New Work
Bluegreen and Silver Bottle 12" x 4" x 4" | 36 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm. Mirror and Van Gogh glass
Just finished this one last week and have started on another, using a small 1800® Tequila bottle and a refreshingly different palette—different for, me at least.
How 'bout a sneak peek?
(2017) Purple and Silver Bottle 14" x 4.25" | 36 cm x 11 cm. Mirror and Van Gogh glass.
Just one more post for the day! As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I decided to spend some time mosaicking a few bottles that I have collected over the years. I may move on from there and take care of a few other decorative items that I have acquired.
I just finished this bottle a few days ago, using a nicely shaped Italian Pinot Grigio bottle—the pinot was delicious, by the way.
The palette is not a fave of mine; I chose it in an effort to force myself to try something that I would normally not choose. Purple is okay, but purple and silver does not do a lot for me; the contrast is so strong.
However, the palette did grow a bit on me over time. I do like the shape of the bottle, and the overall pattern, and plan on another go at another of the same type of bottle that I have—and the pinot was still delicious.
Meanwhile, I've started another bottle, with a different palette that is more pleasing to me, and one that I have not done before. The bottle is from a Franciacorta—an Italian sparkling wine made in the traditional champagne method (not Prosecco)—which I found by chance last fall. It is not easy to find such a sparkler here in Oklahoma. The bottle has a nice shape to it.
I've got several more bottles that I plan to mosaic. I may not be ready to tackle some fine art until the second half of the year. Too bad. So sad.
(2016) Self Portrait 32" x 32" | 81 cm x 81 cm. Marble, mosaic gold, smalti, Swarovski crystals
Self Portrait is now framed and I have taken the best photos of it that I am capable of taking. It's very tricky to photograph well, at least for someone of my modest photography skill. The gold against all the black marble—well, I did my best.
What's with the Self Portrait title, a few have asked. I'm not exactly sure. Something about the lines—I love line—and how it seems all straight and contained and organized and maybe boring from a distance. But, from closer up, you can see that the background is not really all one color, and there are specs of gold and color and sparkle here and there. And from different perspectives, you see something else—still lines, but more dimension.
Is this the way I see myself or the way that I imagine other people see me? I'm not exactly sure about that either.
Retro Dish (2017) 20.5 l x 6.5 w x 3.5 h. Vitreous glass, mosaic gold
I had forgotten how much I enjoy decorative mosaicking! This dish was just plain fun! Well, it was a bit tricky around the hairpin-curved ends, but still so enjoyable. No, it was not a big challenge, which made it a very low-stress project.
It also felt good to finally deal with an object that I acquired so long ago. Over the years, I have acquired a few too many objects, with the intention to mosaic them—someday. Interesting liquor bottles, for example, are always tempting. I also have a few boxes, a couple of trays, and other miscellaneous items.
It seems that I am not ready to take on making art. Making art is hard for me. It's not that I want to wimp out, but I do need to be ready, strong, and balanced enough to be able to stay in right relationship with my art-making. I may not be there yet.
So, I've decided to spend some time doing decorative work, and make use of my inventory of objects-in-waiting. Even just the thought of this delights me. Sure, avoidance might be at play, but while I figure that out, I'll make a few beautiful things.
Retro Dish. Approx. 21" l x 7" w x 5" h.
I've done a bit of research on this Royal Haegar ceramic dish, but have yet to identify its time period. It looks retro to me, so I'm calling it Retro Dish. I bought this dish for a couple of bucks at an estate sale many years ago, and recently decided to give it a face lift, via mosaic.
As can be seen, I'm making progress on the black base, after using copper gold strips for the rim. I decided to mosaic one row of black on the inside top edge, as well.
The rim, and the top rows on either side of the rim, were very tricky. The first few rows of black on the outside of the dish were also quite challenging—especially around the sharp curves at the ends—due to the shape of the dish. I am currently working on row 7, moving toward the center of the dish on its bottom, and it is more manageable. The top photo shows my progress at 4 rows.
