Piece Makers

Mosaic theme: Force of Nature

Guest Judge: Josephine Alexander


... and the winners are...

Thank you to Tiny Tiles Mosaics for giving the "Best in Show" winner a gift certificate to their very cool shop! Check them out for

some of the world's smallest tiles!
 

First Place, Juror's Choice

Entry 3, Frances Green, Lightening Goddess



31 by 69 cm, mainly glass on glass with some beads and

tiles and glittery bits thrown in.

From our Juror:

Lightning Goddess When I was child in South Carolina I was

sitting in my room watching a violent thunderstorm

approach. Our neighbor ran outside to collect her clothes

from the line. In those days, the lines and poles were made

of metal. She was struck by the lightning as I watched.

Blessedly, she survived, virtually unscathed. I often thought

she had a powerful connection with nature. The wild hair of

the Lightning Goddess, the swirling and utterly powerful

blues in the sky transport me back in time. Looking at it, I felt

as I, myself, had been struck... and survived! This mosaic at

once unnerved me and reassured me that the Force of

Nature is just what it needs to be. Beyond that, I love the

tension created by the hot colors surrounded by the cool

colors.

People's Choice Vote

Alice Garret, Contrast


24x24. Materials used:  hand cut vintage plates, beads, glass,

ceramic, smalti, mirror, and found objects.

If you look close, a few images of nature can be found in this

abstract (leaves and flowers in the china patterns).  I really

wanted to explore the contrast in nature.  The use of color vs.

black and white;  lined background vs. free form background. 

Like nature, there is a certain level of predictability and

order.........yet not.

Thank you to all who participated and voted!

Entry 1, Amanda Edwards, Seasons
The Seasons, each piece measures 18" in diameter. Within my daily life, I'm inspired by the changing seasons here in Maine. Both watching and living through the cycle each year is the stuff of magic. These four mosaics are heading to a Children's Hospital in Maine, where they will be hung on a wall within a painted tree design. The natural world is a big part of the healing process, whether it's sitting outside in the sun, or receiving the emotional hug you get from nature art.
Entry 2, Dawn Briskey, Spring Flowers
Spring flowers are a true force of nature, emerging from the winter ground in amazing color and variety.  This  8" x 8 mosaic is based on a photo from my garden last spring. 
Entry 3, Frances Green, Lightening Goddess
31 by 69 cm, mainly glass on glass with some beads and tiles and glittery bits thrown in.
Entry 4, Inez, Fruit
Entry 5, Peggy Lindstrom, Sunrise Reflected on a Mountain
Entry 6, Alice Garret, Contrast
24x24. Materials used:  hand cut vintage plates, beads, glass, ceramic, smalti, mirror, and found objects.
If you look close, a few images of nature can be found in this abstract (leaves and flowers in the china patterns).  I really wanted to explore the contrast in nature.  The use of color vs. black and white;  lined background vs. free form background.  Like nature, there is a certain level of predictability and order.........yet not.
Mosaic theme: Your Favorite Piece of Art
Guest Judge: Kirstin Jonas

The results are in! Thank you to everyone who voted for their favorite piece! ... and of course to our guest judge, Kirstin Jonas!
Our theme for this challenge was Your Favorite Piece of Art. Each work was to be inspired by any work of art that you love... the entire piece, a section of the piece, the colors of a piece... anything!
We're so excited about our Juror for Best in Show, Kirstin Jonas.
Please take a moment to check out her beautiful work on her website: http://www.kirstenjonas.de/
Thank you to Tiny Tiles Mosaics for giving the "Best in Show" winner a gift certificate to their very cool shop! Check them out for some of the world's smallest tiles!
 
Juried First place
Peace Dove by Inez of Laura Leon Mosaics
From our Judge: "I love this colorful Interpretation of a simple drawing by Picasso. The Chosen colorful beads and glass gems for the dove are very well balanced. The White Background with the circles and different textures matches wonderful.with the dove Very good execution, cutting and grouting are very well done. This piece makes me happy by looking at it, congratulations Inez."
... and here's what Inez had to say about her piece: "It is my version of the Peace Dove by Picasso. I felt it needed a rainbow treatment, bringing it into the early 21st century. The original is from 1961, drawn a few days after Christmas, and to my surprise is twice as large as my mosaic version. This mosaic measures 38 by 48 cm (14.5" by 18.5") which I thought was about big enough. I love the simple clean lines of the drawing, but the color and the irregularity of the beads used to trace the line make it my version of a masterpiece."
People's Choice Winner!
First Place People's Choice, Van Gogh's Wheat Field, by Alice Garrett
Thank you again to all of the artists who participated! Every piece was magical!!!

