Lee Ann Petropoulos Fine Art

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 21:22:00 +0000

This is a much more personal post than I am usually willing to make. Although I'm pretty opinionated and will express my thoughts easily about situations affecting a lot of people, I'm actually a very private person and don't like sharing details regarding my own life. But those people who have followed and encouraged me for 11 years deserve an explanation.

I will no longer be working as a professional mosaic artist. It's been a long time coming, this decision. I have struggled for several years with a growing animosity toward the business side of art, and I just can't do it anymore. I thought maybe a few months off would help, but I was wrong.

There are so many articles and blog posts written about how art can bring out your authentic self, how you can discover the solution to some of your problems through art (my friend David Sandum wrote a book about how art helped him cope with his depression - I'll Run Till The Sun Goes Down. Check it out.)

While that may be true for some, being a professional artist had the opposite effect on me.

Every time I posted about a new artwork that was available or a sale to move some older work, I felt like a carnival barker. Every time I had to explain why my prices are what they are, I felt like I was being accused of being a grifter. Every time I had to ask a visitor not to take photos of my work and explain the concept of intellectual property rights, I felt like a snob.

None of those things are me.

I have loved making mosaics and have enjoyed meeting so many other artists. My art has been well received, but so what? You don't need it. Your life will be just as awesome with or without it. It won't make you happy, it won't cure loneliness, it won't bring you admiration for your good taste (well, maybe just a little).

It won't change your life.

I realize that sounds like I'm not showing proper respect for art in general, and I assure you that isn't true. Some of my favorite memories of childhood are from the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

I can't fully express the awe I felt in the presence of the Tiffany stained glass window commissioned as a memorial to former President Benjamin Harrison. Or the sculpture of The Three Graces on the grounds of Oldfields, the former Eli Lily Estate, whose creator's name has been lost in the mists of time. Or the ethereal painting, The Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice by Monet.

To contemplate sublime art can trigger connections you would never have made otherwise. It can speak to human nature when words are insufficient. It can teach history, demonstrate compassion or courage, express yearning.

And for whatever reason, trying to make my way as an "artist" drained me and caused me to forget just how much I can be touched by such artworks. They became things to be studied, rather than evocations of transcendant experiences. Part of what I learned in my journey as an artist is that you have to teach yourself to look at what is actually there - lines, colors, shapes, shadows - rather than what your brain says something should look like. In studying these masterful artworks, I broke them down into lines, colors, shapes and shadows. And in doing so, they lost their ability to take my breath away.

It's not easy to make a break with something that has become a big part of you, but sometimes it can be more painful not to. When you believe your growth as a person requires a change, it's foolhardy to refuse. I will still make art now and then, probably more paintings than mosaics, but it will be strictly for my own satisfaction. Since I already have a house crammed full of art (my husband paints as well) I may throw things up on Facebook or Instagram once in awhile and see if anyone is interested.

So, yeah. That's it. Thanks for the support and encouragement over the years. I have truly appreciated each and every one of you. Wish I had something to offer you in return.

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 19:55:00 +0000

Fall is just around the corner again. I sometimes think "where did the time go?" and yet, when I look back, the past year has been full. Full of travel, full of love, full of good times. It has also been full of some sad things - on my mind particularly is my cousin's illness.

Although I don't usually whine about time passing too quickly, about a year ago my cousin and his wife moved very near us. We had said how much fun it would be to go to a baseball game together in Greenville, SC, as they have a farm team for the Red Sox. But it was also about that time that he was diagnosed with a very serious illness. I just heard that he has been placed in hospice.

We never went to a game, we never visited him at his home, we didn't go to the last family get together at Easter where we could have spent some time with him because we were travelling. So this year, yes, I think that ol' tempus fugit has bitten me in the ass.

He always loved Monet, so I'm told, and his sister just purchased my Giverny mosaic as a gift for him. (I hope I'm not in trouble for telling that, she may not have had the chance to take it to him yet.) I hope he finds comfort in those calm colors and watery lines.

And while I worry about the advance of time in relation to this cousin, I'm also anxious to see my aunt who will be visiting from Australia for several weeks soon. The wheel turns, and somehow we all find a way to cope with the good and the bad. There is always some of both to be found in every life.

