Exquisite Arts Magazine Vol 3 - Nov/ Dec 2016 | Page 31

metal, why should they go to waste?
Moreover, you need a lot of space - which can
be hard and expensive in big cities. Whilst in
Trieste I have my studio room at home, in
London I have to limit it to a cupboard and a
corner of the living room. Also, as splinters
often tend to fly, you have to find a way to
contain them and always have to brush the
room after each session. I also attend
Southbank Mosaics twice a week, which is an
incredibly inspiring mosaic lab with a variety
of people from all backgrounds.
Lastly, the materials are bulky, and heavy, you
cannot carry the material around with you that is that and it can be SO frustrating. I would
love to do it on the tube, in the car, at the park,
at my children’s activities, and all I can do is
play with it in my head!!! Which is probably
also a bliss: by the time I get back to it I have
already virtually tested it multiple times and
planned a few moves ahead.
On average, how long does it take you to
create one piece?
15-60 hrs (so far) depending on dimensions,
subject and material. Generally speaking, a
figurative piece takes longer than an abstract
one, and a face takes longer than a
landscape. Using left-over tiles takes longer

than cutting new ones ad hoc, and the
smaller the pieces, the longer too. The
rougher the surface of the piece, the longer
to clean it at the end. If I am pressured by
time, I need to consider all of these factors
beforehand. Overall though, I am very fast and that really helps!
Do you have any advice or tips for others
who are new to or thinking of pursuing
mosaic artistry?
Mosaics require a LOT of patience: but if
you like it, time will fly! Try a class first:
chances are that you will either love it or
hate it. The lack of free hand movement
directly on the surface can be very
frustrating but if you like textures, you
might just love to feel the materials. The
tools might fit like a natural prosthesis
then, it can be the most fun jigsaw ever!
Try all tools and all materials. To give you
an idea, hammer and hardie are essential
with marble and stones, and for anything
thick: they allow you to work the shapes in
all three dimensions. Cutters are great for
thinner material and tiles, and wheeled
ones allow you to curve.
Find as many teachers as possible, attend
different courses with different methods.

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