Mosaic Switchplate workshop coming to Auburn in March 2014

Last spring, my daughter's friend asked me if it would be possible to mosaic switchplates.  You know, the plastic covers that fit over light switches; usually that bland "cream" color, and purely functional.  I wondered why it had never occurred to me to decorate my own switchplates.

Well, for one, they are plastic, and plastic is not an ideal substrate for mosaic.  A mosaic artist would not normally work on a plastic surface.  However, switchplates are small and hard, so there isn't much flex in them.  I started experimenting with adhesives and designs, and began, one by one, covering all of my own switchplates in mosaic.

I made very simple designs:

By cutting glass pieces into random quadrangles, with a "fiesta" palette, I was able to make this quick and easy cover within an hour (not including grout.)

This switchplate is framed with ball chain and filled with various quadrangles in a simple pattern, which looks stylish and elegant.

I also tried making a picture on a switchplate:

This took a few hours and includes a fused glass bird and flower and leaf beads, as well as seed beads for the flower stems.  This would be very difficult for a beginner, and I would have to charge too much to sell them.

I eventually found a happy medium, creating patterns that are fairly simple for me to cut and assemble, yet result in a lovely, unique design:

I think this one is my favorite.  It is in a small bathroom painted bright blue, green, & teal.  The black and white patterned border sets it off, and small millefiori beads are cute accents.

My living room is in these colors, and this came out looking a bit art deco, which I love.  But the cuts and design are quite simple for someone with experience.

This is another simple pattern.  I sold this one at an art show and benefit.

Ball chain and beads, along with a striking color combination, make this switchplate extra pretty.  I sold this at a show.

I wanted to go with a monochromatic palette on this one, rather than bright colors.

I can't get the colors to render properly in this image, but it is another favorite.  It is dark red, opalescent teal, pale pink & purple, shimmering gold, and yellow-greens.

This is just a selection of the switchplates I've made, and I've learned a lot by trial and error in the process.  So, I'll be teaching my technique at a workshop in Auburn, WA on March 15th.  The workshop will cover how to prep the base, appropriate adhesives, creating pattern, introduction to cutting stained glass, and a grout demonstration.  I'll send students home with grout to finish their projects.  Tools are not included in the cost of the class.  Beginner students can get by with wheeled nippers (search online, or go to Home Depot's flooring department.)  But, to make custom shapes with glass, you'll need a glass scorer (toyo glass cutter is my choice), breaker-grozier pliers, and running pliers.  A full set of tools should cost about $45.  If you would prefer, order them from me up to 2 weeks prior to the class (to give me time to get them for you.)

The skills learned in the class will apply to most small mosaic projects, as well, so it is a great introduction to mosaic.  To register:  http://www.auburnwa.gov/things_to_do/arts_entertainment/art_classes.htm

More good news for the Art Zone!

Last week, an article was published for the Society of American Mosaic Artists newsletter, Groutline, about my art program.  When I wrote it, it was still just getting started.  By the time it was released this past week, the program had grown (as chronicled in previous posts.)

Before I even opened my Groutline, I had a couple of emails asking how people could help.  And when I got to school yesterday, there were two boxes of donated materials waiting!  One was a very large box of glass tile from Patricia Bryant, and the other was a box of beads and ball chain ordered for us by Virginia Lucas.  When I brought out the boxes and explained to the students that people around the country are sending donations for the program, their jaws dropped.  I think the fact that there are people out there who care enough to contribute makes them feel valued, and more committed to the program.

I also had the pleasure of announcing that the students and I will show our work together at Hot Toddy as part of Olympia's Spring ArtsWalk festival.  And my husband will be entering some of their work into a school district art show.  They plan to create work for sale to raise funds for the Choice Cat Club.  We are going to start working on stepping stones and plant pots for spring.

We have a lot of clear and nearly clear glass, so many of the students add images under glass.  This is WA State with Bruce Lee (buried here).  Donnell has a stylized signature, which is the symbol on the left.  If you look closely, he also has a little Seattle skyline in the upper left.

I'm also working on organizing a field trip to tour the Spectrum Glass Factory and visit the Museum of Glass in Tacoma.  All of these things are very exciting.  The district is impressed with the level of participation in the program, and have found some funds for me to use.  I'll be using these for the field trip, to purchase some bright glass colors from a local glass company, and I have a district Home Depot card that I'm going to use today to buy grout, sponges, hanging hardware, a little broom, buckets, and all of those other little things we have been doing without.

It is so exciting and heartwarming to see my students getting this kind of support.  My position is funded by a grant through the McKinney-Vento Act, which serves home-insecure teens.  Many of the kids who participate qualify under the guidelines of the act, but it is open to everyone.  Most of the students at Choice High School are there because they don't fit in at a traditional school, and can be described as "at-risk youth."  They each have faced, and are facing, major obstacles.  This program goes a long way toward empowering and supporting these young people, and gives them new tools to cope with difficult situations.

Thanks, Everyone!

