I’m excited to share; the NEW Garden Mosaics class at Colorado Free U.  is coming up, starting this Sunday, May 16th! I know I’m totally hankerin’ to do some stuff for my garden; I’ve already got a couple of projects in the works! Would love to see you there, and, if you can pass this on to any Denver area friends you think might be interested too, please do!

Here are the details:

Come join me and several other fun folks to craft your own garden mosaic art piece! Choose from a birdhouse, stepping stone, flowerpot, or plaque, and learn how to embellish it with colorful bits of tile and glass. In the first class, students learn the basics of making mosaics for an outdoor environment and work to complete an original design on their piece. In the second class, students will grout their piece and bring it to life. Leave the second class with sealer to take home and apply later. A wide variety of materials are provided to complete one piece, but students may “upgrade” by purchasing more elaborate supplies. (NOTE: I will have vitreous glass tiles and stained glass tiles to use in this class!!) Information on garden mosaic basics, great sources for materials and supplies, and next-level mosaics will be included in this fun, hands-on course.

Absolutely no previous mosaic experience or ‘artistic ability’ required; come see how easy it is to tap into your creative spirit and learn this wonderful craft!  TERRIFIC stress reliever; you will get ‘lost’ in the work and have a great time!  Make something colorful and fun for your garden or patio so that we can welcome the SUN back to the Front Range this year!

Class consists of (2) 3.5 hour sessions; 7 hours total over two Sunday afternoons; 1-4:30 pm, May 16th & May 23rd, at Colorado Free U. in Lowry (between 6th Ave. & Alameda, off 1st).

Safety glasses are required; bring your own or purchase from instructor for additional $5.

$69 Member (nominal annual membership fee; see www.freeu.com)

          $81 Non-Member

$26 materials fee (without safety glasses); $31 (if need safety glasses); payable in class

         $7 optional materials fee payable in class for upgraded materials

Sign-up at https://www.colofreeu-registrar.com/sdc/regclass.html?class=255572

OR www.freeu.com OR call 303-399-0093.

I’m very happy to announce that my new Mosaic Jewelry class starts next week at CO Free U.!  Mosaic jewelry is a great way to wear your love of mosaics and have a piece of jewelry that’s totally customized to you and your style!  And, it only requires 3 hours of your time (one-session class) and a low class and materials fee!  You’ll get to choose from different jewelry bases, including pendants, rings, earrings, and bracelets! You’ll leave the class with one finished piece!

Make your own delicate mosaic jewelry and learn how to decorate  your original design with tiny mosaic tiles, beads, and glass (the mosaic ”tesserae”) in this hands-on workshop.   You’ll learn the basics of making mosaic jewelry and complete your jewelry piece during class. Choose to make a ‘groutless’ style mosaic or take home grout, sealer, and clear instructions to finish the piece off simply at home in about a 1/2 hour. A wide array of materials are provided with your materials fee or you can upgrade to more elaborate supplies.   I’ll also include information on great sources for mosiac and jewelry materials and supplies and next-level mosaic jewelry in this fun, stress-relieving course.  Absolutely NO prior mosaic, jewelry-making, or art experience is necessary to quickly and easily learn this fun craft!  Come take a break from the daily grind and lose yourself for a few hours in a creative, stress-free environment!

Price: $45 Member   (nominal annual membership fee gets member rates all year)

         $57 Non-Member

$15 Required materials fee due at class

         $2-10 Optional materials fee payable in class

Classes are held at Colorado Free U. Lowry Campus, Off Quebec and 2nd between 6th Ave. and Alameda at 7653 E. 1st Place, Denver, CO

UPCOMING CLASSES & REGISTRATION LINKS:

Monday evening, May 3rd, 6-9 p.m.

Friday DAYtime, May 21st., 9 a.m.-noon

Monday evening, June 7th, 6-9 p.m.

Wednesday evening, July 21st, 6-9 p.m.

For more information, see  www.freeu.com  OR call 303-399-0093.

