I’ve always known I’m artistic but had never found my medium. I can’t draw, paint or sew, I certainly can’t play a musical instrument or sing (well, not in public at any rate). Having a hectic job and a busy social lifestyle I was content to let my arty side manifest itself in my cooking and gardening. I love colour and had an office full of coloured pens, inks, pots of acyrilic paints – but what to do with them? I was content to look at them and add to the collection now and again. I did like ‘colouring in’ but there has never been any colouring potential for grown ups apart from ‘painting by numbers’ Hmmm, I certainly missed a gap in the market there didn’t I!!
That is why I will always be eternally grateful to Julia who introduced me to mosaics and BINGO, I’d found my medium.
I am now in my 8th year of mosaic making and having got a good grasp of the basics, I am ready to develop to the next level. However, being a very practical person, I am not very good at making a mosaic ‘just because I want to’. I tend to need a reason – e.g. its a commission, its going into the shop/gallery. That is partly why I have done exhibitions – not because I think my work is so marvelous the world and his wife ought to see it (although it is nice if people do like and appreciate my work), but because it gives me an outlet and reason for making pieces. It is necessary to have an outlet as there is a limit to how many mosaics you can have round the house and garden!
However, if I want to progress my work, I have to experiment and try new methods and techniques. So my artistic resolution for 2016 is to make a new piece ‘because I want to’, ‘because I want to learn a new technique/style’, ‘because I have a lovely tile I want to use’, ‘because I want to try a colourscheme’ or ‘just because’ without having an end home for the piece. I am hoping that once made, it will find a home for itself anyway.
This has been the case with Baboushka as I liked the idea of the silhouette with flowing hair. Where she will end up, goodness knows. My next venture will be glass on glass because I want to learn how that works.
Wish me luck with my resolution. As I often (jokingly) say ‘I am going to work really hard at being spontaneous’!
London Activities:
January and February are usually film fest time for me. So far: Bridge of Spies, The Danish Girl. To come: The Revenant, The Room, The Hateful Eight.
Rosanna's Mosaics 
Good luck with the spontaneity, Rosanna. Much like me in that department. Done any more of the London walk?
Ha, ha, the burden of being an organised person! No we haven’t which is a shame. The next ‘leg’ is very short so we are waiting til we can combine it with something else in the area. You are putting us to shame with all your activity! Rx
And your paths aren’t even muddy. Just on my way back from afternoon in Newcastle with friend and visit to Laing for The Arts and Crafts Home.