Onward and Upward

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 15:41:00 +0000

There has been a lot of water under the bridge during the last several months. It's been a difficult time for me in the studio, so that's the reason for the radio silence. I prefer not to hash things out publicly but to work my way through things internally. Maybe that's not healthy, but I'm an old dog.

As a result I have reorganized the studio and sold off some of the types of glass I won't be using in the future. I am also branching out into some other areas, one of which is creating websites and content for blogs, newsletter, etc. I will share more details about that with you soon.

Meanwhile, I need to clear out some inventory, so I am offering my remaining originals for 50% off! Some examples:

This is an amazing opportunity to purchase a beautiful piece of art for your home at a great price. They also make wonderful wedding gifts! My prints are also on sale 30% off and these can all be purchased through my website or you can email me at artist@mosaicartbyla.com. This offer is valid through August 31, 2019.

Since I last posted, I got a bee in my bonnet about wanting to design my own wallpaper for my home library. I love William Morris designs, but I can't afford the reproduction wallpaper, so I set about making my own design inspired by one of my favs. I got the design drawn, but unfortunately I don't have the skills (or possibly the ambition...or both) to go any further with it. I do love the design though...

And meanwhile I started another mosaic - Milagro. It's a bean seedling (even though I wanted to do a tree seedling, but that's another story) and I keep thinking of the movie The Milagro Beanfield War. (Great movie, by the way). Also, because milagro means miracle in Spanish, it seemed appropriate.

Various and Sundry

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 15:55:00 +0000

First off, I have a picture of the finished heart for the Diversity Mural. I finished the darn thing quite some time ago, and unfortunately it got buried under supplies for the current project, so I forgot to mail it! I was lucky in that the deadline for the project was moved back, so when I found it, I still had time to mail it in. Yay!

ICYMI the mural is a tribute to the victims of the Pulse Nightclub attack in Orlando, FL two years ago. I thought the shape of the tess in this heart made the sides look a bit like angel wings and that seemed appropriate.

In other news, the Moonlit Magnolia project is moving right along. I though it might be interesting to see how the tiles are cut to fit the lines (andamento) that define the shape of the sections. Some of the tiles are laid without cutting, but many are cut. This video shows how I determine how to fit and cut the tiles for laying in areas where a full tile won't fit.

Although I still haven't taken a photo of several sections fitted together as promised, I do have a section which is a complete petal to show you:

Jigsaw Puzzles

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 18:43:00 +0000

As anyone who has followed this blog for awhile knows, I suck at photography. That's just how it is. Yes, I could get better if I put my mind to it, but it's probably not gonna happen. So there.

As a result, the photos to accompany what I have to tell you today are less than stellar, but they are what I have.

I recently saw a forum post requesting help on an outdoor floor mosaic, and I chimed in to give what help I could. She was concerned about constructing her mosaic in sections, because she didn't want the seams to be evident. So I told her about how mine are designed to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle to eliminate obvious seams (except where design elements meet, like the edge of a leaf and the background).

I showed you this picture before, but this is one section of the background. The top edge is the outer limit of the mosaic, the left edge abuts a leaf, the lower parts abut flower petals, and the right, jagged edge will fit together with the next section of background. There are three sections of background until you run into another leaf. Why can't the background be done in a single section? This is sitting on a board approximately 2.5 ft. by 4 ft. Any larger, and it would be impossible to handle the section to install it.

Now here is the section that fits into the right side of the one above (it has been finished, but this is the only photo I have of it):

The left edge (yeah, the one that is partially out of frame!) will fit into the right side of the first one. By having the jagged edge, there won't be an obvious seam here.

By contrast, this is the leaf that the third section of background abuts, and it was small enough to do as a single section, so it has no jagged edges.

Puppy blur in the background!

And here is part of a flower petal - the lower, heavily shaded section of one. The sides and bottom abut other petals, but the top is jagged to fit into the upper section of the petal. (This photo is before it was finished)

I'll try to get a good photo of a few sections laid out as they will be installed for the next post.

Fun Facts...

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 12:56:00 +0000

I've spent an awful lot of time soaking porcelain tiles off of mesh sheets in the last few weeks. I had read many years ago that if you put some vinegar in the soaking water, it will make the tiles easier to remove, so I've been using hot water and adding cleaning vinegar (stronger than table vinegar). After the first few sheets my hands felt dry and itchy, and I didn't know whether that was from the vinegar or just the hot water, so I started wearing rubber gloves. Apparently, it was a good idea - check out how the vinegar has changed the color of the gloves....

