Little Squares et al: My Love Affair With Mosaicking

Here’s one that I made earlier. It was an entry for the Channel 4 programme Grayson’s Art Club Series 3 Episode 4. The theme was ‘In My Head’. I wanted to show what went through my mind while I was meditating. This was in stark contrast to the peace that I was hoping to achieve by focusing on my breath. Sadly my mosaic didn’t get picked to feature on the show but I’m proud of how it turned out and so glad that I made it.

There’s all sorts in there including worries and concerns from the particular point in time when I came up with the design. You’ll find a prisoner from my work, my son and partner and a Ukrainian flag as I made this at the start of the country’s conflict. There’s even the big bull seal that wrapped its month around my leg when I was swimming. For some time after he remained in my thoughts whenever I got into the sea!

I had fun using lots of different materials too. Sure I used proper mosaic tiles but I incorporated bits and pieces that I found around the house too. I even bought a little watch from eBay to illustrate my overwhelming sense of time pressure. There’s also fragments that I decorated myself with lettering and simple drawings. I used special pens where the ink becomes permanent when baked in the oven.

I wonder if a picture of my mental landscape might be very different now. Would it be any emptier? I like to think so. When I have a moment I might make an updated version and compare the two.

The Early Beginnings of My Mosaicking Journey

I began to make mosaics over two decades ago. I’d fancied having a go for some time but didn’t have the confidence to just stick bits of tile on backing material on my own. So I enrolled on a short course led by Elaine Goodwin, a mosaic artist whose body of work includes an lovely path with a golden thread running through it. It’s installed in one of the Eden Project’s biomes.

These two days were one of my most memorable learning experiences ever. The classes were taught in the middle of a mosaic exhibition held at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter. It was if we were part of the exhibition. The public milled around our tables as we worked. I made a wonky purple lizard that was no great shakes. I subsequently lost it in a house move. But no matter. I got hooked.

I made this angel on a one-day workshop with Caroline Jariwala of Mango Mosaics. There I learnt to work with broken crockery and recycled floor and wall tiles. Other than that, aside from watching YouTube videos, I’ve been largely self-taught. I’ve honed my craft through trial and rather a lot of error. Being stuck in the house during the COVID 19 epidemic was a particularly productive time when I enjoyed creating items for our own home. and gifts for friends and family.

Interestingly, someone once pointed out that this creative path bears similarities to my previous role working in mental health. While I used to help piece together fractured minds, my current preoccupation involves assembling bits of glass, china, and upcycled objects into harmonious designs. I’m particularly fond of how the arrangement of mosaic pieces and the choice of grout colour can influence the overall energy of a work.

Moving On

A couple of years ago I decided to take my mosaicking to the next level and sell my work. I started ‘Heartfelt Mosaics’, literally on my kitchen table. That was until the family complained about getting shards of glass embedded in their feet all the time. My activities then moved to a craft area on my landing. People liked my work. A few even bought bits and pieces from me.

However, my caring responsibilities mean that I’ve had to put these plans on hold. One day I hope to revive them. But at the moment I never know when I need to up sticks and help Mum and Dad. I struggle with fixing a date to meet a friend for coffee let alone running a business.

However I still love working on little mosaic projects of my own. One of the wonderful things about this craft is that it’s something that I can pick up and set down easily. I get the occasional day where I have time to work for a few hours straight. Then inevitably there will be a gap. It can be a few weeks before I can literally get stuck in again. Even so, in between the periods where I can seriously crack on, I have a few minutes to spare. It’s enough to stick one or two pieces in place, That’s progress!