THIS FRIDAY MAY 1, 2009 6-9:00

FIRST FRIDAYS in Greenville, SC
Julia Peters Studio
24 River Street
Greenville, SC
864-360-3811

Come and visit Julia and me! We will even have wine and cheese! Lots of beautiful new painting by various students and new mosaics to touch. See you then! I'll have a drawing for a free glass fusing class for some lucky winner.

Mission-
To promote visual art awareness in our community and provide a venue for showcasing emerging and established artists in our area. To combine resources of gallery owners and artists to create beneficial exposure for both.

Each first Friday of each month these 27 art galleries and venues will be open from 6:00-9:00 p.m. offering local,regional, and national talents. A wide range of media will be represented: oils , watercolors, acrylics, pottery, jewelry, glassworks, woodworks, photography, and mixed media. Step out and support our thriving arts community.

SUMMER ARTCAMP ages 10-18

New Schedule and Artcamp

SUMMER ARTCAMP (ages 10-18) $125
Three separate sessions
$125.00 each session
2:00-4:00


Monday, June 8th through Friday June 12th.


Monday, June 22nd through Friday June 26th.


Monday, July 13th through Friday July 17th.


Classes meet from 2pm to 4pm each day on the week.We will work in acrylics and gouache. Learn color mixing, pouring's, collage and printmaking. One day of classes , we will be making a mosaic sun catcher to take home. Creativity is encouraged and drawing skills enhanced. Really a fun time!

Hummm?

Well I have know grouted, painted, and painted the edges...many colors, but ended up with green. I think I kinda like it. I will live with it a couple of days and decide. I like bright colors so it's hard for me to settle for forest green. What do you think? These little pieces turn out so pretty I. Acually it's one of the projects we do in my mosaic signage class. I provide a metal frame though...and all the other supplies.

I still have to clean up around the frame, it's a little too rustic! Once that is done I guess she will be ready to go.

Now we go to the next Step...

Grouting is my least favorite part of mosaic. Your grout powder will need to be mixed to a peanut butter consistency. I add small amounts of water in a tub and stir to achieve this. I then let it set for a few minutes until it slakes or rather has a slight film on top. Little by little I add the grout to the mosaic...always to remember to wear goggles, and gloves. The grout just ruins your hands. Now after applying the grout I wipe and wipe, and wipe, and wipe, and wipe. Then I wipe a little more until I like the look. Here I am using white newspaper to clean, some people use lint free cloths. This is a very short description of thisprocess. You can learn more in my mosaic workshop.
Ta Da! It's grouted but I'm not diggin the white grout. Now what. Guess I will have to experiment. Hummm, I think I will be naughty and try paint. The unthinkable to some. I will be back with more photos on this tomorrow.

Creative Workshops in April

Basic Glass Fusing Class--Wednesday April 8 2:00-4:00 $55
Basic Mosaic-Wednesday April 15 2:00-5:00 $125
follow-up Saturday April 18 2-4
*Basic Mosaic - Monday April 20 2:00-5:00 $125
All supplies included

864-360-3811
for more info:
http://www.amosaicstudio.blogsopot.com/
*added date

Emma Biggs' Eye Candy

Since I had highlighted Emma Biggs' book for the Book of the Month, I thought I'd add a link to her website. Thanks Sonia King for bringing this to my attention. I really enjoyed going through her pages of how-to and beautiful examples of her work. Really nice, nice eye candy. Enjoy!---

"mosaic, a lasting art"

So Far.....but not finished.

OK, so far this is the results for my Habitat address sign. Hummm now it's grouting time. That part is always nerve wracking! Did I spell that right??? Anyway...think it will be black. Once that is done I will paint the framing. I have the progress pictures somewhere safe...I'll find those and show them later.

Look at Me! Look at Me!

FIRST FRIDAYS in Greenville, SC
Julia Peters Studio
24 River Street
Greenville, SC
Mission-
To promote visual art awareness in our community and provide a venue for showcasing emerging and established artists in our area. To combine resources of gallery owners and artists to create beneficial exposure for both.

Each first Friday of each month these 27 art galleries and venues will be open from 6:00-9:00 p.m. offering local,regiona, and national talents. A wide range of media will be represented: oils , watercolors, acrylics, pottery, jewelry, glassworks, woodworks, photography, and mixed media. Step out and support our thriving arts community.

Mark you calendar for next month May 1, 2009

Beautiful logo and design by Marco Suarez
Eli Warren mosaic photograher

My New Finds

My newests fun project is a address sign for a Habitat for Humanities home. I sorted all my colors together. The flowers are from GARDEN CANDY. Lots of fun stuff there. My plates are from TJMaxx. Other things are from...yikes, I don't remember, but I love them all. I can't wait to start!