Finally! Most of my new furniture for the studio wing is being delivered next week! A sofa, coffee table, chair and ottoman for the living area, and a chair and ottoman for my studio office area. I ordered these pieces Aug. 30 of 2016 from Joybird—I really love their furniture—but it has taken a bit too long. I'll have to wait a couple or a few more weeks for a 3-piece bookcase; one of the pieces is for the studio wing, the other two will serve as a room divider in our game room.
Now that my decor is filling out, I got to thinking about smaller things, like pillows and throws and what to put on the coffee table? Books, of course—mosaic books! But I could use a couple of other things for various surfaces. Then I remembered the interesting dish?—not sure what to call it—above that I found over 15 years ago at an estate sale. It was not the colors that attracted me, but the interesting shape. I think this will work beautifully with my mid-century, retro-modern furniture.
At right are the swatches for the sofa, which is gray, and the chair and ottoman. So, I'm going to finally mosaic this ceramic dish with vitreous glass in black for the bottom and feet, that chartreusey-green metallic, that is actually fairly translucent, and maybe some copper gold for the top edge. I may add some black on the interior as well. Nothing fancy—just a makeover!
On the Horizon, detail
Feeling horribly puny over the holidays with a very stubborn sinus infection, I dabbled away on a little mosaic. I was inspired by my commission idea board samples, and also by a transitional experience that a friend of mine is going through.
Here it is, in a digitally created frame like the one in which it will be framed.
On the Horizon (2017) 8.5" x 5.5" | 22cm x 14cm. Marble, porcelain, vitreous, Van Gogh glass, mosaic gold, contorno, amethyst. pyrite
Happy New Year everyone— may we all meet peace on the 2017 horizon!
Three examples, approx. 9" x 6" each, to illustrate possibilities for a residential commission. The pieces are not glued down so the work looks a bit wobbly and not terribly refined. Each example has some pyrite—the darkish, grayish nuggets—but the camera did not capture the sparkle. Oh yes, I've been having fun!
I'm currently working with someone on a possible residential commission. She has a niche, measuring about 4' x 2' or 3.5' x 2' or 4' x 2.5'—something like that. The niche, in the entry foyer just to the right, is on a concave wall but the niche itself is not curved on the inside—it's like a box set into a curved wall. We are exploring the idea of a mosaic for the back wall of the niche, but a mosaic that is portable and can be removed.
The homeowner is not very familiar with mosaic and admits that her husband is more the art person in the family. She came by my studio a couple of Fridays ago to see some of my work and toss around some ideas. She had no idea what she wanted for the space, but I was able to glean some ideas about her preferences from our visit.
I'm not sure that she will conclude that my work, or even a mosaic, is right for her home, but she did want to move forward and see what I could come up with. I've got a design idea and have prepared some examples to help her better visualize the materials and what I have in mind. She will be by Friday morning to take a look.
Even if she does not like it, I actually love what I've come up with and just might have my next project(s) in the works!
I drug this old project out of the closet almost 2 years ago. Hold on, a bit of history may be in order first. About 7 years ago, I was not even 1/8th of the way through this project before I realized that I was on the wrong track. So I did what any normal person would do in such a situation and I got busy with other things. However, not ready to abandon the original idea, I just put the piece away in a closet.
Self Portrait (2016) 30" x 30" | 76cm x 76cm. Marble, mosaic gold, smalti, Swarovski crystal
A couple+ years ago, I was cleaning my studio and deciding what unfinished projects to give up on and which ones to consider finishing. I decided to give this project another go and rethought it. I came up with a strategy that would better support the original concept, and also give me an opportunity to improve my hammer-cutting skill. I tested out the idea on a small corner and decided that it was a good way to go.
Long story short: Got into a bad place with my work, took sabbatical, sabbatical turned into quasi-sabbatical which allowed finishing old stuff but not trying new stuff, decided to plug away on this project while new studio renovation was underway, halted work on project—then 1/2 finished—for renovation, resumed work a few months ago after moving into new studio, finally finished it! So, I guess you could say that this has been a 10-year project.
