Category Archives: Rosanna Mosaic Artist

Highlights from 2015

Posted on January 10, 2016 | Leave a comment

Best wishes and a huge ‘Thank You‘  to all my ‘Blog Followers‘ for 2016.  I hope the year is healthy, happy, fun and successful for us all.

2015 was another very successful year for me both mosaic-wise and personally.  Here are some of the mosaic highlights:

 

British Assoc. Mosaic Makers

British Assoc. Mosaic Makers

Uploaded my work onto the BAMM website (British Association for Modern Mosaics) having joined at their AGM the previous October.

Approached to make a large outdoor commission from a client who found me on BAMM website  – a week after I uploaded my work  What timing!

Got my work accepted in the prestigious ‘North East Art Collective Gallery‘ in Newcastle. 12 rooms of art, 150 artists – I am in great company.

Invited to join ‘Wonder Street‘ an invite-only platform where designers and artists showcase and sell their work.

 

Ivy Mirror

Ivy Mirror

Richmond Open Studios – exhibited in Harris & Hoole Coffee Shop in St. Margarets after meeting the lovely Steph.

Had some Coaching with Monica of Live a Life You Love and re-assessed where I want to go with my mosaics – definatley up a few notches

Left All Original after 2 years 3 months – the last piece I sold in the shop went to Greece

Harris & Hoole invited me to continue displaying my work – a fantastic platform for me in a lovely part of Twickenham

 

French Cross

French Cross

Was approached to make a ‘French Cross’ commission for a piece that will be going to live in France. The client saw a mosaic commissioned by their neighbours a few years ago

Finished and delivered The Marple Mosaic

Got my special birthday shed that will be used as a studio

Been making mosaics for 8 years

Met Lesley and displayed my work in her new South Street Gallery in Isleworth, West London

The Marple Collection Exhibition at South Street Gallery

My Meadow House Butterfly

My Meadow House Butterfly

Christmas event at Harris & Hoole

With Kitty and her ‘team’ help make 15 mosaic butterflies for Meadow House Hospice in Ealing

450 Facebook Followers

 

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Posted in Commissions, Exhibitions, Galleries and Events, Mosaic Art, Mosaic Inspiration, Mosaic Workshop, North East Art Collective, Outdoor Mosaics, Rosanna Mosaic Artist

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Picture of the Year 2015

Posted on December 30, 2015 | 2 comments

So here is my favourite picture of the year – The Marple Mosaic.

The Marple Mosaic

The Marple Mosaic

Several reasons: my biggest commission to date, my first geometric mosaic which turned out really well, a fantastic story, made great friendships with the clients Hilary and Pauline, moved me up to the next level of mosaic making.

Runner ups:

My Sun and Moon because I really love this mosaic and see it every day on my shed. Rufus Reindeer because I didn’t want a ‘cartoon’ animal and think I have the right level with him.

 

A VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY AND FUN NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL.  

THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING MY BLOG AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL AGAIN IN 2016 WITH MY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS YEAR.

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Picture Highlights 2015

Posted on December 17, 2015 | 2 comments

As 2015 draws to a close and I look back, it has been an incredibly busy mosaic year.  My aim this time last year was to get my work into a Gallery – I got into 3! I have had some great events and some significant commissions.  Here are some picture highlights from 2015.

Let me know your favourite and at the end of the year I shall let you know which one is MY PICTURE OF THE YEAR.

 

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Posted in Mosaic Art, Mosaic Inspiration, Rosanna Mosaic Artist

My Mosaic Studio

Posted on November 29, 2015 | Leave a comment

P1050604Following the recent ‘mosaic mishap‘ in my studio, it seemed like a good excuse for a sort out and tidy up so I have spent the past few days re-organising my studio.

My mosaic studio has gone through many phases.  When we first moved into this house 25 years ago it was the spare room and a good place to do the ironing and store the boxes until we had unpacked everything. We then turned it into our ‘play’ room and shared it for our respective hobbies.  Unfortunately, both Alan and I are too structured and organised and have our own set ways of doing things so a joint space was never going to work.

Studio-1_180I then went self employed so the room became my home office. When I started mosaicing as a hobby I had a small mosaic shelf in the ‘office’ and harmony was restored. As mosaics took over, so did the mosaic shelves! Eventually I ‘retired’ from professional work and that was when mosaics became my main pastime. The room is now a dedicated studio although there is an small area for my laptop and admin.