However, I ran out of vinegar last week and guess what? Hot water alone does just as good a job. In fact, there seems to be less glue residue on the underside of the tiles.

One of the leaves is finished - I'm working in what probably seems like a random order, but some of the sections have to be fit together in a puzzle-like fashion, so if I work on one of them, it makes sense to go to the connecting bit next rather than necessarily in order. This is a part of a petal that is in shadow - I'll move on to the outer part of this petal next.

UPDATE: I was wrong. Hot water alone isn't working as well. If you let the tile sit long enough to really soak, the water cools off too much. Use the vinegar.

Uh oh...

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 14:51:00 +0000

I have no new project pics that don't look an awful lot like the ones from the last post, so here's a gratuitous puppy pic.

Remy on her first hike

Rolling with the punches is not one of my strengths, but with every project there will be some kind of problem that needs to be overcome. That's something you just accept as an artist. However, when you end up with a problem that you experienced 7 years ago and forgot about...well, let's just say I'm not well pleased with myself.

As strange as it sounds, I have come to the conclusion that you just can't keep open bags of thinset too long. Even though I have always kept them sealed against humidity (so they weren't clumped), if they've been open too long, the thinset doesn't have the sticking power it has when it's fresh. Maybe there's another explanation for it, but I'm at a loss.

After completing two sections, I found that some of the tiles were popping off the edge when I tried to move the mesh section. Ugh. It only took me about two days to remember that a project I worked on in 2011 did the same thing, and when I bought a new bag of thinset - problem solved.

It kills me to waste about half a bag of thinset, but if it won't stick tight, it's useless. New bag in the studio and I would be off to the races, except that I'm waiting for the next shipment of tile. Should arrive any day, but until then...

Moonlit Magnolia Begins to Take Shape

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Tue, 03 Jul 2018 13:58:00 +0000

So here is the actual size cartoon for the mosaic installation. It is 16' in diameter, and the only place I could lay the whole thing out was in the driveway. I had it printed at actual size in pieces at Henco Graphics, then taped it together. As you can see, I started to cut out the circle and decided that was dumb! No reason to do that until I had it divided up into sections.

Here is the schematic of the different sections. The center square is for a storm drain. There are 43 sections, although a couple of them are large enough that they might have to be subdivided later.

The sections cut:

I'm using Winckleman's unglazed porcelain tile for this project. It is non-porous and weatherproof. It comes on square foot mesh sheets, and has to be soaked off...

and most of it cut into smaller pieces. I know this seems nuts since it's such a large project, but I want it to resemble a Roman floor mosaic, which would have been made of pieces about this size. Although it's tedious work, it's not hard with a compound tile nipper, and you can do it while listening to podcasts, working out logistics of other parts of the project, or planning dinner (ok, yeah, I'm probably thinking about what I will eat next and how soon can I eat it).

Remy trying to help:

Section one completed. This section (and all the other background sections) are full sized tiles.

My Biggest Project Yet!

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 21:03:00 +0000

Summer always seems to be a busy time. I am always caught off guard, because I expect it to be a time when things slow down and people relax a bit. It seems like it used to be that way; now we've forgotten how to relax. But I could write a whole blog post on that subject...

There hasn't been much to talk about from the studio lately, because I have been working hard trying to get my ducks in a row on a huge project. I have been commissioned to create an outdoor floor mosaic for a community in Cary, NC, near Raleigh.

The logo for the community is a white magnolia, so I will be constructing a 16' diameter white magnolia blossom for installation in the fall!

I'll be posting some progress pics (without giving away too much) and talking about the whys and wherefores of some of the process.

And if you are in the Raleigh, NC area and are interested in helping with installation, I will be looking to hire a couple of people (must have some experience with mosaic). Tentatively scheduled for the first week of September. Message me if you're available and interested!

Also, check out my new website for prints and greeting cards!

Giverny (homage to Monet)

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Mon, 21 May 2018 18:23:00 +0000

Finally, something to show you!

I just finished this little piece, another of my Tinies (at only 6" x 6").