Well, of course, I am not quite sure how much I do or don't like it, although I think the side perspective is pretty cool!. By the time I resumed work on it in the new studio, I was wishing that I had decided on turquoise instead of red but, alas, that ship had sailed, so to speak. The main thing, however, is that I finished it! And I have greatly improved my hammer-cutting skill. So, good deal. Very good deal! And my first project finished in my new studio!
I've yet to frame it but here it is. Please forgive the photo quality.
Songs from White Hole #2: Tree Voices 3" x 3" | 8 cm x 8 cm. Marble, stone, mosaic gold
Early in the year, I made about 10 3" x 3" substrates, partly because I knew that I would be doing something with the stones that my cousins collected last August, while we were at the White Hole Resort in Flippin, AR.
I've been a bit slow to work on the little commemorative pieces, but I've now finished the second little mosaic. I've started the third, but mostly likely will not have it finished until later in June.
As we would sit on the back porch of one of the cabins, along the river, the trees were full of birds that kept up a constant kind of chattering music.
Loner. 21.5" x 37.5" | 55 cm x 95 cm. Glass, marble, travertine, obsidian, amazonite. Detail images here.
This mosaic is dedicated to my brother, Frederick Merrill Kuske (1959 - 2014). He died young and unexpectedly. He was a loner, and he died alone. And he was a deeply wounded human being throughout his life.
But that's not all that he was. He was quirky. He was curious. He was a talented amateur artist, photographer, and archeologist. He worked hard, and was proud of his accomplishments. He sought peace in his life.
Distance, of both the physical and emotional kind, kept us from knowing each other well as adults. But I remember the younger version, the hopeful version, the innocent version. And I choose to believe that that was not a version at all, but who he truly was beneath the weight of the physical life that he was destined to navigate.
In his things, my sister found a small collection of obsidian specimens (on right). He had never talked about a particular interest in obsidian, and we have no idea from where he acquired them. They all came to me, as my sister did not want them. The piece in this mosaic is one of the smaller ones from the collection.
I enjoyed making this mosaic. It was not as technically demanding as I would normally attempt but, from the beginning, it felt like my brother. So I just went with it, trying not to fix things that bothered me. It seemed imperative — unavoidable — to let it have it's say.
A couple of posts ago, I told you about my new project that is inspired by a book project. You can find that post here. Here is an in-progress pic of that project..
Loner, in progress. 20" x 36" | 51 cm x 91 cm. Vitreous, travertine, marble, obsidian specimen, amazonite
I had not intended to include one of the obsidian specimens that was my brother's. Neither did I intend to have this mosaic be about him. But, that is just the direction that it has gone.
Obviously, I am trying to make it look like a triptych. I've never tried this before. My plan is to apply some black thin-set around the edge and between the three sections. I'm also getting good practice with sdoppiamento, and cutting marble and travertine into thin squares and rectangles with the hammer.
This is a nice, peaceful project that feels like my brother.
Songs from White Hole: Echo. 3" x 3" | 8 cm x 8cm. Marble, smalti, mosaic gold, stone. Hand-formed substrate.
Last August found me in Flippin, AR, at the White Hole Resort. Yes, I said Flippin. My cousin's family has enjoyed an annual stay at this fishing resort along the White River for many years. In recent years, other family members have started joining in, and it has now become an unofficial family reunion, of sorts.
Last year was my family's first time there, and it was a rather poignant time. My cousin had died unexpectedly in the spring and his presence was painfully missed. And, though we did not know it, this occasion would be the last time that any of us would see my younger brother who died, also unexpectedly, last October.
A few of my cousins collected stones that called to them so that I could create something commemorating our time together. Here is the first one in the series.
Over ten years ago, I found this book by Sarah Kelly. This was in my early years, when I was still doing a lot of decorative work, and before I had even thought about working with stone.
I really loved the project shown on the pages (below left), created by Juliet Docherty. I don't know why I never tried it. I think I was trying to figure out smalti, or something, and veered away from vitreous glass projects.
