Koinonia Kaffe

Koinonia Kaffe Mosaic Sign.

Yesterday, October 20, I installed Medusa at Koinonia Kaffe in Headland

Medusa, a classic Roman style Mosaic. Oct 2011

For the past 3 years, off and on, a number of my mosaics have been displayed at Koinonia

Rhonda Harrison, Owner and Manager of Koinonia, always smiling, does a great job to bring art and harmony to our community. Live music is played there on a regular basis, and Numerous work of arts of different artists are displayed at Koinonia. Mosaicblues works have been displayed there since our first show in August 2008

Marylin and Green Eyes at Koinonia

Beside that, the coffee and Food are outstanding - I encourage you to visit them in Headland, on the square. In difficult economic times, few people try to promote Art and Culture, we should all stick together for the common good of our communities.

August 2008 - Saint George Mosaic

 

 

MEDUSA - Minerva's Shield

Medusa, one of the three Gorgons, daughter of Phorcys and Ceto, was celebrated for her personal charms and the beauty of her hair locks. Neptune fell in love with her, and obtained her favors in the temple of Minerva. This violation of the sanctity of her temple did not amuse the chaste Minerva, who changed Medusa's beautiful locks into a bunch of hissing snakes. 

From that day on, Medusa's very look had the power to kill or turn people into stones. Perseus made himself immortal by his conquest of Medusa. He cut off her head, and the blood that dropped from the wound produced the innumerable serpents that infest Africa. He then placed Medusa's head on Minerva's shield.

Here is a preview of my last creation. MEDUSA will be available as a TABLETOP, as a flooring decoration or as a Wall display. 

This Medusa is the closest one can be of Traditional Roman Mosaics - only better as its smoothness makes it perfect to be used as a table...

With the exception of the snakes tongues made of bright red glass, It is exclusively made of stones - no ceramic or terra cota - but only granites, marbles, travertines, and possibly a few others. It is 27 inches in diameter. Medusa has a very smooth and shiny finish. It was designed to make a gorgeous Coffee Table, but would also look fantastic on your wall. 

The table itself is welded steel and cast aluminum alloy.

Marylin Mosaic

Every one knows Marylin...

After Nikki, Marylin is my second experiment with the direct method of laying the tesserae. This the Wysiwyg of Mosaics...

Marylin is exclusively made of recycled glass materials, no more than 3/16" in thickness. This material is more brittle than regular glass, and does not cut as well.. It provides however a very beautiful and more modern look.  

Because of the thinness of the material, This mosaic is much lighter than the usual stone ones. 

The original picture. 

For portraits, I exclusively work in Black and White or Sepia tones, and enhance the image by using a colored background around it. In this case, the background is black as it was originally in the picture. In the Nikki Mosaic, I used blues, greys ans greens to suggest the ocean.

I am available for commissions. Send me a picture of yourself, of a loved one, of your pet, and I'll produce a beautiful mosaic portrait for you.

Please contact me by clicking this link !

Marilyn

There is no need to introduce Marilyn...

 

I began laying the tesserae on July 23rd, I used a total of 6 different colors : Black, White, and 4 different shades of brown.

On August 28, I completed the pose of the last tesserae. I still have to remove Marilyn from her support and transfer her onto some rigid material before I can frame her. 

I am using for Marilyn the same direct pose technique and the same type of materials I have used for the Nikki Mosaic : Recycled glasses.

Keep in touch, I will post more pictures of the mounting and framing of Marilyn...

The NIKKI Mosaic

"Nikki" is the first mosaic I created using the Direct method. (All the ones before were done using the Indirect  Method)

With the Direct method, you actually see your work while you are making it. (in the Indirect Method, you build your mosaic upside down - you only see the final result once you flip it !   

This was an unusual situation for me !  I was able to work this way because I used tesserae (tiles) of the same thickness. "Nikki" is entirely made of recycled and irridized glass tiles. 

Because of this, this piece is a much lighter piece than anything I produced before -  a good idea for portraits...

Dimensions : 14 x 24” ( 34 x 60 cm).

Many thanks to the real Nikki who had the kindness to be my model for this experimental creation.

Green Eyes

Here is my last creation - Green eyes is a portrait - limited to the eyes - inspired by a photograph of a Tuareg Lady seen in a French Magazine of years ago. 