Entitled "Giverny (homage to Monet)" it was begun while reading the book Mad Enchantment, about Monet and the painting of the waterlilies.

I actually had no idea how very many paintings of waterlilies he had painted (although I knew there were several). He painted almost nothing else for years, some of the paintings were enormous.

This piece is now available. You can see it at the Kress Emporium, or if you can't make it in there, contact me at artist@mosaicartbyla.com or Kress at (828) 281-2252.

Next on the agenda: a monstrously large exterior floor mosaic. Stay tuned for details!

Mad Enchantment

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Wed, 02 May 2018 20:14:00 +0000

I may be a touch more impressionable than I tend to think I am. I just finished reading Mad Enchantment, Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies by Ross King. And so the plan to mosaic an African Daisy on the next tiny mosaic somehow morphed into an homage to Monet...

Ha! You can still see some of the drawing for the African Daisy on the substrate. It wouldn't all erase away. This will be at The Kress Emporium soon.

I recommend the book, by the way. It's fascinating to see the lives of artists set against the backdrop of the times they lived in. I hadn't ever thought about Monet having lived through World War I, and it's interesting to see how the conditions of France during the Grande Guerre impacted his daily life, his psyche and his art.

(Just proofread and the first sentence works on so many levels! lol)

And in case you haven't heard, prints and greeting cards are now for sale on my website! Please go check them out - they'd make a lovely Mother's Day gift!

Coloring Grout and Thinset

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 13:00:00 +0000

I have been a big fan of coloring grout or thinset (for ungrouted mosaics) to enhance the design of a mosaic for as long as I can remember. I began with just a single, solid color that I thought would go best with the majority of the tesserae, but I began to want more from my grout. If you can match (which is a word I use loosely here) the color of each section, they become much more distinct. And there is also the ability to add shading by using different values of the same color in each section. I thought some of you readers who also make mosaics might be interested in this journey.

Some reasons for changing grout colorants over the years is that the supply chain has changed, I found better colorants, and recently I found that the better colorants have their own issues and can be difficult to find. So about a month ago I found myself searching for other options.

I first began by using powdered grout colorants that I purchased from a supplier (I think it was Maryland Mosaics, but they no longer carry these anyway).

The charcoal was the only one that I thought produced a color I was happy with. The others were just a little funky - colors that don't quite exist in nature. That's not necessarily a problem if you like them anyway, unless of course most of your subject matter is nature based.

I also tried ordering pre-colored grout from Home Depot in super rich, dark colors: Lipstick, Mallard Green, Midnight - you get the idea. Problem #1 - you end up with a shit load of strong colored grout that will eventually harden and get gravelly. Problem #2 - for some reason, those uber-tinted grouts don't accept the water quickly like light colors. It's kind of like pouring milk on powdered sugar. It requires stirring for a very long time to get it to mix, and then you have about 2.5 seconds to stop mixing or you get a bizarre foamy texture.

I then discovered Tints All which I purchased from Maryland Mosaics in tubes. I wanted the smaller size in lots of colors to try them out - they do come in larger bottles. The colors are fantastic and nicely concentrated, and with the exception of a couple of the red shades, they won't fade and are appropriate for outdoor use.

My biggest problem with these is that the colorants in the tube separate so you have to massage the tube thoroughly to recombine it before using, and with time they become nearly solid and difficult to remove from the tube. As concentrated as they are, you use very little and the small tube would last a long time - if you could get the stuff out of it. I did purchase the larger bottle size of the black, and it seems thinner and I haven't had a problem with it. So maybe that's the answer - only use the bottles. However, two of the shades I use most were out of stock for a long time, so I needed another solution.

I ended up buying a few powdered pigments from Gamblin - these are artist quality pigments for people who are nerdy enough to make their own paint. (Sorry! no offense intended. I love nerds.) They are expensive, but they color grout and thinset beautifully! I really love the look of these.

I know that some of these colors won't have the lightfast qualities of the Tints All colorants, but for indoor use, that's not an issue. I will probably restock some of the Tints All in larger bottles for things I think I might use outdoors.

Anyone have another suggestion?

Madelyn's Poppies - New Mosaic!

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 12:10:00 +0000

Madelyn's Poppies
24" x 12"
Glass and stone

This mosaic was delivered to a very special lady on Good Friday. My cousin Madelyn had asked for a mosaic of red poppies for her new sun porch.