My Studio

Being a painfully organised person, I like to keep the studio really neat and tidy. It won’t surprise anyone who knows me to hear that my tiles are all colour co-ordinated, with different shelves for different types of tile; glass, ceramic, smalti.  I also have another area for all my glass beads, enhancement pieces, fused glass, mirror tiles etc.

I do appreciate how lucky I am to have a dedicated mosaic space. It means I can work on a piece as and when, for as little and long as I want to. I can then just walk away without having to do a major clear up.

 REQUEST: In the New Year I will be doing a Q&A Blog so any mosaic questions you may have, drop me an email at rosannasmosaics@gmail.com and I can reply via a Blog.

COMING SOON: Review of 2015

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Mosaic Mishaps

Posted on November 16, 2015 | 3 comments

Mishaps happen in all walks of life: personal, professional, domestic and artistic. The common link is that they often happen at the worse time usually when you are rushing about. Also, they cause disproportionate mayhem based on the actual mishap.

During my brief time as a Mosaic Artist I have had my fair share of mosaic miseries and mishaps. A common one is choosing the wrong colour grout – which will totally change the end result, look and feel of a mosaic. Once grouted, there is not really much you can do except to learn by your mistake.  Another common mishap is cuts and gashes (squeamish people, look away now).  I always use my hands to grout and don’t wear gloves therefore I often cut my fingers on the odd sharp, sticky out bit – which I then know has to be filed down to make smooth.  If the grout turns pink – then it is time to stop and reach for the sticking plasters!!

P1050575Earlier in the week I was wide awake very early so thought I would get in some mosaic time. Creeping around the house so as not to disturb and wake Alan, I went into my studio and got working on the poppy mosaic for Remembrance weekend. For the centerpiece I needed some of my bright, black shiny beads – top shelf of the cupboard.

P1050604I climbed silently but precariously onto the stool and as I was reaching up I lent on the middle shelf to get some leverage. Bad idea – the shelf bracket was loose and the shelf slipped, causing a dozen of my large glass jars, all containing glass beads, marbles etc. to fall smashing to the ground!  I literally saw them crashing down in slow motion and as they hit the floor and smashed I saw them scatter and dance all over the studio. By now, Alan was awake!

No actual harm was done except most of my jars were broken and it took me all morning to gather up the slithers of broken glass and catch all the beads, marbles, etc. I am sure I will be finding them for months to come in all sorts of nook and crannies.

P1050587

REQUEST: Let me know one of your mishaps – the stranger the better!

COMING SOON: Review of 2015

 

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Mosaic Poppies

Posted on November 6, 2015 | 3 comments

P1050595For this Remembrance weekend I have made 3 poppy mosaics. They will be in the South Street Gallery as Lesley is having a special weekend event.

Here is a reminder of the fantastic poppy art installation that graced the Tower of London last year.  A stunning, moving display that will stay in the mind forever.

LONDON ACTIVITIES:  We have started to walk ‘The Capital Ring‘ which is a 78 mile route around London, divided into 15 sections. Walking through open spaces, nature reserves and woodlands, it passes numerous historic sights and places of interest.

Section 1: Woolwich to Falconwood. Starting by the river at Woolwich going towards the Thames Barrier, branching off into Maryon & Maryon Wilson Parks, past Charlton House, over Woolwich Common and Eltham Common before ascending Oxleas Meadows for spectacular views over London and a well deserved cuppa before catching the train home. A beautiful day and a great start to this walking adventure.

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Current Mosaic Projects

Posted on November 3, 2015 | Leave a comment

Multi Colour Large Panel

When people ask me what I am currently working on, I always have to think about my reply. The truth is, I am usually working on 2 or 3 mosaics at any one time.

I always tend to have a large complex piece on the go (usually a commission), then another medium size mosaic that I may be making to go into one of the galleries.  I often have a ‘fun’ piece also sitting on my work bench which is my ‘light relief’ mosaic.  I love mosaicing so much that even if I haven’t got a reason to be making a piece, I will be playing mosaics anyway!

P1050547At the moment I am negotiating a commission with a client so am ‘between mosaics’ if you like, so this gives me time to play with my fun piece. It is a large slab of stone, 2 foot high traingular shape. I am calling it my ‘Totem Pole’ and it will sit in the middle of a flower bed in my back garden. I want it to be very vibrant and eye catching, so I intend to use a lot of glass in it as well as the mosaic tesserae. I have started at the top with a ‘sun’ and rays flowing down. Not sure what the next section will be but I will keep you posted. I know it will take a long time but there is no rush and that’s what is nice about having a fun piece, I may just spend the odd half hour on it as and when.