Hundertwasser Inspired, by Alice Garret 
18x35.  Made with dish shards on an old cabinet door.
Friedensreich Hundertwasser  was born in Austria in 1928.  He was an artist, architect, and environmentalist. He died in 2000 and is buried in New Zealand.  I am drawn to his colorful, unconventional style of architecture and art.
The Scream, by Patti Cadwallader
Original painting by Edvard Munch between 1893 and 1910....
The Scream
My version:  12" X 24" with 7" round mirror
Too Blue?, by Frances Green
When I was very small, we once went to the local art gallery. Among many other works of art there was one of Yves Klein's blue canvases on display. My mom stood in front of it, and I remember asking her "Why are you staring at this? Its just blue. Its stupid!" My opinion hasn't changed all that much in the meantime... but here's the thing: That's the only piece of art I remember from that outing! The only one! And what's more, I certainly like making monochrome mosaics, this isn't the first one I've made by a long shot.
My mosaic version of this work of art probably shows how little I understand it: blue glass. Its all blue, just like the original, right? Oh hey, no look, there are twirly bits! There are glittery, and iridescent bits! Chunky bits and lots of grout lines! You can hold it against the light and its partially transparent! And oh no, there's even a frame round it, what on earth was she thinking? Improving on the original or making a complete shambles of it? I don't know... you tell me.
Spirals, a Juried Art Contest
Guest Judge: Dianne Sonnenberg
Our theme for this challenge was Spirals. Big, small, or just inspired by the idea of spirals, our artists have created all kinds of wonderful pieces for this show! Each entry is so special & unique. Thank you to all the artists who participated!
We're so excited about our Juror for Best in Show, Dianne Sonnenberg. Dianne is a mosaic artist from Austin TX, creating fine art, installations, commissions, garden art, and large-scale designs. Please click on her awesome photo to the left to see her work!
Thank you to Tiny Tiles Mosaics for giving the "Best in Show" winner a gift certificate to their very cool shop! Check them out for some of the world's smallest tiles!
First Place, Best in Show
I See Spirals, by Alice Garrett
" I See Spirals"  40 x16.  glass, ceramic, tumbled dish shards, ball chain, hammered wire, vintage earrings, on a reclaimed cabinet door.