I have grown red oriental poppies in my gardens, and you'd think that would be my first association with a request for a red poppy mosaic, but I kept thinking of the Flanders poppies that are used for remembrance on Veteran's Day. My uncle, her father, was a WWII veteran so I thought of him every time I worked on it. Madelyn was unaware of the association of poppies and remembrance, and when she happened to run across that information after she commissioned the mosaic, she was especially touched because the room that it is displayed in is full of furniture and special items from her mother, who passed away not too long ago.

This one will always be special for me. 💟

Public art, new and old

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 14:29:00 +0000

I spent some time this morning trying to organize art photos. It really shouldn't be such a difficult thing, but because the transition to my current computer (admittedly, that was about 2 years ago) didn't go smoothly, the photos are in disarray to say the least. I found that some seemed to have gone AWOL as well, although in a very random way.

In particular, I found that I had very few pictures of the public art projects I had participated in. I spent about 45 minutes scouring Google photos, Facebook and this blog to collect images to store on my computer. Since I have just started another public art project, this is a good time to look back at the previous ones, and look forward to more.

First, the current project. Jennifer Kuhns has designed and organized a mosaic mural in memory of the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, FL on June 12, 2016. This mural will consist of hearts in the colors of the rainbow made by professional mosaic artists from around the world, and the target date for installation is June of this year, hopefully near the second anniversary of the shooting.

I wanted a recognizable heart, but not one that was just a boring regular shape, since each artist is instructed to work in only one color. I have a sheet of stained glass that is g. o. r. g. e. o. u. s. The yellow is fairly light, and slightly peachy in places, but one side is heavily textured. In cutting it for this piece it sort of reminded me of feathers, and in placing them as I did, I began to think it looked a little like angel wings. (I know - that is SOO not me to say that). It probably won't when it's finished, but it seemed like an appropriate thing for a memorial.

Jennifer has also started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of installation. Please take a moment to view the GoFundMe campaign and contribute if you can. Even if not, please share it on social media to help spread the word!

The Pulaski Polka Dot Project

The previous public project was a project to adorn the front of Wits End Mosaic Supply in Pulaski, Wisconsin. The was a drab little brick building until the mosaic artists got hold of it - check out the before and after!

My contribution is near the lower right corner of the window on the right. Here it is before installation:

The Pulaski Polka Dot project was accepted into the Society of American Mosaic Artists annual exhibition, which coincides with the conference, currently going on in Boston. It's a very big honor to be part of a project accepted into this exhibition.

Unfurled

Lin Schorr designed this mural to adorn the blank side of Ciel Gallery in Charlotte, NC. At 13 feet long and 8 feet tall, it is a really show stopper. Fifty some artists participated, my piece being the pink and yellow petal on the far left. This photo is from the ribbon cutting - you can see it flapping in the breeze!

A close up on the section with my contribution. I was inspired by the striped tulips that made Holland famous (and later bankrupt!)

Unfurled was also accepted into a previous Society of American Mosaic Artists exhibition.

Calusa Butterfly Project

Eve Lynch designed a lovely mural for the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium in Ft. Myers, FL.

My contribution, before installation

That was a fun little trip down memory lane! Sometimes it's a good thing to step back and take stock of where you have been, before deciding where you want to go.

Carolina Wren

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 16:04:00 +0000

The little wren is finished, and will be hanging in the Kress Emporium this afternoon. Although I have enjoyed working on these little pieces more than I expected to (5" x 7"), I'm psyched to be moving along on the commission. The size of 12" x 24" is a much more comfortable size to design for.

If you didn't see the reference photos and a teaser of the design sketch:

I won't give away too much on this project as it progresses - it's too much fun to surprise a client with the finished piece. But I love the way the leaves are looking - I'll share a pic of that soon.

Last of the Tinies. For Now.

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 16:47:00 +0000

Close to being done with my Carolina Wren, the last of the little works for the time being. I love this little dude, I have to admit! This is 5" x 7", same as the other two I shared in this post.

This one will have a stone background - haven't quite chosen the colors yet.

Now I'm off to set up my booth at The Kress Emporium. No rest for the wicked!

Today Feels Like the 40th of January. Seriously.