So it is quite quiet in mosaic terms for me but I have to admit it is nice to have a rest after all the excitement of the Marple Collection Exhibition. Once the commission is finalised it will be back to full steam ahead and will be snipping away.

REQUEST & COMING SOON:

I would like to do a Q & A Blog 

If you have any mosaic questions you would like to ask or any technique or aspect you are interested in knowing more about – please drop me a ‘Comment’ below or send me an email and I will answer in a Blog. 

 

 

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Mosaic Shed Art

Posted on October 31, 2015 | 6 comments

P1050573I spend so much time making mosaics as commissions, for galleries or exhibitions that I very rarely make a piece for myself. However, when I got my birthday garden shed, I knew I would be making a mosaic to go onto it. Initially I was going to make a ‘welcome’ sign with the shed name but as I couldn’t decide on the final name, that piece remains on hold.

As I was planting the new garden beds around the shed I suddenly spotted the perfect place for a mosaic,  a long triangular inset just above the door. I knew instantly the style of mosaic I wanted and could picture it in my mind. The problem was transposing that complicated idea into such an odd shape, keeping my original concept of the image but making it suitable as a mosaic.

P1050572Alan was in charge of cutting the exact size board, it would be wedged into the inset so no room for any error whatsoever – no pressure then! We used Wedi Tilebacker Board (the lightweight cousin of Hardie Bakker Board) which is a very flexible compound that can be cut with a Stanley knife but is meant to be robust enough to go outdoors and is weatherproof.  It is the first time I have used it so we shall see, best to experiment on myself rather than a clients commission!

Once I got going I really enjoyed making the piece. It was done in two sections initially and then we used wooden kebab sticks inside to join the pieces together, plus lots of glue and then gaffer tape. The whole structure was very precarious but I needed to mosaic continuous lines and not have an obvious join.P1050571

Here is the finished piece in situ – I am delighted with it and am looking forward to having the winter sun shine on it as there is a lot of ‘sparkle’ potential.

REQUEST: Let me know what you think – could ‘shed art’ catch on?

COMING SOON: Mosaic Mishaps!

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Key Mosaics

Posted on September 20, 2015 | Leave a comment
My First Mosaic

My First Mosaic

I recently published my Mosaic CV so thought it would be a good idea to show my key mosaic pieces.

This is the first piece I made with Julia, a small coaster. No cutting involved but it still took me all afternoon!

Animal-ZebraThis  ‘Herd of Zebra’ was made from the template I got from the mosaic shop in Bath. It’s the mosaic that got me hooked on this art form. I am still impressed that I was able to make such a complex early piece.

 

Once I started going to Kitty’s weekly workshop, with her help and guidance, my work really started to develop and I tried lots of new styles and different ideas.

St. Marys Lighthouse

St. Marys Lighthouse

This was the first time I tried to interpret a photo into a mosaic. It was also my first mosaic showing a real life picture. I still find it hard to interpret scenes into mosaics but I think I am getting there.

Why not make yet another, even bigger mosaic to raffle?? Souldn't take too long!

Hollyhocks

 

‘Hollyhocks’ was my first mosaic using large bathroom tiles. I usually use small mosaic tiles so it was a totally different technique which produced a different style of mosaic. It was raffled for £1 per ticket and raised  £1,250 for the Log Cabin children’s charity.

I think my our work here is done. Thank you LOG CABIN for a great opportunity and fantastic experience.

Trees at the Log Cabin

 

 

 

I worked on a voluntary project  with the Log Cabin producing 11 large, outdoor mosaics.  As well as butterflies, dragonflies and a smily sunshine face, I decided it would be great to finish with a spring and an autumn tree. I had never made anything on this scale before and this is still one of my favourite pictures.  I am really proud of the work I did with them and pleased with the mosaics that I made for them.

 

Owners Hilary and Pauline

Marple Mosaic for clients Hilary and Pauline

‘The Marple Mosaic‘ is my largest commission to data .  This was a big challenge for me as I don’t usually do ‘geometric’ pieces.  However, I really enjoyed the discipline of working with the sharp angles and defined spaces.  I am delighted with the finished piece, as are my clients Hillary and Pauline.

These are not ‘key’ as such, but I like them.

REQUEST: Which is your favourite and why?

COMING SOON: A date for your diary.

 

 

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Rosanna’s Mosaic CV

Posted on September 5, 2015 | 1 comment

I am always being asked ‘how did you get into mosaics – have you exhibited – where can I see your work?’  I recently put my mosaic CV up onto the BAMM website so thought it would be a goo idea to show it here as well.