Dianne Sonnenberg: Your design and expert use of mixed media materials created a very successful mosaic.  My eye dances around this piece, and finds delightful surprises that were not immediately obvious.   I love how you cut the china pieces to flow so beautifully around the spirals. This takes quite a bit of skill!   Your color palette is beautiful, and by including some unexpected choices, you made the mosaic even more interesting and appealing.  This is the mosaic I keep coming back to look at again and again.  Congratulations, Alice!
Second Place,  Jay Flight by Amanda Edwards
Dianne: This is such a well-conceived design, full of meaning and beauty.  Your detail work is exquisite.  The use of spirals in the yellow background and in the design of the skirt enhanced the meanings beautifully.  To create all of that on such a small scale takes talent!  I like everything about this mosaic. Very, very well done!
Third Place, The Mad Hatters Teapot by Frances Green
Dianne: I would be very happy to drink tea out of this teapot, and am delighted that you will be able to enjoy it every day.  I think the pink grout really enhances the colors.  Excellent choice, as it wasn't necessarily the obvious selection.  I love how you created the spirals with beads to enhance the movement.  This is such a beautiful piece, made even more special because it is functional.
... and now for the People's Choice Vote! Drum roll please.....
The exact same as above! For the first time since we started having Juried Shows, the People's Vote Winners & the Juror's Choice are the same! ... and in the same order!
Thank you again everyone who participated & who voted! There were 299 votes over the past week!.. with votes spread quite evenly across the board. Only a couple of votes separated the artists! Please continue scrolling to read the wonderful comments our Juror had to say about the entries.
Entry 1
Three Sisters, by Tina Shoys
The theme of your mosaic is lovely, and I enjoy the movement and beauty you created in the floating spirals, the semi-monochromatic background, and the skirts and hair of the sisters.  You created a strong feeling of place.  Nice work!
I call this vintage window "Three Sisters", which is the name of group of mountains in eastern Oregon. Google Three Sisters Wilderness and you can see how beautiful they are! Measures 18" x 28".
Entry 2
Joe Slacker, by Patti Cadwallader
What a whimsical creation!  Great work with the sculpture.  Creating realistic shapes in sculpting clay is harder than it looks.  You created very realistic dimensions especially with the spiraling  shell .  Your use of beads and mirror as tesserae is very effective in enhancing the spiral of the  snail's shell.
​Meet Joe Slacker, the snail......
I made this snail out of light weight, air dry clay.  The snail is mosaiced in seed beads and the shell is mosaiced in seed beads, larger beads, and small mirrors.  The finish work was done with acrylic paint.
Entry 3
Jay Flight, by Amanda Edwards
This is such a well-conceived design, full of meaning and beauty.  Your detail work is exquisite. The use of spirals in the yellow background and in the design of the skirt enhanced the  meanings beautifully.  To create all of that on such a small scale takes talent!  I like everything  about this mosaic. Very, very well done!
Inspired by Native American teachings on Animal Spirit Guides and Animal Totems, swirling and free all around us. For the Sioux Nation, the jay against the blue sky indicated a "double vision" or double clarity... yellow sky is hopeful of attaining such clarity. The blue jay itself representing confidence, protection, communication, self-expression, and vitality. The Jay is about embracing life to the fullest wherever you land & pursuing what you love.
Stained Glass, Tiles, and Beads. Measures 12"x8".
Entry 4
The Mad Hatter's Teapot, by Frances Green
I would be very happy to drink tea out of this teapot, and am delighted that you will be able to  enjoy it every day.  I think the pink grout really enhances the colors.  Excellent choice, as it  wasn't necessarily the obvious selection.  I love how you created the spirals with beads to  enhance the movement.  This is such a beautiful piece, made even more special because it is functional.
This mosaic teapot is covered with a total of 23 spirals in all colors of the rainbow. The base is a beautiful vintage teapot with a pink spiral knob on the lid. I used all kinds of glass, porcelain, beads, nuggets, tiles and fimo, and then with some trepidation I grouted it in pink - which I probably wouldn't have had the courage to do if I hadn't known all along that this mosaic teapot was going to be for me, to drink tea out of every morning!
Entry 5
I See Spirals, by Alice Garrett
Your design and expert use of mixed media materials created a very successful mosaic.  My eye dances around this piece, and finds delightful surprises that were not immediately obvious.   I love how you cut the china pieces to flow so beautifully around the spirals. This takes quite a bit of skill!   Your color palette is beautiful, and by including some unexpected choices, you made the mosaic even more interesting and appealing.  This is the mosaic I keep coming back to look at again and again.  Congratulations, Alice!
Entry 6
Escher Spirals Served on a Dish, by Inez Verhagen of Laura Leon Mosaics
Beautiful design!  You did an excellent job of creating and executing this design.  It is not easy to do!   I love the way my eyes follow the swirls from top to bottom and back again.  Very nice job with your grout lines, too.  That really enhances the overall effect when your edges are straight and clean.  Great job!
Inspired by the spirals drawing by M.C. Escher. Measures 18" across.
Entry 7
Blue Spiral Mosaic, by Dawn Briskey
Your materials are exquisite, and I can imagine how wonderful the play of light is with this piece. I would love to see and enjoy it in person.  Beautiful use of the spiral in your design.  They dance as your eye moves across the mosaic.  Very nice!
Glass on glass window hanging.  Mosaic made with hand cut Sicis water-glass tiles, dark blue Czech glass beads, light blue glass beads, blue glass nuggets.  Substrate is a discarded louvered glass window pane. Black frame.  26" x 4"
Entry 8
Spiral Mirror, by Peggy Lindstrom
You have achieved some beautiful detail in this piece, and it really works well with the overall effect.   The color palette is unexpected, and works very well to create a mosaic full of lovely  warm and cool contrast.  Nice balance in the design, and very good use of spirals to create movement!
DSC_2600
DSC_2610

“Spiral Mirror”
measures 50” x 14”
stained glass, tempered glass, beach glass, glass tiles, and beads.

 Portraits, a Juried Art Contest


Guest Judge Dianne Higgins
This was a great & challenging theme! The PieceMaker artists are many things, but most of us have little to no experience creating a portrait of any kind. For most in this show it was their first ever portrait! As always, the entries are all so special & unique... so I wish you all luck choosing a favorite! You have one week to vote for the people's choice winner. We're so excited about our Juror for Best in Show, Dianne Higgins. Dianne is an amazing mosaic portrait artist, among other things. Since 2013, she has created over 30 portraits!

Thank you to Tiny Tiles Mosaics for giving the "Best in Show" winner a gift certificate to their very cool shop!
Check them out for some of the world's smallest tiles! 
Best in Show!

