Tag Archives: Vendee

Quentin the Lizard

The first proper commission I ever made was Quentin the Lizard that went to live in France with Nicol and John. I received an email earlier this year from their neighbours, Louise and Marucs, who had always admired Quentin and asked if I could make them an outdoor mosaic.

They wanted a large cross to go on their outside wall which gets lashed with rain in winter and then baked in the sun during summer. I knew this meant I couldn’t use my usual outdoor plywood as the wood was likely to warp so I was on a quest to find an alternative material. Fellow mosaic artist Sue Edkins suggested Hardie Bakker Board which is a very tough, composite substance, that is often used to line shower and wet rooms. This seemed the perfect material for this project.

French Cross

Louise and Marcus came round and we discussed the style and effect they wanted to achieve for their cross. We settled on a subtle colour palette of muted shades including tans and moss greens. I used ceramic matt tiles with a few glass tesserae to lift it and add shine. They also said they wanted the Vendee symbol included in the piece as this was the ‘symbol’ for the region of France where the cross was going to go – a bit like our Yorkshire & Lancashire roses. I have always been a bit wary of ‘writing’ or putting symbols into mosaics as it is quite fiddly and if not done well, can look a bit sloppy. However, they were very keen and the client is always right so I took up the challenge! By setting the Vendee in a clear area, it seemed to work quite well and I am pleased with the results.  Whew, another challenge under the belt!

Vendee symbol

It was a lovely piece to make and very different from the recent Marple Mosaic commission. I think I have made a pretty good job with the Vendee and when Louise and Marcus came to collect the piece, they were delighted. It is now in situ and here are some photos of it in it’s new French home.

I now have 2 mosaic pieces living in France, a growing number of mosaic lizards living all over the world and I have given mosaic lessons to people that now live in Mexico and New Zealand.  I think I can claim the title and now say that I am Rosanna’s Mosaics International!

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