start blogging again I did some research on which platform I was going to use. I had previously used both Blogger and Wordpress but I found that both had pros and cons.

I really like the back end of Wordpress and I would probably be using WP now if it wasn't for their lack of template options for free blogs. I am a design freak and I love tweaking my virtual "environment" so the lack of interesting templates and the inability to change little things like font style made me head over to Blogger for good.

When I started up again, I got straight to searching for colorful blog templates. There are literally hundreds out there and I wanted one that really spoke to me and represented my personality.

I found some really beautiful free backgrounds at Shabby Blogs that are super easy to install. There is no crazy editing of your blog template, you just copy the code and install it as an HTML widget on your Blogger Layout screen. (This is a good option if you want a simple way to change your blog style frequently.)

Then I stumbled upon Blogger in Draft. Essentially it's the regular Blogger with ramped up features like Template Designer...a design and color lovers dream!

Template Designer offers customizable templates with simple layouts along with scores of colorful patterns and background images from iStockphoto.

I read a lot of Blogger powered weblogs and I don't think many people are aware of the features offered by Blogger in Draft. I haven't run across one blog that is using the backgrounds yet. I can easily see why because I would never have known about it myself had it not been for me stumbling over it while searching for templates.

To access Blogger in Draft, just go to http://draft.blogger.com and click on "Layout" - you'll see a link to the "Template Designer" on the far right. You'll be able to test the template design features before committing to anything - just don't click "Apply to Blog"!

FYI - Draft Blogger does not work with IE6 so you'll need to upgrade to the latest version...or move over to Firefox. (You'll thank me later.)

Pug Cleaner?

Mixed Media Pug Collage © Rebecca Collins

  
Too cute to resist but...

TOTALLY stupid, I know. 


(The link not Rebecca's artwork.)

Leave a trail

at sunset © Ilikethenight

Do not follow where the path may lead.  Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.   

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quit Facebook

Not that this has much of an effect on my life since I quit a year ago, but there is a campaign afoot to get users to quit Facebook.

Looks like I'm ahead of the herd on this one.

Thanks are in order - part 2

April © Picachouette/Sendrine

I wanted to thank my mosaic friend Sendrine for passing along a bit of creative karma.

She won second place in the Mandala Challenge with her mosaic, April (the piece is one of my favorites) and she passed along her good fortune to me. (Thanks Sendrine!)

Sendrine is the proud mama of a budding nonconformist who fancies skulls and scary tattoos. :) He also has a talent for mosaic art...much like his mother.


Here he is with one of his superb skull mosaics. He was even generous enough to make one for me and send it all the way from Cyprus to my home in Florida! It's sitting next to my TV right now.


In exchange I made him a (much smaller) UFO mosaic. Just what every boy needs.

The Big Blow © Sendrine

If you get a chance you should wander over to Sendrine's photostream on Flickr and take a look at her lovely artwork.

You'll be glad you did.

Thanks are in order - part 1

Calacas © Lorena Angulo

Sometimes it feels like I have 100 creative ideas hatching at once. This week has been no exception...

I have been researching precious metal clay and while I haven't made any real decisions about where I am going to start, I have been reading up on material costs and firing methods.

I know I've said this before, but Flickr is an excellent place to learn from other artists. I took advantage of this and cashed in on its awesomeness by asking one of my favorite artists, Lorena Angulo, about working with PMC.

Lorena's handcrafted jewelry is superb and really shows how skillful she is. Her attention to detail is fantastic.

Cruz Flor ER  © Lorena Angulo

I just wanted to thank Lorena for answering my questions and being so helpful. Her generous response reinforces my belief that artists are willing to share information freely. Thank you Lorena!

More Lorena:

YouTube
Etsy
Facebook
BLOG

Octo Girl progress

I haven't been able to find the time (or energy) lately to get to my Octopus Girl mosaic. May has been a crazy month this year and there are a host of other things that are taking priority over my artwork.

I'm not happy about it!

I did manage to complete Octo Girl's right eye and eyebrow and I finished her lips. Originally, I thought that the eyes were the most difficult part but the lips proved to be frustrating too. I had to rip them out twice before I settled on these.

I am using a few different flesh tones for her face and I can see that I will probably have to rip out the darker pieces around her cheek bones.

I have already decided that I will not grout this mosaic, at least not the face. I painted the substrate with acrylics so that the dark gray color of the Wedi board won't be peeking through once the face area is finished. I'll probably do that everywhere just to be safe.

Best web hosting for artists

Screen shot from my website: krakenmosaics.com

 As any artist knows, setting up a web portfolio is a lot of work.                     

Most artists have scores of image files to upload and setting up a website featuring at least 2 years worth of artwork is a daunting task. Creating a well designed website is an art in itself - one that deserves your full attention.