Student Erica with her plaque

I’ve FINALLY got the photos posted from the February 2010 “Tile Mosaics for Beginners” class!  See this page:

Classes: Photos and Info. from Past Classes

I’ll be posting LOTS of photos, information, ‘reports’, suppliers, and resources from the 2010 Society of American Mosaic Artists conference I attended in Chicago the week before last, starting with this short report…

I’m happy to report that my Art Salon piece, titled, “The Unknown” (question mark mosaic in pic; not the white background; that’s supposed to represent how it would hang on a wall; better pic of it on my Gallery page), sold to a gallery in Canada, outside Toronto, the Maplestone Gallery; www.maplestonegallery.com! Yey! SO Fun! I see a lot of their stuff is very bright like my piece, which makes it interesting.  I also see that they offer a variety of mosaic classes, in case you’re able to attend.  Check them out; I met Aiken, the co-owner along with Suzanne (who looks like she does FAB mosaic work), and he was really nice! I bet their classes are great! I see they are also offering a special visiting Artist workshop with wonderful mosaic artist Carol Shelkin in August; sign up now; she is VERY popular and her work is fantastic (see her piece below from the Mosaic Art International 2010 Exhibition)!  Anyone who’s attended or knows the gallery, please feel free to post your feedback here!

"Fabulous Hair" by Carol Shelkin

Next “Tile Mosaics for Beginners” class starts tomorrow night at CO Free U.  There are still a few spots available, but I think it’s only 2 or 3.  Class is only two weeks and you’ll leave with your first completed mosaic piece and tons of great knowledge to go on to your next project!  Mosaics are a TERIFFIC stress reliever and such a fun way to just immerse yourself in something and let everything else just fall away!  Last class, I had 9 wonderful students who had a blast and made some absolutely beautiful pieces of artwork!  I have great pictures of them and their work; I just need to get them posted!  In the meantime, here’s what you can expect  in this class:

Choose from several project bases (what you will put your mosaic on; like a frame or address number plaque), which are included along with tiles, adhesives, grout, and sealer. Use the wide array of colored ceramic tiles provided or upgrade by purchasing more elaborate tiles and other items that can be used in mosaics. In the first class, students learn the basics of breaking, cutting, arranging, and adhering tiles and complete their designs. In the second class, students learn how to grout their piece and complete finishing steps that “bring their piece to life”. Leave the second class with sealer to take home and apply later. Information on mosaic basics, great sources for materials and supplies, and setting up a mosaic art workspace will be also be discussed. Each class consists of two 3.5-hour sessions for a total of 7 hours.  Wednesday, March 24th and Wednesday, March 31st, 6:00-9:30 pm at CFU’s Lowry campus, off Quebec St. between 6th Ave. and Alameda.

COST: $69 member ($25 yearly membership fee for CFU, gets you member rates on all classes), $81 non-members. Materials fee includes all materials to make your own awesome mosaic piece; $21 if you bring your own safety glasses, $26 if you don’t (you’ll receive a pair to keep).  Sign up online at https://www.colofreeu-registrar.com/sdc/regclass.html?class=254873  or call 303-399-0093 or see www.freeu.com.

If you can’t make this class, the next beginners one is Wednesday, April 28th & Wednesday, May 5th, 6:00-9:30 pm; https://www.colofreeu-registrar.com/sdc/regclass.html?class=254874

I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it…Less than two weeks now until the 2010 SAMA (Society of American Mosaic Artists) Conference in Chicago!  SAMA is an organization for mosaic artists and fans, from those just beginning to discover mosaics to those that are seasoned professionals.  Of course, I’m kind of the “just beginning” end, so, this is my first conference!  I’m looking forward to meeting lots of other mosaicists (yeah; it’s kinda a word!), learning lots of new things, ‘networking’, and checking out the VENDOR marketplace!  Thank God, I’m flying SW, where they don’t charge for bags, b/c I’m bringing a whole empty one for lots of new GOODIES!!!

The photo above (titled, “The Unknown”) is a piece I’ve submitted for the Art Salon/Auction at the show; we’ll see how it does!  I’ll also be volunteering on the ‘Mosaic Marathon’, where we all contribute to the making of a huge mosaic installation to donate to a local domestic violence shelter.  It will be so fun to actually be designing & breaking & gluing some sh*t down w/other mosaicists!  I think the conference will provide some great inspiration, skills, and information to both inspire my work and add to my class content for my students.  I don’t know if I’ll be able to go every year, but I’m at least glad to be able to go now, at this more ‘beginning’ time as a mosaicist!  For anyone out there who’s familiar w/ SAMA and wants information and/or reports on the conference and its activities, I’ll be doing some posting (hopefully during, but definitely after) and can answer any questions you might have.  If you’re not familiar w/ SAMA and you’re looking for some information on mosaics, supplies, classes, artists, designers, etc., see their website  for all kinds of resources!