Even further back, in about 1996, I found Mosaic Mercantile as a vitreous glass supplier. I called and ordered a catalog and some small mixed sets. No internet ordering — it was all by phone. It was so exciting to receive the shipment of tiles; I thought that they were so beautiful, especially the metallic ones. That Gypsy mix is still my fave! This was before I even thought about trying smalti, much less knew where to buy it.
Over the years, I've continued to buy vitreous glass for various mixed material projects, and I have a lot — a lot — that deserves to be used. Now, after so many years, I am revisiting Juliet Docherty's Decorative Panel project. I think that my Beginner's Mind exercises have given me the freedom to go back in time, more or less, so I've started a new mosaic that is inspired by the above project.
That metallic vitreous is beautiful and I'm using a lot of it. After finishing a lower section, it was so strange to have mosaicked a large, flat area. And the little squares are so... square. I've got to work harder to let them be more loose.
Beginner's Mind #4. 10" x 8" | 25 cm x 20 cm. Smalti, porcelain, mosaic gold, vitreous, other glass
Beginner's Mind #4, detail
Beginner's Mind #4, detail
My favorite of all four exercises, I believe that this is the most successful attempt to get close to a beginner's perspective. My cutting is loose and I worked rather freely. I started this going a different direction than where I ended up.
Of course, I can't work like a beginner; that ship has sailed. But I was able to allow myself to let things go, to not focus on precise technique, to experiment — especially with this one, and to let go of the outcome.
I tried to make a space to learn and to enjoy. I've never quite done anything like this one before, having the blues and yellows meet in this extreme zig-zag manner — and I think it works very well. I'm so pleased with myself to have tried something different, very different.
Now, could a beginner really do something like this? I think so. Certainly, on a bit smaller scale. I was actually surprised by how fast it went and how forgiving it was.
The blues are very nice mixed this way. I failed to capture it, but the blue glitter tile that I used has some pink/red sparks that show in certain light; the iridescent blue, as well, sometimes reflects pinks/purples, which I did capture some of on the full image.
What an interesting couple of weeks or so. Starting out too complex and controlled, I made my way to a place which reflects the spirit of working like a beginner — or, at least, like a student. This was also an enjoyable exercise which has helped me appreciate my skill level, and the fact that there is plenty more to learn, and unlearn.
I'm feeling prepared and excited for my class, and I'm happy to have four different examples for inspiration and instruction. I've also completely nailed down the materials, of which there is a good variety.
Beginner's Mind #3
Beginner's Mind #3, detail. 10" x 8" | 25 cm x 20 cm. Smalti, mosaic gold, vitreous, other glass
I don't have much to say about this one, except that it was a fun, breezy few hours. I'm not usually into very high-contrast, like this blue with this yellow smalti, but this yellow is a little brighter than the one the class will be using. Still, I like the texture and I can imagine what a larger piece in this design would be like.
Beginner's Mind #2. 10" x 8" | 25 cm x 20 cm. Smalti, vitreous, mosaic gold, other glass
For my 2nd attempt at getting into a beginner state of mind, l decided to simplify, stick with blues, and add a bit of gold in a rather wicky-wacky style. My cutting was much more loose and I actually tried to make the lines a bit crooked, although it barely shows.
I think a beginner could definitely tackle something like this. Even with the whole smalti and half pieces of vitreous, there is plenty of demanding cutting for a novice to deal with. I actually think that, should a beginner take on this linear-textile-y kind of thing, it would turn out better than this one of mine, as it would probably be more loose, less straight, have more movement, and be much more charming.
I'm sticking with this 10" x 8" size for my exercises to try to even out some of my experience advantage. This one went pretty fast and was quite enjoyable just working with those beautiful blues.
Speaking of the blues, I used two different smalti blues in this one than I did in the first one. Although they are close, I prefer the blues in the first one.
I've finished my 3rd one and will post it next. It's a geometric, repeating pattern design, and went very quickly. Again, fun to make. The 4th will not be linear or geometric, but rather something with some curves.