New Workshop: Precision Glass Cutting for Mosaic

For years, I've offered beginner-level workshops, usually based on a simple project like suncatchers, garden mosaic, or pendants.  But I was recently asked if I would consider teaching a more advanced class for students interested in working with stained glass.  I hand-cut most of my glass, and I manage to get very clean lines and smooth curves.  I find this useful when stacking glass on edge, where I can't have shardes poking up:

In the center, clear glass is cut into undulating shapes, then stacked on edge to create hills and valleys.

...and it comes in handy when I want to add Opus Sectile to my andamento:

Opus Sectile is when each section of the image is cut as a solid piece, rather than using small pieces clustered together.

The ability to cut smooth shapes from glass without "nipping" allows me to create very clean lines with specific shapes when I want to.

And using a mix of different andamento styles within one mosaic can have an interesting effect:

The roses in this mosaic are done in Opus Sectile, as well as the lips, eyeballs, and the grey neckline.  The face and scarf are Opus Palladianum and the hair and background are done in Opus Vermiculatum.  For more info on andamento, see this website: http://www.mosaicmakers.co.uk/mosaicstyle.html

My new workshop in Precision Glass Cutting for Mosaic is designed for intermediate to advanced mosaic artists wishing to add sheet glass to their repertoire, or to gain more mastery over their cutting ability.  I'll demonstrate ways to cut curves and narrow shapes, and will bring my ring saw for students to try.  (The ring saw is vital for cutting more deeply into the glass.

Notice how some of the pistils extend into the shape of the adjacent petals.  The ring saw was necessary for cutting into the petals.  Delicate cutting technique was needed to make the narrow, curving pistils.

However, beginners are welcome to attend, and I will be going over the basics of glass cutting as well.  Students will create a small glass-on-glass project with an Opus Sectile design that includes curves.  I will provide some templates, or design your own.  Materials are provided, and I'll have some tools on hand, but I won't have enough for everyone, so I encourage you to bring your own toyo glass cutter, running pliers and breaker-grozier pliers.  Wheeled nippers are optional.  Email me if you need to purchase tools through me, or more information about that.

The first workshop is March 8th & 9th in Manzanita, OR.  The fee is $200.  Register with The Hoffman Center: http://hoffmanblog.org/about-us/contact-us

The second workshop will be May 17th & 18th at Sequoia Gallery in Hillsboro, OR (just outside of Portland.)  Registration info: http://sequoiagallerystudios.org/contact/

I am very excited to teach a more challenging class like this, and I look forward to seeing how my students use the information.  Contact me if you have any questions.

Broken Heart Mosaic Workshop in Olympia, WA

Many years ago, I offered one of my first mosaic workshops through a little shop called Whirligig in Downtown Olympia.  The owner promoted the class for me, and she titled it "Broken Heart Mosaic Workshop" because it was right before Valentine's Day and I was setting up a small heart-themed project for students.

I think I had four students, and all had broken hearts.  They spent the day creating heart mosaics from broken shards, pouring out their stories to each other, discussing relationships and processing loss and grief.  I didn't plan it that way.  It just happened, and it was great.

This is not student work.  I made it.

I was never particularly interested in the heart symbol.  It seemed too "cute" and girly to me.  But it was around that time that I started to change my relationship with the Heart.  As a symbol of love and hope, the heart shape may be something we need more of.  Laurel True created a mosaic heart that is particularly inspiring to me: http://truemosaics.com/love-and-truth

After that, I tried to teach the Broken Heart class each year, usually coinciding with Super Bowl Sunday.  Those classes filled up, and were always fun and intimate.  I had found a great stained glass studio that hosted my classes, Hexen Glass, but they closed their public studio a few years ago.  Since then, I haven't taught much, and not locally.  But I recently discovered a new folk art school in Olympia.  I like what they are doing, and I miss the Broken Heart workshop, so I'm finally offering it again this year.

This is a student project.  I love this one.

Here is the description on my website, with a link to registration information: http://jkmosaic.com/broken-heart-mosaic-workshop/

The class will be Sunday, Feb. 9th.  The project can be a gift for someone special or a keepsake for yourself.  I'm hoping for an enthusiastic response!

Art Deco mosaic window for entryway

Last summer, we had our wraparound front porch enclosed to become a new "mud room."  This will help hold in heat, and will be a place to store boots, coats, beekeeping supplies, and dogs.  I think it is going to be a great improvement.

A friend salvaged all of the windows we used, and we found a reclaimed sidelight and door.  The door didn't work out, in the end, but I worked from September to the end of November adding mosaic to the 7-foot sidelight, and it is finally in place!

It's hard to get a good shot from the outside, especially since the exterior still needs to be painted.

Photos capture it better from the inside.

Here is a better look at the front.

The Art Zone has taken on a life of it's own!

In a recent post, I wrote about my drop-in art program created to serve homeless and at-risk teens in a rural community.  The class takes place at an alternative high school where regular classes do not take place on Fridays.  Instead, one-on-one meetings take place between teachers and students, teachers do their planning, and students catch up on their studies.