The finished result

The Marple Mosaic

COMING UP IN OCTOBER: ‘The Marple Collection’ – an exhibition of exciting new work at South Street Gallery

2015 – August: Invited to join the co-operative of artists at the new ‘South Street Gallery’ in Isleworth.

2015 – July: Harris + Hoole Coffee Shop invited me to display my work on a permanent basis.

2015 – June/July:  Richmond Open Studios – exhibited at Harris + Hoole Coffee Shop, St. Margarets.

2015 – March: Got my work into ‘North East Art Collective’ Gallery’ in Northumberland.

2015 – March: 3rd year in ‘All Original’ shop.

2014 – October: Went to their AGM and joined BAMM.

I think my our work here is done. Thank you LOG CABIN for a great opportunity and fantastic experience.

I think my work here is done. Thank you LOG CABIN for a great opportunity and fantastic experience.

2014 – August: Completed The Log Cabin community project.

2014 – June/July: Took part in ARThouse – Richmond Open Studios with photographer Peter Oliver and 4 other artists, based at The Beany Boo Cafe in Whitton.

2014 – March: 2nd year in ‘All Original’ shop.

2014 – January / February: Exhibited at Court Farm Gallery.

Why not make yet another, even bigger mosaic to raffle?? Souldn't take too long!

‘Hollyhocks’ raised £1,250 for the Log Cabin children’s charity.

2013 – December: Made and raffled a large outdoor mosaic, raised £1,250 for The Log Cabin.

2013 – December: Art and Craft Sale at Pitshanger Methodist Hall.

2013 – March: Started selling my work in the new designer/maker shop ‘All Original’ in Ealing.

2012 – December: Art and Craft Sale at Pitshanger Methodist Hall.

2012 – October: Started selling my work in a designer/maker shop in Whitley Bay, Northumberland.

Tools of the trade

Tools of the trade

2012 – October: Demonstration evenings at Hobbycraft in Greenford.

2012 – August: Started on a voluntary community project, making several large outdoor mosaics for The Log Cabin children’s charity in West London. 90% materials were donated by small local businesses and individuals.

2012 – July: I was invited to demonstrate at the Traditional Crafts Weekend at The Wetlands Centre in Barnes

Paperweight Stones

Paperweight Stones

2011 – December: My friend Sally who introduced me to Osterley and makes beautiful textile work, suggested we organise an Art and Craft  Sale locally at Pitshanger Methodist Hall, inviting local artists we knew to take part.

2011 – July/August: 2nd Exhibition at The Garden Gallery, Osterley House.

Norweigan Moonlight

Norweigan Moonlight

2011 – April: Exhibition at Runnymede Gallery, Old Windsor.

2010 – December: Christmas Craft Fair at Osterley House.

2010 – April / May: First exhibition at The Garden Gallery, Osterley House, a National Trust Property. My friend Sally sent me an application form and I filled it in! I loved the whole experience and was amazed at the amount I sold.

2009 – October: Got a few pieces of my work into local Ealing shops; Stems flower shop and Barbara Tobias dressmaking studio.

2009 –  March: Julia had originally been taught mosaic by her friend Aimee Harman – an amazing mosaic artist who’s website had really inspired me after that first introduction. Julia and I did a weekend course with Aimee in her fantastic studio – a day of fused glass and then a day of mosaic, incorporating our glass pieces.

Large Terracotta Pot

Large Terracotta Pot

2008 – September: Following the Ros Waites course I did the odd mirror and pot but didn’t really have a mosaic focus. During a weekend trip to Bath I stumbled across the Mosaic Shop on Poultney Bridge and it was like stepping into an Aladins Cave! A riot of beautiful mosaics tiles in different materials and wonderful colours. They also had templates so I bought a ‘zebra design’ and that gave me my focus. This was the point where I got ‘hooked’ on mosaics, I was off!

2008 – April: My friend Anne had also got interested in mosaics and she suggested we did a course. Did a beginners weekend course with Ros Waites, where I was taught how to cut and place, learnt aout the different materials, techniques and basics of mosaic.

My First Mosaic

My First Mosaic

 2007 – 29th July:  Met Julia for the first time and she encouraged me to make my first mosaic, a small coaster.

 

 

 

COMING SOON: Rosanna’s Mosaics and Social Media

 

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Posted in Exhibitions, Galleries and Events, Mosaic Art, Rosanna Mosaic Artist

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