The Making of a Mosaic

St. Thomas Catholic Church, Zanesville, OH

Ever wonder what is involved in the making of a mosaic?
Well now you "sort of know" This was a project that was so much fun. It's so nice when you get to work with great people. I live in South Carolina and the project home was in Ohio. I created the work in my home studio on nylon mesh. Each piece of glass is handcut with mosaic nippers, well actually I used wire cutters on these. Upon completion, I cut the project into puzzle pieces, pack, map it out, and send it to the new owners. A professional tile setter will then set the new artwork. Then I smile really, really big! Mosaic artwork outlives a lifetime...why not enjoy it now.
Check out my mosaic classes for more information:
http://www.amosaicstudio.blogspot.com/
copyright 2008 laura k aiken all rights reserved

1. achievement 004 colorA, 2. Setting up the "Cartoon", 3. Yes-I wash all the tiles..man they are dirty!, 4. Getting started, but where?, 5. Untitled, 6. Here We Go..., 7. Starting the flower outline, 8. Gettin it on with the Blues and Gold, 9. Beginning the beautiful reds., 10. Finally Finish!, 11. Magic Installation, 12. Yes-It's Done!, 13. Can you see it way up there?, 14. Front of Church, 15. St.Thomas Mosaic #3, 16. Laura-McConway-Carol

Book of the Month

Mosaic (Stylish & Simple)By Emma Biggs, Tessa Hunkin

Make your own mosaic creations. Thirteen fun and imaginative projects include a decorative mirror, an animal frieze, a table top, and a terracotta planter. Emma and Tessa explain all the basics about materials, tools, and techniques. Over 150 full-color photos accompany the step-by-step instructions.

Your Very Own Flash Website!

I just wanted to sneak this in my blog. I use Dynamod and love it! It's an easy easy way to have a website. If you would like to ask me any questions ablut this please give me a shout.

Use the code below to get your first month free.
170F329 first month free.

Dynamod Innovative Flash Website Templates!
Upload Pictures, MP3s and Videos!
Unlimited Email Accounts (you@yourdomain.com)
State-of-the-Art SPAM Protection.
No Web Knowledge Necessary!
30-Day Money Back Guarantee! magine owning your very own Flash website. Well, without the hassle, knowledge, experience, time or expensive cost requirements... Imagine effortlessly uploading any and all of your content to your flash website any time you wanted. Your Dynamod Portal empowers you with the ability to do all of the above, with unlimited E-mail accounts, file transfer modules and even more great web tools that are included.

Don't Miss Trio's MOSAIC EXHIBIT 2009

The Best of Contemporary Mosaic Art

The Best of Contemporary Mosaic Art and Artists

Mosaic Art Now is devoted to celebrating the rich art of contemporary mosaics. With our 2009 edition, the magazine has been expanded to contain thought-provoking and educational articles that compliment our foundation content, the Artist Gallery, which features exceptional works from around the globe. The 76 page, full color publication features high quality photographs of a wide range of mosaics from fine art to public art, from marble to stained glass, from two-dimensional to large sculptural works. It is distributed internationally through this website and selected resellers.

To purchase your copy of Mosaic Art Now, CLICK HERE

You will not be disappointed!

Gallery Watch Monday: HAMPTON III GALLERY

© Hampton III Gallery. All rights reserved.

3110 Wade Hampton Blvd. • Taylors, SC 29687 • 864.268.2771

I have made an agreement with myself to visit a gallery a week. The idea didn't come from my crazy mind but one of Alyson Stanfield's from her book "I'd Rather be in the Studio" One of my hopes is to be able to view contemporary mosaics in such galleries. Such a shame that this art is not shared more. Here is a perfect example from one of my best buddies Jo Braun

This week's gallery watch is Greenville S. C.'s Hampton III Gallery. This gallery is filled with interesting and beautiful artwork and quaint enough to take it all in.

Stop in and enjoy works from these Artists:

Abeles, Sigmund
Acorn, John
Appleman, Dave
Armstrong, Jane
Bardin, J.
Blair, Carl
Bopp, Emery
Coburn, Bette Lee
Craft, Jim
Davis, Jamie
Dreskin, Jeanet
Flowers, Tom
Halsey, William
Kirby, James
Koons, Darell
Loe, Laura
Matheny, Paul
Miller, Glen
Mulfinger, Mark
Quest, Charles
Rice, Edward
Spong, Laura
Twiggs, Leo
Werger, Art
Yaghjian, Edmund
Zadurowicz, Janusz

Don't forget..

To visit the Faces Exhibit at the Ciel Gallery in Charlotte, NC--going on until Feb.27. You will be so glad you did!

A quote from Mark Twain I just read--

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.- Mark Twain

Thanks goes to Christa for posting this one. This is so true.

SALE in Etsy Shop!

I have just add a SALE in my ETSY Store. My bracelets and cabs are 30% off. Getting ready for new items!

Faces Sponsored by Ciel Gallery February 6 - 27, 2009

(click on the postcard to see show)

I am fortunate to say that I have been accepted to participate in the Faces Exhibit at the Ciel Gallery in Charlotte, NC. Opening night is February 6, 2009. Why don't you join us in this great National Exhibition?

Exhibition:
These days it’s easy to buy the face, hair, body, and even the eye color that we want. Where,
then, is the essence of a self? If eyes are the mirror to the soul, show us your portraits with a
glimpse of the soul that lies within. This show will be hung with statements from both the artist
and subject (when available), inviting the viewer to grasp not only the artistry, but a bit about
what makes each of us unique, be it our laughter, our love, or our secrets. http://www.cielgallery.com

First Exhibition Devoted to the Portraits of Henri Matisse Opens at Bucerius Kunst Forum

HAMBURG.- Matisse. People, Masks, Models is the first exhibition to focus exclusively on Henri Matisse’s portraits. Matisse (1869 – 1954) not only created colorful interior scenes and still life paintings but also very expressive portraits. He regarded portraits as his most important artistic challenge. For Matisse, a “true” likeness was not achieved merely by capturing a sitter’s features, but was expressed through the “entire arrangement” of a portrait in which he used his encounter with his models to inspire his imagination. More on this article...