There are several companies out there offering inexpensive website hosting, like Go Daddy or Yola, but I recommend Other People's Pixels. 

OPP offers a simple to use interface. You just pick the design that works best for your artwork and upload your images. You can tweak the colors, font style and descriptions to your heart's content and you can guarantee that your self made web portfolio won't end up looking like something from the Geocities era. 

It's pretty simple. For under $20 a month you can have a fantastic looking portfolio that you will be proud of. You can even try setting up a test portfolio for free. 

If you are looking for the best website hosting for artists, you have got to try OPP.

On my “to do” list – Precious Metal Clay

Mosaic Jewelry © Eve Lynch

I’ve been making mosaic jewelry since 2008 and while I love creating interesting works of art on such a small scale, I am frustrated by the lack of ready-made jewelry blank options.

There are very few choices available and several of the more interesting bezels aren't deep enough for using with stained glass or ceramic.

What I need is custom jewelry blanks.
 And I need to be the one to make them…

…Enter Precious Metal Clay.

I figure that if I can get my hands on some of the stuff I may be able to transition smoothly into using it for custom jewelry blanks.

That’s my theory anyway.

There are some gorgeous examples of PMC jewelry out there and so far, I haven’t seen anything that looks like the ideas floating around in my head. An added bonus!

© Christine Ostler

Pajaro © lorenaangulo

My kind of art exhibit – Mermaid & Octopus Show

King Squid © Rebecca Collins

I have had a soft spot in my heart for mermaids and octopi for years.

One of my first large scale mosaics featured an 11 foot octopus and my first underwater scene featured a joyful mermaid with long flowing hair.

There is just something magical about these creatures and I find them endlessly inspiring.

Every time I get wind of an art exhibit featuring mermaids or cephalopods I start to freak out a little so imagine my excitement when I discovered an entire show centered around both of my two favorite things!

A mosaic friend of mine (and partner in crime), Rebecca Collins and her husband are two of the artists contributing artwork to the event: Mermaid Exquisite Creatures 2: The Mermaid & Octopus Show.
Judging by some of the photos of artwork on the website, the show is going to be a real humdinger! I only wish I was closer to Dallas, Texas.

Sucker © Dan Collins

The idea for this art exhibit is such a fantastic one and it so right up my alley that I am officially putting out a public plea to the curator, Katrina Doran, to open the exhibit to artists living outside of Texas.

(Pretty please!?)

I live for this type of stuff. For real.

Organic mosaics

Would you believe that this lovely “mosaic” was created with butterfly wings?

This is one small section of several giant “stained glass” windows from a church in Japan.

The priest was a Lepidopterist and turned his passion for butterflies into amazing artwork that features over 30,000 butterflies!

 

My favorite window is this stunning piece that features fish…

More photos of the butterfly windows can be found here. [You have to scroll down about half way to see the artwork.]

Enjoy!

Colorful chaos in Berlin

Cyclists splashed paint in the middle of the road at a busy intersection in Berlin and then sat back and watched the daily traffic create colorful chaos.

All of the paint washed away eventually but the immediate result must have been awesome to behold.

(That tiny vehicle in the center of the colorful explosion looks like a Hot Wheels car. Beep beep!)

via the Let's Colour Project blog

Flickr tip: Build your Brand

 

Your Flickr screen name is an important aspect of building your brand, especially if you are an artist marketing your work under your own name.

While the name "pinkfuzzyslippers" might have sounded ultra hip when you opened your account, it might not be the best screen name for marketing your artwork...unless, of course, you are selling under the name Pink Fuzzy Slippers!

It's really a good idea to include your real name as your screen name or at least find a way to incorporate it. I added my name in brackets after my business moniker (see photo insert). This ensures that people will become familiar with my brand every time I comment on a photo on Flickr - - and since commenting on photos is such a big part of the Flickr experience, having a professional screen name just makes sense.

Another benefit of using your real name is that people will be able to find your artwork if they search for you by name. Say someone sees your artwork in a local gallery or reads about your art in the paper, if they do a  Google search for you, your Flickr account will pop up in the search results. If people don't associate you with the screen name "pinkfuzzyslippers", you're out of luck.

[This recently happened to me when I was trying to match up a few mosaic contacts with their Flickr accounts. I was unable to determine what screen names they were using and have been unable to find them. Had they used their real names or even their business names, I would have been able to search for them. Sadly, no luck. Imagine if I was a customer that wanted to purchase art from them?]

I know it has been mentioned elsewhere before, but having consistent branding is one of the best things that you can do to market your art. Keep your "doing business as" names the same everywhere...Flickr, Facebook, Twitter...wherever.

It's a simple step but it goes a long way to building your brand.

Order from chaos

via Art Biz Blog  >> Art is about making order out of chaos.

