What Are You Waiting For?
52-year-old gnaws through the cocoon.Archive for September, 2007
New Mosaic
A new piece, fast, fun, and happy. This one was made for a Tiny Art show and measures only 2″ x 8″ using a leftover scrap of wedi. Materials are millefiori, Italian and Mexican smalti, smalti filati, and glass. I call it “Baby Blues.” Larger image here.
Mosaic TaDa!
Well, she’s done. “My Mother Lived and Died” is 11″ x 23″ and uses Shell, Coral, Pearls, Transparent Smalti, China, Pyrite, and Ceramic. I made it as a stab in the dark at working through the death of my mother, but of course really as a way to order my mind around the concepts of life and death in general. The mosaic traces the concept of life from the central birth motif, through the varied passages of life, to the climb up the final mountain and release Read the rest of this entry »
Mosaic on the Move: Shipping
“Which way do the bubbles go?” she asks. Click here for a cute read on Protecting Your Package. Still worried? Airfloat Masterpack is a Very Strong Box with egg crate cushioning sized to your exact specifications, specifically designed for moving irreplaceable art from one location to the next. The only downside is that you can’t pop the egg crates for a satisfying BANG when you’re peeved at a loved one. Nor are the pants as cute.
2007 Orsoni Prizes
Winged Geode by SAMA member Lynne Chinn was a finalist for Orsoni Prize 2007: International Award for Mosaic Fine Art. This magnificent piece measures 9” high x 29-1/2” wide x 13” deep, and is made with smalti, 24k gold smalti, 24k colored gold, transparent smalti, piastrini, smashed smalti pizza, and vitreous glass, no grout. This giant-seed-pod of a mosaic is fantastically conceived and so texturally executed that it spins my brain. Thank you, thank you, thank you Lynne! Detail shots are here, and click here to see all the Orsoni finalists.
Over the Top Sho-ko-laht
Who knew chocolate could be this much fun? Okay, sure, we all love it enough to bathe in it daily, even gleefully tonguing off the tub ring, but did you ever imagine that a simple, yet nirvana-esque chocolate could take you to exotic realms of the imagination as yet untrampled? Catch a whiff of Vosges Haut-Chocolat, a creation so un-average that even the shapes defy expectations. The above-pictured Rooster Truffle is made with Italian taleggio cheese, organic walnuts, Tahitian vanilla beans, and bittersweet dark chocolate. Had that one before? Then maybe the Finocchio: wild Tuscan fennel pollen, Read the rest of this entry »
Mosaic Philosophy
I’m having a heck of a time getting the colors to photograph as they appear to the eye. Today I’ll work on a bit more fill and the cutting of more transparent smalti to place around the edges as surf fizz. I’m considering a couple of new titles. The working title is “My Mother Lived and Died,” which works for me. but maybe “Life: In Short.” “An Offering of Soul.” “End of the Road.” “Journey of the Soul.” “Fragments of a Life.” Or maybe “Even Mothers Die.” We’ll see. Comments welcome. Read the rest of this entry »
Mosaic Addict Garden
A garden to live and die for, to sleep and dream in. Our lady of mirrors and grasses was created for the 2006 Chelsea Flower Show in London. Appropriately titled “Garden of Dreams,” it was designed by Chelsea gold medal winner Marney Hall, with Heather Yarrow. The yummy dreamer (who sleeps on her own private island in the garden pond) Read the rest of this entry »
A Very Fine Faucet
Since she doesn’t have the option of hiding in the pantry on bad hair days, the Perfect Kitchen Faucet is decorative as well as functional. I’ve been looking for the impossible, naturally — a European antique-style one-holer with a pull-down spray. While this one doesn’t fit my image of “antique,” it’s retro enough to look old and certainly un-American. Made in England by Steam Valve Original, it features a Very Cool Spray, in my opinion. If you go to the site, you can see a little video of some lettuce spraying. Read the rest of this entry »
Tibetan Mosaic
Tibetan monks will create a sand mandala like the one above in Atlanta beginning Tuesday, October 16 until destruction on the 23rd. Whereas most mosaics may use several hundred carefully cut pieces, the 5′ x 5′ sand mandalas use millions of grains of colored sand. The good news is that the grains don’t need individual gluing. The bad news is that this exacting work is back-breaking, and takes three to five days to complete. And, you know, you can’t hang it in a gallery. The event is free and open to the public, and more information is available here. His Holiness will speak free to the public on Monday, October 22 at Centennial Park.
Sex in the Fifties
Hickies and Hot Flashes, Oh My! My thoughts for today, simply by clicking on the link in the column to the right.