Beginner's Mind #1. 10" x 8" | 25cm x 20cm. Smalti, vitreous, mosaic gold, marble, porcelain, other glass.
This series is my attempt to work from a beginner state of mind. Initiated by a class that I am teaching, I wanted to have some examples for the students and wanted the examples to truly reflect something that they could achieve within the class hours.
Focusing on texture, the students will create an 8" x 8" or 7" x 9" piece using a palette of blues and golds/yellows. The variety of materials will present a good challenge for a mostly beginner class. Note: I feel I must give a nod to Sonia King, as part of my inspiration for this class came from a piece I made, Remembering Istanbul, in her 2010 Istanbul workshop. While the design and textured execution were my own, she set the color palette and, of course, gave her expert guidance.
My first attempt, shown above, turned out to be too complex for a beginner to create in the time period that we will have. I realized this about halfway through, but wanted to finish it anyway. It will still be instructional in illustrating ways to treat the various materials, and could be simplified.
My second attempt, which I will post in the next few days, was more successful in that I am sure that a beginner could accomplish something similar, and I was able to work much, much more loosely than I did on the first. I must say, it was quite enjoyable.
I am finding that it's a wonderful, although challenging, process to try to work in a beginner state. I am able to reflect on some things about myself, as an artist and mosaicist, through this foray into a beginner's mind, and I find that very exciting. I'll share some of those reflections when this little exercise is over.
I plan to make at least four examples, and maybe six. The only downside is that I am going to have to order more materials as I am using them all up. But what fun!
Impromptu in Red: Bad-Action Blade Wheel. 16" x 10" | 41 cm x 25 cm. Smalti, porcelain, vitreous, framing spring clips, hardware, jasper.
Framed and photographed! So, about the bad-action blade wheel...
I read about a Tibetan Buddhist practice, My Bad-Action Blade Wheel, in Circling the Sacred Mountain, by Robert Thurman. It's been over a decade since I read the book, but I'll explain my interpretation of the concept and how I practice it.
A bad-action blade wheel is basically a kind of karmic balancing wheel. For example, let's say that I find out that a friend has spread negative gossip about me. I'm feeling hurt and angry. Instead of just lashing out, blaming, or feeling victimized, I say to myself:
That's just my bad-action blade wheel come full circle. I have treated others in a similar way in my past(s) and this is just a balancing-out of my bad karma. I am grateful to have balanced out some bad karma, and I pledge to never again cause anyone else the kind of pain and anger that I now feel.
Well, I find it to be a very good practice, with the keyword being practice. Of course, I'll still have to deal with my friend (or perhaps x-friend), but hopefully after I process the situation.
Impromptu in Red: Bad-Action Blade Wheel. 16" x 10" | 41cm x 25cm. Smalti, porcelain, vitreous, spring clips, hardware, jasper
Adding to my Impromptu Series, I spent the last weeks working on a small piece in reds. I must confess that it was quite a challenge. As drawn as I am to explore this kind of shading, or gradation, it always proves to be a tormentingly masochistic adventure.
Yet, I cavalierly went down this treacherous path again! And this time, I could not just stick with a red to light red/pink, or even red-orange-yellow progression, but had to include peaches, roses, mustards, and even purplish tones. Whether or not it should be difficult, it just is difficult for me.
Still, at this point, every time I look at it, I see a piece here that is too dark, a piece there that is too light. The last mosaic that I did in this series was in 2009; like having babies, I forgot the misery of the process.
But it's finished, maybe, and I am ready to move on. For my work this year, I am focusing on some letting go, especially where my precision is concerned. Its an experiment. I want to see what other freedom I might experience if I set myself free... just a bit... regarding my hyper-controlled cutting. So, no grinder for this latest work, and that Mexican smalti is really a bitch to cut.
As far as the subtitle, Bad-Action Blade Wheel is a Tibetan Buddhist practice on which I will elaborate in my next post. For now, I'll just post this preliminary photo with its mocked-up frame. In the next few days to a week I will get better pics of the framed work and give more commentary.