Space Case mosaic shoe © Eve Lynch

Usually when I'm creating an artwork, whether in reality or while planning it in my head, I am attempting to equalize the disorderly stream of ideas inside of me. I'm not a chaotic person...far from it...but I often feel like my brain is filled with rubber balls.

Each ball is an idea bouncing off the next - multiplying and morphing into new ideas. So many ideas in fact that I have to get them out so that I can contain the crazy energy. If it weren't for this chaos (for lack of a better word), I'd be just another artist languishing in front of my "canvas", waiting impatiently for the next big idea to hit.

When I'm executing my ideas, I'm not necessarily looking to create order from my raw thoughts. Most of my artwork spawns from some sort of inspiration that I've been carrying around for a long time. When I sit down to bring that inspiration to fruition, sometimes only a piece of the chaos breaks free and becomes part of the finished work.

For me, making order out of chaos is simply about delivering a cohesive representation of all those rubber balls.

Fort Myers Culture: An Alternative History mosaic mural

Fort Myers: An Alternative History © Barbara Jo Revelle

Located on the U.S. Federal Courthouse in the courtyard behind Starbucks and Hotel Indigo is a 20' x 100' sepia toned mosaic mural designed by artist Barbara Jo Revelle.

When I first saw the mural I thought the design was created using a range of colored glass tiles, similar to the giant portrait mosaics by the Italian tile company, Sicis. (<---a must see! view the interactive catalog)

From far away the mural looks exactly like a large scale photograph depicting scenes from the area's Native American population and cattle ranching history but as you get closer the "photo" starts to pixelize. I was standing right in the courtyard behind HOWL Gallery/Tattoo and I didn't even realize it was mosaic.

I did a little research on the installation and found a description of the work that says "the artist transferred digital print to the permanent ceramic tile surfaces using print technologies that were new in the 1990's." (Source: River District News from the Fort Myers Redevelopment Agency 2009/2010)

The artist has installed several other computer generated mosaic murals including one in Colorado that is two city blocks long, one of the largest public art murals in the world!

Miscellaneous Fact: The city of Fort Myers commissioned the mural for $110,000 in 1999.


View more photos of the Fort Myers: An Alternative History mural and its installation here.

CRAZY about color!

Some years ago I decided to abandon beige and live my life surrounded by color. It's not so easy to do, especially in the United States. While many other cultures use color with abandon, it seems that we are happy to listen to the decorating gurus and stick with neutral colors. After all, it's better for your home's resale value. (blah blah blah)

While that may be solid advice for anyone looking to sell their home in the immediate future, it is downright boring to live like that day to day. I'm all for injecting the world with bright, bold and beautiful color!

Say hello to the Let's Colour Project, a worldwide initiative to transform gray spaces with colorful paint.

Jodhpur, India

The idea is simple. Transform boring concrete and industrial buildings with eye popping color!

I absolutely adore this shade of purple, seen here going onto a building in Jodhpur, India. The woman's colorful clothing stands out beautifully against that newly painted wall. India is one country that definitely isn't afraid of using bright colors and patterns.

I am thrilled to see something like this happening anywhere in the world. It looks like the project is concentrated in the United Kingdom, India, Brazil & France but I certainly hope it makes it's way to North America. We need it!

Be sure to check out the Let's Colour Project blog and the website, Colour Lovers, where I came across the initiative. Both sites are chock full of creative inspiration.

More of the mosaic art debate

Conversations are bubbling up and (sometimes) bubbling over on the state of mosaic art today. Should we hammer out standards for what constitutes fine art? Should we include certain types of mosaic art, namely decorative pieces? Should bricolage be used for public installations?

I often wonder if other mediums deal with this type of push and pull. Do polymer clay artists argue over whether or not the medium can be considered fine art? Sometimes it feels like “we” are the only group of artists that are debating like this.

Artist Lee Ann Petropoulos has a similar viewpoint on the issue. I asked her to contribute her thoughts. Here is what she had to say:

Pictures of Lily © Lee Ann Petropoulos

“I belong to CMA, MosaicArtists.org and the community of mosaic artists on Facebook and Flickr. I hear much the same thing from all corners – a tug of war between those who want to see rigid standards put in place to exclude what they consider to fall outside the label “fine art,” and those who believe that thinking like that is what restrains art and keeps it from moving forward.

This has been an issue through the ages for every medium – why should mosaics be any different?  Especially if we are to consider it in the same light as other “fine” arts.


Sonia King’s article The State of the Art: Fine Art Mosaic begins by discussing the forward momentum of contemporary mosaic art. She mentions the level of support that mosaic artists offer each other, and suggests that because of this support, the mosaic art community might be perceived by as less than serious by the art world at large.