I heard that the small group of seniors that had started coming to my class were staying after school this past week to work on their projects.  I was excited to hear it, but also nervous that they were doing project with no instruction or guidance.  Some had only done one small mosaic project, ever.  No one was telling them how to hold the toyo cutter correctly, how to space and place pieces, what andamento is, or how much glue to use.  My husband left work at 7pm on Wednesday and the group was still there, with a teacher's assistant available to lock up when they were done.  And on Thursday, one teacher was planning to work until 11pm, so the kids made arrangements to stay that late!  (It turned out they were working on their college applications as well, but still...)

So, I was pleased this morning to find a group of tired, but enthusiastic, students waiting for me with their projects already out.  The mural has some remarkably large pieces cut out for the sun's rays, which I would have recommended against, but it is in cured thinset now, and it looks fine.

The student on the left made a sugar skull mosaic, but she has been filling the negative space with paper collage.

I had seven participating students today, which is about as many as I can accommodate with the amount of tools available.  They had Pandora playing at a raucous volume.  Energy was high, there was singing and dancing and a lot of hilarious banter.  The kids talked about how good they feel when they are making mosaic, how they feel calm and happy.

I give them basic instructions: how to use the tools, considerations about color and spacing, application of adhesive, etc.  From there, I let them do whatever they want.  My favorite thing about working with kids this age is that they are capable enough to use the tools safely and independently, yet they aren't restricted by ideas of what mosaic should be, or what they are "supposed" to do.  They try everything.  What if I glue glass onto glass?  What if I put clear glass over images?  Can I layer pieces of glass onto the top of my mosaic?  They think of things it took me years to discover, and they are making their mosaic for the fun of doing it.  Some of my adult students get so hung up on whether they are doing it "right" or what the outcome will be that they become paralyzed and can't glue their pieces down.  These teens just go for it.

This class started so slowly, and there were some weeks that only one person came, and one that nobody showed and I spent the day cleaning and organizing the art room.  I can't tell you how gratifying it is to see the room filled with music and laughter, and new students stopping in to see what's going on.  And they say, "I think I'll come next week.  This looks fun!" 

What a rewarding experience.  I'm so happy!

Art Zone Update

I've posted a little bit about the drop-in art program that I'm leading at an alternative high school in Shelton, WA, designed to provide outreach for homeless youth.  However, the program is open to all teens, and this school primarily serves at-risk youth, so we wanted to make sure that anyone who needs it feels welcome.

The program started in late September, and it took time to generate interest.  I've had a couple of consistent students, and more kids have noticed the class and become interested over the past couple of months.  But, because it takes place only on Fridays, and some kids only come one time, or once in a month, most are not going to become proficient with mosaic.  Instead, I've learned to set up some really simple projects that can be done quickly, without much effort.  Here is a jar-lid ornament project that was a hit, because kids could stop in, put glass scraps into the lid (over a cut out circle of No-Days adhesive), I used my heat gun to melt the adhesive.  When it cooled, they took it and continued with their day.

I do have a few students who took on a larger Day of the Dead project in October, and they have been diligently working on them over the past couple of months.  Again, the class is only on Fridays, sometimes they have other obligations and can't make it to class, and some students have only an hour or two to spend on it.  I wanted to post photos of the projects when they were complete, but here are progress shots instead:

This student is using tiny pieces because she loves the textured effect.

She is using only wheeled nippers to create her shapes.

This one is actually made by a young teaching assistant who brings a group of students to the class when she can.  She cut out eyes from a magazine and glued them under clear marbles.

This one is being done using indirect method.  The student is learning precision cutting with a glass cutter to make those concave shapes and curves.

This student is trying to use the glass scrap with as little cutting as possible.  She's gathering materials to collage the background.

One student has taken on a 3' x 5' mosaic mural for the school entryway as his senior project.  He has experience cutting glass, and he's quite good at it.

This is the mural as he was creating his cartoon.  The fused glass piece in the center was made years ago when there used to be a real glass art program at the school.  It is being incorporated into the mural as the focal point.  It will be surrounded by trees, ferns, pine cones, sun rays, and lettering.

This school doesn't have regular class on Fridays.  Teachers meet with students to help identify areas they need to improve, independent study takes place, there are often field trips with the outdoor club and organizations meet to work on their projects.  I am often asked to help with creative projects at the school, like decorations for their Haunted House event and a float for the winter parade (we'll all be walking in it tonight!)  Sometimes a group will bring lunch to my room to hang out with a friend who is working on their project.  On one of those occasions, a student mentioned that she wished she knew how to sew.  A couple of weeks later, I took sewing supplies and showed her how to make a little stuffed bird from fabric scraps.  She was so happy!  (Her bird was adorable, too.)

So, this has been a fantastic experience for me, so far.  I like being in an academic setting, working with young people, and hopefully sharing skills that will give some of them a new way to express themselves and a sense of empowerment.