This mosaic might have been the last mosaic I made before deciding to take a sabbatical from making mosaics. When I started this, I intended to work more loosely and not be a perfectionist. All went fairly well until I started the gold sky. Then, it became a miserable mosaic-making experience as I slipped into my old perfectionistic ways. I knew I had to take some time off to contemplate exactly why I was spending so much time and energy, not to mention money, doing something that was so stress-inducing.
If I Were A Tree (2014) 31" x 47" | 79cm x 119cm. Mosaic gold, shale, marble, smalti, porcelain, ammonite fossil.
My sabbatical turned into a quasi sabbatical during a renovation that included my new studio space. In organizing all my mosaic stuff and getting ready to move things around, I decided to tinker with finishing up an old mosaic. Still committed to no new work, I spent a little time each day finishing up the old work.
If I Were A Tree, detail
By the time my new studio was all set up, I was still finishing that old piece and not ready for any new work. I took care of some light, maintenance-type of work. Slowly, I felt like I had done enough interior work to get back at it, and I made a couple of small pieces. Then, I tackled finishing a huge almost 20-year old mosaic and finished it!
Since then, I have been enjoying mosaic-making more than ever. I still strive for precision, which sometimes flirts with perfectionism, but I am able to mediate it without much stress. So, this mosaic, If I Were A Tree, was the tipping point, I suppose, that ended up getting me to a better place with my art. Funny how things work out.