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 01:45:00 +0000

It truly feels like it's been January forever. And yet, I have accomplished so very little this month, in part because I spent half of it sick (and half of that out of town).

But no excuses.

While I have yet to finish that last little mosaic, it shouldn't take long, and then I'll be running full throttle on my commission. Soon I'll show you the little one, but then it might be awhile before you hear from me - no work in progress pics so the finished piece will be a surprise!

Though the mosaic work ground to a halt, I did get a monster sized painting done for our basement mud room. It was actually a cooperative production with my husband. I drew the design and painted the background, he roughed in the birds and branches, and then I finished it off. Though it's a bit amateurish, being my first attempt at painting strictly with a palette knife, I loved doing it and will be dabbling in this again soon.

In other news, I have 6 of my designs printed onto 5" x 7" greeting cards (I'm really happy with these - the paper quality is excellent!). They will be available at the Kress Emporium beginning February 1, and hopefully, on my website soon! Getting the website ready for eCommerce has been no cakewalk, but it should be ready soon. I will be adding designs gradually, and hope to have some prints added too.

Til next time - stay warm!

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 19:18:00 +0000

Photo credit: Carla Stanford Mitchell

This is the view from a friend's porch on New Year's Day, 2018. Western North Carolina was gifted a bitter cold and icy start to the year. There are several ways one could look at that - either 2018 will be an utter bitch, or the year is taking a tip from Mother Nature and freezing out the vermin. Let's hope for the latter!

Holidays always interfere with work in the studio, however, I have managed a little bit of work on little bits of mosaic.

I did finish the pears (titled Harvest), and got most of the glass done on the poppy (titled, unimaginatively, Poppy). These are both 5" x 7", and I have one more to start in that size, which is a Carolina Wren. We have lots of those darling little birds that hop around on our deck and tease the cats. As sweet as they look, when they open their mouths you feel as if you have just been cussed out by the neighborhood crank. My kind of bird!

Hope you all had a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve. Here's to a wonderful, art-filled 2018!

Finessing the grout

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 18:46:00 +0000

It's no surprise that I am never satisfied with a single color of grout, but I find that I nearly always want more subtlety in the grout changes and shades of a single color after I get close to being done with it.

So what's a girl to do? I have developed a number of techniques that help me do what I call "finessing the grout".

Here's a little taste of what that involves.

This is a small piece (5" x 7") that relies heavily on the grout changes, because the size of the piece prevents me from getting a lot of gradual color changes in the glass pieces. As small as the glass tesserae are, they are not all that small in relation to the overall size of the piece.

Because of the center being grouted in shades darker than the background, as soon as the pears and leaves were done, I grouted them. Then I applied the background. At this point I decided to adjust the shading on the pears before grouting the background. There are several ways to do this. One is to use a wash of acrylic paint onto the areas you want to shade. However, because the grout had been curing for several days, I know from experience that an acrylic wash will turn out looking grainy if applied now. When the grout is fresh you can use that technique (within reason) and the paint pigments seem to soak in and stay put better. My best option was to mix up another shade of grout and go over the parts I wanted shaded. Before I could do that, I needed to remove a small amount of the grout from the area to give some room for the new grout to settle into. Grout, after all, is a space filler and NOT an adhesive.

I then mixed up the grout shade I wanted, and instead of applying it with my regular tool, I used a very small stiff brush. This not only gives me more control, it allows me to fade out the changes nicely.

Blurry pic, sorry.

I used the brush to scrub the grout in there and then wiped the area with a paper towel.

Sometimes, there will still be an area that needs a fine line to delineate areas, and in this case, it was between the pears. I used thinned acrylic paint applied with a very fine liner brush. Again, this was an option because it was applied on top of fresh grout.

Then onto the background, which is two colors - plain white and a pale blue, applied quickly so it could be blended together while wet. And that's how we get to the picture at the top!

It's a Learning Curve

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 22:12:00 +0000

I have never liked working small, but I have been pushing myself to do it more in the last couple of years, and ...

I still don't like it. But I don't like it less than I used to.

Not diggin' this one, and can't really say why, so I guess this is what it is. I finished the glass today, and will grout it tomorrow, and possibly start the marble background. I wanted to use the travertine marble (which I think is drool-worthy), but it's too dark to give good contrast with the pears, so I have settled on Giallo.

