Mosaic Inspiration
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Last night I took a short break from breaking, shaping, nibbling, backbiting and snipping smalti and mosaic tiles; (I had been working all day on my second Nun mosaic portrait in my current commission)... and as I sipped on my latest refreshing drink (Lemon, Lime and Bitters cordial with Soda water) I enjoyed watching a documentary on the building, construction and amazing task of the building of the Palm Island project in Dubai.I couldn't leave the room, even though I am working around the clock on my mosaic commission, as I was amazed, inspired and awestruck that such a project could evolve and in the time frame! Wow!
No matter what one thinks of the project, the skills of man against the tide, sand, ocean and gigantic, hard work and effort by people around the world - it's beyond amazing; the engineers, architects, builders, workers, everyone involved made what seemed an impossible dream come true!
I thought, goodness, I am complaining about housework, sorting my new office, getting this current mural, the Steve Irwin Mural and The Wesley Hospital Mural all done at the same time and look what was accommplished in this amazing feat of enginnering etc! I felt revitalised, a new mosaic mojo, a surge of passion and a new will to get some jobs done - energy flowed through my mind, heart, body and my imagination was on fire!
So, I worked till 11pm on the mosaic project, ((Yippee, finished second of 4 portraits last night!), then installed my new Forum, before going to bed; which is called MOSI Mosaic Forum - one of the student access areas, when MOSI, Mosaic Online School International is launched in 2012 (date to be advised). Tonight, I will install the MOSI Mosaic Club, a mosaic hub for students to share mosaic friendship, ideas, projects, receive feedback and a lot of other valuable and helpful mosaic information.
I woke early today, jumped out of bed (my sore back is on the mend, thank goodness!) and worked from 7am till 11 am sorting office, doing a huge sort, clean, vacuum, tidy of our formal lounge and dining room (hopefully, to become a gallery in due course) and then steamed the floors. Dave and I put new soft pads under the dining table, the chairs, all the lounge furniture and coffee table, so I can slide these items easily when doing the vacuuming and steaming our beautiful old timber floorboards.
I feel so good! As I sorted through at least 10 cartons (throwing away as much as I could and begging Dave to get rid of it before I kept it al!) I planned my mosaic projects.
These jobs, have been staring me in the face for ages. You just have to do them and get them done! I decided lots of of papers, patterns etc could get chucked - I can scan and photograph lots of it and get rid of the huge pile of boxes!
Music helps, a pot of tea or coffee, lots of drinks of water - I like the pop up drink bottles.... needs hydration as it's very humid in Brisbane today.
I finished it all in record time. Thank goodness Himself packed up the Christmas tree and decorations yesterday (even though I miss the cheeriness of the decorations and they remind me of the good times with family and friends recently, it was a job I was trying to find time for!). Thanks Dave!
I removed visions of delicious ham sandwiches out of my mind and made Dave and I a light tuna salad with lovely tomatoes from Mum's friend, with slivers of avocado. (I am now on a diet of sorts to try and trim up, feel better and look good at Mark and Michelle's upcoming wedding).....good incentive. A took a quick dip in our pool, I usually never get time, but I figure, doing a few laps and increasing each time is as good as trying to find time to go walking. (Just not happening lately).
So swim it is for now. I now and sporting a shorter bob haircut, so I just shake my hair and let it dry as it want's whilst working hard on mosaics. I quite like the crinkled, messy look (ie don't have time to fiddle with blow drying when getting in and out of pool). My swimming togs are too tight, so I am really going to try hard from today. Bread is off the menu for a week. Don't ask why, it just is.
Mosaic news!
Exciting thing happened half and hour ago. I was cutting the white tiles with my Leponitts, Tile Nibblers and Scorer/Snapper too -and doing quite a difficult inner curve, backbiting and flipping tile over etc.......... I found a new way to use Leponnit Mosaic tile Cutters!
I took pics and a little video and this OMG! Tip (Online Mosaic Guru!) will be in the new MOSI Hot Mosaic tips and tricks, along with all my mosaic tips and tricks. The list gets longer and longer. I am also collating my adventures with my Hot Mosaics! Glass tesserae for mosaics, made in my Paragon electric glass kiln!
Heading back down to workbench now, studio is very messy looking, but it's all part of the OzMosaics Master Plan for sorting and preparing for first mosaic workshop in 2012 in two weeks. So looking forward to this mosaic class and having a new bunch of students to share the fun, joy and mosaic addiction! I am going to decorate the studio in pink weirndess for fun - we need lots of mosaic pinkness and mosaic light to get all the mosaics made this year!
I dream every night of Jelly Beans, will explain in due course ...... but it's exciting!
I am so happy that I crossed so many things off my list today! I was slipping behind schedule, but it's interesting, when you take time out to get some of those bothersome jobs done, you mind is less cluttered, you fret lessa and attack the mosaic commission with a freshness.
I am off to do the Nun's headwear, and plan the first of two mosaic stained glass (representative of old windows) windows - will do some of the flames for one window and perhaps the Dove with some little kiln embellishments. I have photographs of the very old European church window and the very modern one - client has requested a modern version on them in bright colours! I will use some of the new thin smalti tile, which is so beautiful in these windows, mixed with bricks and blocks of Dynasty Smalti, some chunks of Italian Smalti I have had here for many years and an weird and wonderful mixture of glass that simply works! I can't wait.
Then, the two priests - I have done the designs, they are printed and I am mulling over their mosaic materials as I finish the nuns. The wording is almost done on two murals and I finally feel I am getting somewhere. We had hiccups the last few months of 2011 and it's good to have a clear run for a few weeks now.
I haven't decided when to kick off the Mosaic Addicts Tuesdays here yet, once I have these 6 murals under control, I will email and send a newsletter to everyone. I can't wait to catch up with the Mosaic gang. My outer studio fence walls are waiting for the huge mural (so much is ready, I just need installation time (hmmm, perhaps 3 mornings a week from 6-9 am working out on my footpath.... starting in Feb)....
The workshops are all full for the next two months and I will add more dates when I am on top of this project. I have another very interesting project looming for discussion next week with client and I am looking forward to chatting with the Royal Brisbane Hospital about working with the Royal Mum's fundraising etc.
I have been invited to a Brisbane Zonta event in Feb (dates might clash with a quick break away at the Gold Coast with Mum, Dave and family, so we will see).
I am not game to look at all the other things on the 2012 Calendar....taking it one week at a time, but feeling good about it all.
I wish you all happiness, contentment and lots of positive productivity in whatever you do in 2012....keep well, eat well, love and hug a lot, be happy and dream of good things. Pass along the passion for mosaics; it's so good for you.
Don't just stand there break something - I am off to do just that!
Ps - As I sort my new office out, I have piles of additional mosaic, tips and tricks, helpful information for my students.... each night I am photographing and entering the data to MOSI. Won't be too long now....