The Boxer, by Peggy Lindstrom

stained glass 11” x 11”

From our Juror, Dianne Higgins: Wow, this is a really terrific animal portrait! I love the way you have cut the glass in different ways and shapes to create a very proud and oh-so-expressive dog! You have created the mask and mottled part of the skin in a very realistic, but also stylised way. The background is interesting but unobtrusive and makes a lovely frame for the dog. In my mind, you have created this dog with love in your heart, and that is one of the things I look for in a portrait….something that connects me emotionally with the subject. I can see that love with every single piece of glass you have applied. You have also blended the colours of the grout in with the colours of the glass, which to me is important if you are aiming for a realistic portrait and not just a stylised one. This portrait demonstrates lovely fine details, and a variety of colours to suggest the browns and whites. This is really a very impressive and delightful portrait.
Here are the winners of the People's Choice Vote!

First Place, People's Choice
Portrait of the artist as a green person, by Frances Green

 Second Place, A Portrait of a Childhood Daydream, by Amanda Edwards

 Third Place
Marilyn, by Sandy Stotz
Don't forget now to look below to see which artist's made which piece! If you see something you like, you can find out more about the creators by clicking "Meet the Artists" at the top of the page.
Entry 1
Luci, by Dawn Briskey
Kismet tiles, vitreous glass tiles
Entry 2
A Portrait of a Childhood Daydream, by Amanda Edwards
This piece was inspired by  a new baby we're all waiting for the arrival of in the family. A combination of waiting for this new member of the family, and reflecting on the imaginative & inspiring thoughts that make up the life of a child went into this piece. I spent hours deep in my imagination as a kid.... and to an extent even today!  The wait for this new life to emerge & take on the world is represented by the suns & moons... the passing of time. The stars are for the many people that are no longer with us to greet her into the world, but are still with us nonetheless. The birds represent the parents keeping an ever watchful eye on things, as their child grows & as her imagination swirls into all kinds of wild and wonderful dreams.
Entry 3
Frida Kahlo, by Inez
This my mosaic version of a famous photograph of Frida Kahlo. See also http://www.fridakahlo.org/  A colored copy of that photograph, nicely framed, hung in my house for many years. I loved this photograph, because I am quite a fan of the paintings of Frida. As you know, she mainly painted portraits of herself. Most are quite wild, including tropical scenes, others are quite painful to look at, because they depict the physical suffering she endured every day. Not all her portraits are the kind you want to have hanging in your house, to look at everyday. So this photograph is a real serene version of her. With a really simple background. But clearly, many things were going on in her head. So for my version of this portrait I wanted the background to reflect the magical workings of her artistic mind.
Entry 4
Portrait of the artist as a green person, by Frances Green
Glass on glass mosaic with beads, crockery, jewels, dichronic glass and Fimo, grouted in dark gray, some painted grout lines, about 12 x 9.5 inches.
Entry 5
Marilyn, by Sandy Stotz
As soon as this challenge was announced, I knew immediately that I wanted to do a portrait of Marilyn Monroe.  I have always been fascinated by her beauty and her life.  This was in all aspects a true challenge.  Once I begun to cut the glass and proceed with the piece I was so afraid that I would not capture her properly.  I think Marilyn has gorgeous lips, so I wanted to use glass beads that would show a beautiful full, red set of lips.  I also used glass beads for her eyelashes and teeth.  I couldn't forget her mole, which is painted on using a glass paint. I just had to incorporate some glitter and stars in the piece as she is and always will be a shining star in my mind.  The use of polished blue shells as a blanket for Marilyn was a choice I made to provide her with some comfort.  I just really felt she needed a blanket. I hope that everyone enjoys this piece as much as I enjoyed creating it.  Every piece of glass was cut with much love and attention to detail.  Even the frame selection was made with care as I wanted something with some sparkle and simplicity, not an easy task.
Entry 6
Portrait of a Boxer, by Peggy Lindstrom
stained glass 11” x 11”
LOVE Challenge
The results are in! In addition to checking out the winners, you can now scroll down the page & see which artists made what piece!  A great big thank you to our Juror, Mike Shoys! If you haven't yet, please go check out his amazing photography! Mike is a photographer extraordinaire with an eye for color, texture, composition, and the natural world unlike anything we've seen in many many years! His love of photography takes him all over the world, and we lucky ones get to sit back and enjoy natures beauty show through the work he brings home! Please visit his website to see his amazing work, or visit his etsy shop to purchase prints as well.
Thank you to Tiny Tiles Mosaics for giving the "Best in Show" winner a gift certificate to their very cool shop! Check them out for some of the world's smallest tiles! 
Best in Show
Love is a Four-Legged Word, by Pam Holt
  Mike Shoys: "This one not only looks great, but makes my heart smile. It feels like a very focused and inspired piece that was executed masterfully. The detail in the animals is incredible and they are completely adorable. The colors all compliment each other and overall I just feel good looking at this piece. It makes me want to pet my cat!"