After this I have two more small ones I hope to finish before the first of the year, then on to a commission. :)

Um...Yeah. No.

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 15:23:00 +0000

So. I have discovered that Litovi is not for me.

Yeah, I know - how on earth did I only put down about 6 pieces of glass in a month? I've been busy, ok? lol

Anyway, when the Litovi showed up I was very surprised at how thick it is. I was aware that it would need to be cut with hammer and hardie first, and then could be cut with compound nippers. However, this stuff is so thick that I actually had a little trouble getting it to break with the hammer! I also got jagged, uneven cuts, as you can see, and then the nippers didn't work as well as I might have liked. I'm also not super excited about the colors.

Meh.

Problem is, I don't know what other options I will have. I guess I'll just have to use glass for the cockscombs. I have red unglazed porcelain, but next to the Litovi it looks brown.

I think this one is getting shelved for awhile. I hate to do that, because I already have one on the shelf (a grapevine) but I am going to make a few small things for some quick gratification. And because starting on Feb. 1, I will be exhibiting in the Kress Emporium in downtown Asheville, NC and the space will be tight.

Also, I will be working on a commission beginning the first of the year, so that will have to be my focus.

I'll just let the concept of this one percolate in my subconscious for awhile and see what I can come up with.

Suggestions welcome.

Nine years is a long time

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 02:44:00 +0000

I just realized that I have had this little blog for nine years now. It has suffered extended periods of neglect while I flirted with other social media platforms (you really must believe me when I say I am not that fickle in my offline life), but it has persevered, and I am back with a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates, hoping it will forgive my transgressions.

I deleted my Twitter account, because after about the same amount of time, I couldn't figure out why I should be on there. Twitter moves at the speed of light, and I....well, I don't.

Facebook was my go-to for several years, but now it has become a "pay to play" platform. (Posts on my business page will only reach 2 - 6%, on average, of the 3,249 people who have Liked the page unless I "boost" my posts with cold hard cash.) I can't really afford not to use the Facebook page because of the search engine presence it contributes, but it becomes less useful as a way of connecting with people who are interested in my art.

So here I am, reevaluating the slow, verbose blog. The outlet that lets me - no, expects me - to run off at the mouth. And I have decided that all things considered, I like it that way.

I have spent the last few months collecting photos of vignettes that are inspiring, and will perhaps one day become a mosaic. Here are just a few:

I hope you'll follow along with the blog if you have an interest in my art. You can use a blog reader app like Feedly or Panda, or just enter your email in the box in the column on the right and each post will be delivered to your email inbox. If you're worried about too much email from me, see paragraph one above...

And y'know, there is a comment option on this blog - we can still talk and discuss things, just like we used to on Facebook. Ah, good times...

The Critter Chronicles, vol. 1…..in which I discover I cannot draw a chicken.

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 12:47:00 +0000

My next mosaic is a composite of three photos I took at a farm in Maine on our vacation last month. Blossom is a sweet little ewe that followed me around the pasture and let me pet her and scratch her behind the ears. She shared the pasture with several chickens, who were much less interested in my attentions.

I have never professed to draw particularly well, but I find that I can make needed adjustments when applying the glass. In most cases…
I'm not so sure there will be much help for those chickens.
One and a half four-inch tall chickens = one and a half hours of drawing and erasing. Mostly erasing. One still looks a lot like the damn Kellogg's Corn Flakes rooster. Oh well.
In case you wonder what the squiggly lines above the animals is supposed to be - that is just so I don't get confused later as to which parts are pickets on the fence, and which are the spaces between.
My thought is to make this mosaic entirely of stone except for the ewe’s eye (a spot of iridescent glass to grab you, eh?), but I got hung up on the planning for those damn chickens – there is no readily available “cockscomb red” stone. So I am venturing into the realm of Litovi.
From the Smalti.com website:

Litovi MosaicStone is a new high tech material that brings together the glamour of marble with the rich color range of smalti. It is resistant to all conditions and can be used in both interior and exterior applications. Developed in France by mosaic artists for mosaic artists.

This material seems to bring vivid colors to the palette that are otherwise unavailable unless you use glass. I will use some red shades for the cockscombs, and a bit of rich browns to mix in with the brown stone in the fence and tree trunks.

