It's been a crazy time here. I've been knitting and traveling a lot (I finished my beekeeper's quilt, which is the closest thing to combining mosaics and knitting that I've found) and my studio slowly slid into ClutterLand, USA. I made a bunch of korknisse for the holidays this year, painted some furniture, and have been playing around with making books lately. I took a year off from doing shows, and that became two years when I wasn't looking. I'll have to get back on the horse this summer.
The chilly heart of winter is usually my time to experiment with new things, but instead, I'm girding myself for cleaning, sorting, and winnowing through Clutterland, USA. I am preparing myself for this ruthlessness by petting cats evilly, wearing Nehru jackets, and yelling "Off with their heads!"
I like to recycle and reuse things; when a beloved piece of china breaks or I come across a 1912 children's book missing its covers and half the pages, I see an opportunity. I buy scraps of glass from traditional stained glass artists, and rescue broken glass from framed art, and reuse it all. There is so much great design in old stamps and calendars, in modern dishes, in odd bits of metal, and in broken costume jewelry that it seems a shame to not use it. So I do. I turn them into rings and pendents and earrings, in addition to using them in my other art.
I occassionally teach Mosaic classes in the Nelson County/Western Albemarle (Afton/Nellysford/Crozet) area. Class sizes are small. I provide all of the materials and tools (unless otherwise specified) and after-class support, as well as the instruction. Each class is a mixture of the practical (you'll make things!) and the theoretical (history, design tips, tricks of the trade). If you are interested in learning how to make mosaics, send me an email. We'll talk about timeframe, type of class (a general Introduction class where we make a couple of small things like trivets and coasters or a more focused class involving mosaic tables or jewelry or garden features), and other related matters. No commitment is implied by this discussion (on either side).