It all started when a friend invited me to join her at a mosaic class. I did not want to go and had to be dragged kicking and screaming. Well, as they say, the rest is history.
FUNCOLOUR
Funcolour is a name that came to me some years ago, as fun and colour were the two elements that I most loved about mosaic art. And let’s face it, due to the nature and variety of the materials that we mosaic artists have access to, there is really no shortage of colour. I think mosaic is one of those art forms where colour is just abundant and one can easily get carried away. This usually resulting in great amounts of fun and whimsy. There is really no limit to what can be achieved when one has glass, a good imagination and a willingness to learn and work meticulously. At the end there will be beautiful art, and immense pride in achievement. We all know that moment when you step back and look upon the product of your labour. And I have seen some amazing works produced by some of our local artists.
So, what can I say about myself? I am an artist, and I live in the Cape wine lands with my family. I am married with three children. I love animals and we share our home with two aloof snobby cats, who are willing to lower themselves to my level only when they need a tummy scratch, or food! So, when I am not making mosaic, I like to cook, sew or tend the various fruit trees in my garden. My motto in life is, “Life is an adventure, live it fully”. And hopefully this shows in my art, which I like to describe as colourfully detailed, with an element of silliness and fun at times. ♥
I also like to paint, do some graphic design, a bit of web developing, and like to dabble in the odd bit of writing when I have time. In the past, I have served on an international judging panel for a well-known American mosaic publication. I am a published author of a self-help mosaic book. I have regularly contributed to various publications, including Handyman Magazine, Craftwise and Creative Hobbies.
I have, since a very young age, always dabbled in some form or art or other. From a work perspective though, I come from an IT background working at a large international corporate firm for over 10 years. Whilst I enjoyed the daily pressures and challenges of this environment immensely, ultimately, like with all artists, creativity beckoned.
It was during 2000 that I began my journey into the beautiful world of mosaics. A friend invited me to attend a very basic beginner mosaic class, and from there grew the love affair with all things glass and colour. I started off by building an extensive library of mosaic books in my quest for knowledge. These I eagerly consumed from cover to cover. I tried all the different techniques. Attempts were made at many of the illustrated projects, with varying degrees of success, I might add.
In 2009, I embarked on a solo trip. A once in a lifetime epic adventure to Italy. There I studied with Giulio Menossi in Udine and Luciana Notturni at the Ravenna School of Mosaic. I learned the Double Reverse Technique taught at Spilimbergo Mosaic School in Friuli. Also the much acclaimed Ravenna Method of setting mosaic into putty and double reversing. It goes without saying that I also toured around as much as possible. I visited more than a few ancient mosaic sites all over Ravenna and Friuli, including Basilica Patriarcale di Santa Maria Assunta in Aquileia.
I stopped over at the famous Orsoni Foundry in Venice. I was fortunate enough to be given a personal grand tour of the smelting works, cutting floor and extensive smalti library. I also paid a visit to a large millefiori factory in Merano and brought in 100 kilograms of millefiori for local distribution.
Shortly after my return, I opened Mosaic Workshop Studio and online shop. My very capable team and I produced many large scale mosaics for various sites around South Africa. During this time, I also taught mosaic technique at my studio in Killarney Gardens, Cape Town. My classes were always full and in demand. In 2014, I unfortunately had to close the studio and decided to pursue a path as a solo artist and writer. Mostly self-taught, I think I have since developed a style of my own. What I hope to convey with my work is that I absolutely love what I do. Every day I feel fortunate in that I am able to live the artist lifestyle here in this beautiful country, in the shadow of Table Mountain. I can only put this down to the fantastic support of my loving husband and wonderful kids, and that God smiles favourably upon my family and I on a daily basis. Thank you. ♥
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