Unfortunately, I think her ‘call to mosaic artists’ has received undue emphasis, thereby diminishing her praise of where we are headed. How can artists progress in their creative and technical abilities when they are afraid to make their work public?


By no means should anyone take that to mean that I disagree with Sonia’s call to develop a method of critical dialogue within the community. She says we need to be willing to give and take constructive criticism from both within and outside the mosaic world. Contemporary mosaic art could benefit enormously from that.”  


I happen to believe that the wonderfully supportive community of mosaic artists is one of the best things about this art form. I credit the encouraging environment on Flickr and CMA with allowing me to feel as comfortable in my own skin as I do and I would hate to think that would disappear and be replaced with a more critical atmosphere.

Part of bringing mosaic art to the forefront is encouraging other artists to take up the medium and do new things with it. I hope that we can all proceed with caution and grow as a community without putting up exclusionary barriers.

You can read more about contributor Lee Ann Petropoulos on her web portfolio and blog.

Headstone Mosaics

Italian Grave Mosaic © simon

A few years ago, I discovered that my great-grandmother was buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in Ireland. The thought of that deeply disappointed me so I embarked on creating a mosaic grave marker for her final resting place. 

I chose mosaic because it happens to be the primary medium that I work in but it dawned on me that it is a very viable way to create a lasting memorial.

Maybe it's the artist in me, but I wish more people would choose to celebrate life in a colorful way rather than just sticking a boring marble stone in the ground!

I did a little bit of searching and discovered that there are quite a few examples of this type of thing already brightening up cemeteries all over the world. While the topic might seem a little morbid, you can't overlook how amazing these headstones look!

Montreal, Canada

© Maine Transplant

Livorno, Italy

sailor
Originally uploaded by loungerie

New batch of tropical jewelry

Tequila Sunrise, Sorbet, Ombre & Bon Voyage pendants © Eve Lynch

It's hot in SW Florida this week! We hit 90 degrees yesterday afternoon and it's equally as hot and humid today. I pulled out my coveted collection of handmade ceramic tile and went to work making some new tropical pendants. These yummy pieces will be heading over to daas Gallery in downtown Fort Myers...just in time for Friday's Art Walk (May 7).

Also of note: this month daas Gallery will be featuring an exhibition entitled Paper Milk by abstract artist Veron Ennis. The gallery is located at 1542 Broadway in Fort Myers, just steps away from Hotel Indigo.

Heartbreaking

Captiva Island, Florida 2010

Watching coverage of the BP oil spill is heartbreaking to me. I can’t help but freak out about all of the fantastic sea creatures that will meet their doom at the hands of a negligent corporate giant. Sure, the spill was accidental but a disaster like this was coming down the pike sooner or later.

I just can’t help thinking…are we bound and determined to destroy this planet? Why the hell can’t we start taking possibilities like this seriously?

As a resident of the Gulf Coast of Florida, I’m holding my breath waiting to see how bad the damage will be when the oil slick makes its way southward. Will the tropical blue waters that line our powder white beaches be shimmering with a sickly brown haze? Will everything that I love about living here be altered forever?

I’m deeply saddened for all residents of the Gulf Coast and all my sea creature friends.

Cephalopod Love

"The Kraken", kitchen breakfast bar installation, 11' x 3' © Eve Lynch

I wanted to say thanks to Indie Squid Kid for featuring my octopus installation on his cephalopod loving blog. The Kraken was my first large scale installation and was the inspiration behind my moniker, Kraken Mosaics. Thankfully this "little" guy was installed in my own kitchen so I get to enjoy it every day!

I was so pumped up after I finished this gigantic mosaic that I nearly embarked on installing a humongous red squid on the wall in my foyer. I'm sure my family was relieved that my excitement receded!

If you get a chance, hop on over to the Indie Squid Kid blog and peruse all of the octo/squid goodness.

Be unabashedly unique

originally uploaded by Fernando Felix

"Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity." - Colin Powell

An eye for detail

I haven't made much progress on my Octo Girl portrait. I spent a very long time trying to perfect the pupil area. I shuffled different tones of iridescent teal glass in and out attempting to strike just the right balance of color and shimmer.

Creating a life-like eye is so difficult (!) but I was bound and determined to do my very best with this area before proceeding.

I have to admit, I have a bit of a hang up about the way video game and animated movie characters' eyes look. I get creeped out by the lifeless appearance - the eyes look so "dead". Even though game design and animation has come so far, designers still can't manage to create an eyeball that looks believable!

I feel the same way about portraits - mosaic, paintings, whatever - a well done eye can sell me on the authenticity of the subject. I've spent a fair amount of time studying mosaic portraits and my favorite ones are always the ones that have the most fantastic eyes, so I'm spending as much time as necessary working on them!