There is lots of mystic about Tuaregs. At the beginning of the 20th century 2 authors came up with very similar novels "SHE" by Ridder Hagard - and "L'Atlantide"  by Pierre Benoit. involving mysterious and powerful African princesses closely related to the Tuareg people. Carl Jung considered that these heroins were incarnation of the feminine archetype he described as the Anima.

There has also been lots of controversy about the possibility that Tuareg people could have light colored eyes. I am not sure about that, but I liked that picture, so, here we are, another portrait.   Green eyes measures 13 x 26 inches, it is made out of travertine, black granite, ceramics, porcelains and various irridized glasses and mirrors. I hope you enjoy it. 

If you are interested, this piece is for sale, as well as most of the ones on my website Mosaicblues. You can contact me contact by e-mail or by phone at (334) 798 1639

The Italian Bathroom - II

 

The bathroom cabinet over the sink. This is a mosaic made of glass and tainted mirrors, I had never used these materials to this extent before, and I must say I enjoyed this experience. 

  

Another interesting aspect of this project is that I used the direct method for the first time. in the past, I have always used the inverted method, because i was generally using materials of various thickness. With the kind of glass and mirrors I used here, it was not necessary.

Detail of the mosaic on the cabinet door

 As I am now writing (June 2011) I just started my first big piece with the direct method. A different - and interesting experience... 

It's a surprise and  should be competed by the end of July...

 

The Peacock

Actually I have been working on this one all winter, and had not progressed for lack of time...

I designed "Peacock" at the same time I did  "Rising Sun"

It was inspired by the cover of a book in the Art Deco Style. 

Peacock is made of Terracotta, with colored glasses, mostly irridized, brought back from France 2 years ago.

18 x 25", Wood frame

LIO - Portrait from Watecolor

Well, this is the last creation: A portrait of Lio a Portuguese Actress and Singer, very popular in France in the 80's.

This piece is made of travertines, granites and iridized glasses (brought back from France last year).

The original for this mosaic is a watercolor portrait by HUGO PRATT.

I am currently working on more portraits from pictures, Black and White, and Sepia. I take orders. It takes about 2 month to realize a portrait from the time you submit a picture to the delivery. A mosaic portrait is a really unusual and beautiful gift for a special person...

Contact me !

The Roman Mosaic of Lod

In 1996 a series of gorgeous mosaic floors was accidentally uncovered during highway construction in the modern Israeli town of Lod, 15 km (9 miles) from Tel Aviv. 

Lod is the ancient town of Lydda, which was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 66 during the Jewish War and later rebuit.  

The mosaic floors measure approximately 17 by 9 meters (50 by 27 feet). Debris of pottery and coins of the third and fourth centuries A.D., suggest they were laid in about A.D. 300. 

They are of exceptional quality and in an excellent state of preservation. The three best-preserved and most interesting panels have been selected for the loan exhibition that is to tour America during the next couple of years while a permanent display is constructed at Lod itself.

Mosaics were a costly and time-consuming addition to a property, although they would thereafter require little maintenance and could be expected to last a lifetime. Because of the heavy initial investment however considerable care and attention was paid to create designs that were attractive and appropriate, both to the owner and to the setting.  

  

Despite all the diversity in their manner of execution, design, geographical setting, and dating, Roman mosaics display a number of similarities. So it is very possible that some elements of the Lod Mosaic drew on standard pattern books in use by mosaicists of the Roman Empire. Dolphins are common on Greek mosaics from Delos, marine scenes in Pompeii, and panels with animals and birds within geometric frames in German  Cologne of French Arles.

The central Panel

The depiction on the Lod Mosaic of solitary or paired groups of creatures, such a large feline hunting a grazing animal, forms part of the common stock of genre subjects. 

The central panel with its assortment of African and other animals is absolutely remarkable. The depiction of an elephant, giraffe, and rhinoceros must have been very striking on the coastal plains of ancient Palestine, where such animals were unfamiliar. 

Exhibition Schedule in the USA :

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

September 28, 2010-April 3, 2011

Legion of Honor, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

April 23, 2011-July 24, 2011

The Field Museum, Chicago

later

Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, Ohio 

later