This week I'm featuring the very talented Lisa of Crooked Moon Mosaics. She creates beautifully detailed functional works of art from shards of colored glass and other sparkly things. Here's a gorgeous belt buckle made with glass and beads.
I asked Lisa to answer a few questions to help us get to know her a little better. Mosaics have always fascinated me, so it's very interesting to read more about her craft. Here's what she had to share!
1. When did you realize that you wanted to be an artist/artisan?
I think I was predetermined to be an artist. My father is an accomplished sculptor and passed on that artistic gene to me. One of my very first memories is of a fish I made out of construction paper in Kindergarten. It was for a sea mural for the wall. The teacher loved it and I think that is when I knew that art would always be a part of my life. I was so damn proud of that fish!
2. How long have you been working with your medium and what first sparked your interest in it?
I’m not a big fan of the color blue (for decorating) but for some reason, blue glass always intrigued me. So I started taking some stained glass classes at a local shop about 10 years ago. I enjoyed it but being a perfectionist, I found myself getting disenchanted. Not being able to make those solder lines perfect frustrated me to no end! Fast forward 6 years and I found mosaics quite by accident. Because I am a starving artist, I work at a restaurant waiting tables. We have about 70 feet of windows with a 10 inch sill. The chairs hitting the edge of the sill and the moisture from the windows sweating, were causing the plaster to break off. It looked horrible. I suggested a tile mosaic to fix it and next thing I knew.... I was making it! While researching how to do that project I found some truly amazing artists who pushed the envelope on what most people think of when they hear the word “mosaic.” I couldn’t wait to experiment with the glass I already had and find my little niche in the mosaic world.
Mosaic MirrorsTaking shards of glass that alone look like nothing, and putting them together to make a picture or a design, fascinates me. Also, the endless choice of materials that you can use for mosaics. Though I love the sparkle of stained glass, using other materials such as marble, porcelain tile, pebbles and semi precious stones (just to mention a few) give dimension and drama to my work. Also the fact that you can mosaic just about anything! My work can be out in the garden, hanging on a wall or adorning your body. The only thing that stops you are the confines of your imagination.
4. Where do you find inspiration for your art/craft?
I am surrounded by shelves of jars, trays and boxes of my mosaic material which inspire me when I walk into my studio. I usually don’t plan out my designs, I’ll pick a color scheme first and then just go through my tesserae, putting pieces together till I like it, then glue it down. Also, other mosaic artists inspire me greatly. There are some that are truly masters at what they do.
5. What message or values do you wish to convey with your art? What does your art say to the world?
No message really, I’m not that deep!
6. Are there any other creative outlets that you use to express yourself? What are they and what do you enjoy about them?
Interior and garden design. I am constantly changing things around! When I was younger I would always rearrange the knicknacks in the house creating little vignettes. A few times my mother came home from work to find all the furniture in the family room moved around. She would get so mad ! I couldn’t help myself though. Through the years I have dabbled in many artistic endeavors including photography, painting and floral design.
7. Do you have any advice for other artists/artisans
Do what you love and love what you do.
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In closing...
What's on the horizon for you right now?
I just finished up a guitar I’ve been working on, should have it in my Etsy shop this week. I’m about to start another full size guitar. Debating on doing a Beatles tribute or another abstract.
Are there any great websites you'd like to recommend?
My bookmarks are all mosaic sites! I recently joined ArtsinRI, a Etsy street team. It’s a very diversified group of talented artists from Rhode Island. You can find them at http://artsinri.com/
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To read past interviews with "Etsy Monday" featured artists, click here!
2 comments:
Thank you so much for sharing the beautiful mosaics. I have always wanted to do that and have just started collecting dishes and things I might be able to use for it. Your blog has inspired me. That guitar is amazing!
I love lisa's work!!! those guitars are freaking awesome!!!
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