Technorati Tags: chicken,design,drawing,mosaic,Litovi

So much new, so much to do!!

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 18:07:00 +0000

Well I am just overwhelmed! And I know, I say that like it’s a new thing, but apparently I just can’t keep up with life, and that’s all there is to it.

You may be aware that I moved in April – both my house and my studio. It was a sad thing to leave the River Arts District – I met so many fascinating and lovely people there. But it was the right thing to do. I now have my studio in my home again, and although that makes it more difficult to show my art to you, I have a lovely, comfortable space for it. The light is good, the space is a loft with a balcony that opens onto the lower level, and it’s wonderfully convenient.

I will have to get some shelves for the glass – the old shelving is too tall for the slanted ceiling!

And now that I am semi-settled into the new studio, I have been busy arranging opportunities for you to see my art:

Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy Auction – Saturday, August 27 is the 16th annual Conservation Celebration at Grand Highlands at Bearwallow Mountain Lodge. I have donated a mosaic for the silent auction. As a long time supporter of The Nature Conservancy and other conservation groups, my heart is fully into this opportunity to help them out. See their website for more information about the event.
ArtCurious Gallery – Thursday, September 1 will be the Grand Opening of the ArtCurious Gallery in Johnson City, TN. Located on Boones Creek Rd just south of the trestle bridge (the former Boones Creek Pottery Gallery), I am honored to be included in the list of artists showing here. Come to the Grand Opening on September 1 from 5 – 8 pm – I’ll be there!
WNC Open Studios Tour – October 1 – 16. This is a brand new event, modeled after the Open Studios Tour in Devon, UK. Its format is different from other open studio events, in that it has a lengthy 16-day event schedule and a wide geographical range of studio locations. (Although the home page of the website says it covers Bumcombe, Polk and Transylvania counties, it is actually larger than that. I am in Madison county, and I understand that at least one artist is in the Spartanburg vicinity.) This is to create a more leisurely, in-depth connection with the artists and to provide an opportunity to discover unfamiliar mountain communities. My studio will be open each Friday, Saturday and Sunday during this time from 10 – 5. See their website for the list of talented artists and to plan your tour!

Although I am struggling to keep up with organizing a new home, a part time job, out-of-town guests and art making, I am finding a bit of time to work on a new piece. This is called Dalliance, in part because it slightly resembles a dahlia, and also because I am toying with this process of making a piece that has no real-life inspiration. I have no photos of flowers similar to this, the shape is not based on any particular flower, and the colors are not very realistic. It reminds me by turns of a dahlia, an impatien, and a rugosa rose.
Whatever. I like it.

P.S. – OMG! I forgot to mention the CMA Summit Exhibition!!!

See? I told you I just can’t keep up.

This is by far the best and most prestigious of the exhibition opportunities. I have been extremely honored two years in a row with a place in this exhibition. I am very unhappy to have to tell you that the organizers have decided that this will be the last of its kind. If you can possibly get to Ashland, OR during the exhibition (September 17 through October 16, 2016) DO IT!! Just look at the list of luminaries who will exhibit there with me, from 8 different countries. I will be sending Tamworth Nocturne.

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Ann) — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 15:19:00 +0000

Wow, I've been gone from here a long time! Life has brought me a lot of things to engulf all my spare time in the last few months, so I have just been waiting, more or less patiently, to come up for air.

Since I last checked in here, I started a part time job (which I love, by the way) and bought a house. There is so much to do to get settled in a new home, especially when you have grand plans for the yard! I started a native stone patio for the back, with stone sourced from our own property. Of course, the mosaic artist in me won't settle for something regular (or even flat!). That will be finished by the fall, at least, hopefully sooner.

In the meantime, I started a new mosaic (pics to come), and will be taking my mosaics to a new gallery next month! (Exciting, huh?!?) The gallery is called ArtCurious, and will be housed in a beautiful old house on Boones Creek Rd in Jonesborough, TN. You may recognize it - it previously housed a gallery of artful pottery near the old trestle bridge. The official opening is September 1, but I'll have more information as the time gets closer.

But that's not all! In October I will be participating in the WNC Open Studios tour. It's modeled after an open studio tour held annually in Devon, UK. The studios will be open between October 1 and October 16, with each studio setting the particular hours they are available. Please visit their website to see the wonderful company I will be in and plan your visit!