2nd Place
Welcome Heart, by Alice Garret
This is such a pleasant and calming piece to look at. Everything is so well balanced. I love how the dark grout compliments the bold frame and background color. The detail in the tiles used for the hands is fascinating and fun to explore. I think the deep red was a great choice of color for the heart. It is rich and bold and works great as a focal point within the bold frame.


Third Place
Endless Love, by Tina Shoys
I especially love how the plate used was rearranged. It creates this feeling of movement around Romeo and Juliet, which works well with the heart framing them, and in theme could suggest a hectic fragmented reality in the lives surrounding the lovers. Knowing the story of Romeo and Juliet, I think breaking the plate tells their story more accurately than when it was unbroken.
People's Choice Voting Results
First Place People's Choice
The Heart Rocks, by Peggy Lindstrom
Second Place
Welcome Heart, by Alice Garrett
Third Place
Love is a Four Legged Word, by Pam Holt
Entry 1
All You Need is Love, by Dawn Briskey
Thrift store wooden shelf, mirror, china, jewelry, fused glass medallion, Kismet mosaic tiles, Czech glass bugle beads, ball chain, light purple grout.
Approximately 13" wide, 5" high, 4.5" deep.
Entry 2
Endless Love, by Tina Shoys
Size is 10 x 8"
Plywood substrate using a hand-painted porcelain Art Collector's plate depicting Romeo and Juliet found in a thrift shop.  I also used cobalt stained glass, and Pool blue vitreous glass tiles around the border. 
Entry 3
Birdhouse Gourd, by Chris Carey
Size 13 inches tall 8 inches wide.
Entry 4
A Sudden Burst of Love, by Amanda Edwards

 12" x12", wall piece or suncatcher
Entry 5
Love is a Four-Legged Word, by Pam Holt
I thought about this challenge for a long time. I wanted to make about 50 entries! Finally, I thought about the love people show, when they take homeless animals into their homes, and show them the kind of love that helps them feel safe; and the kind of love those animals show us, every day-the truly unconditional love. Finally, I thought about the kind of love I see our pets show each other, the kind that always makes me tear up!
So, I made a mural of some safe, well fed, much loved pets, on a soft, warm rug, surrounded by their toys. :) It made me feel happy. It is 13x18 inches.
Entry 6
Welcome Heart, by Alice Garret
10x14.  Materials Used:  Tumbled Dish Shards .On a recycled welcome home plaque.
Entry 7
The Heart Rocks, by Peggy Lindstrom
Size: 12" x 6" at the widest part.

UNDERWATER CHALLENGE

Best in Show as voted by our Juror, Linda Biggers
'The Water Goddess' by Frances Green
Linda Biggers: "All of the mosaics are so well done! My choice for the Best of Show is Entry number 2, The Water Goddess. I find the design of this piece remarkable; I love the way the goddess blends into her watery environment. Also the repeated floral shapes of her breasts and abdomen and the undersea background really gives this piece continuity, and further tying the goddess figure into the background!"
Frances Green
The Water Goddess
The Great Goddess watches over all life everywhere, be it in the air, on earth or under water. If you are very observant and lucky, you might just catch a glimpse of her when you least expect it - but keep your eyes peeled, if you blink you'll miss her!
Broken crockery, shards, glass tiles, mosaic glass, pebbles, beads and seashells on MDF backing. Grouted in dark gray with tinted grout lines. 18.9 by 37.8 inches

 People's Choice Winners
Thank you to everyone who voted!
First Place- The Water Goddess, by Frances Green

Second Place- Fantasy Fish, by Alice Garrett
 11.5" x 13.5", Materials used:  dish shards, beads, marbles, shells, broken fused glass bowls, ceramic fairy door, and ceramic tile on the border.
Third Place- Coming out of the Shell, by Peggy Lindstrom
Now, scroll down to see which artists made the other masterpieces! Well done each and every one of you!!! Click on the image to contact the artists, or to see more of their inspiring work.
Joanne Paquin
An Octopus' World
I was inspired by this challenge, with living in the 'Ocean State'. This piece is 6" x 6" x 1 1/2", and it's truly mixed media, as I used various tesserae, to include stained glass, tempered glass, glitter, beads ~ and even shells, rocks and beach glass that I picked up during one of my many journeys to the beach.
Frances Green
The Water Goddess
The Great Goddess watches over all life everywhere, be it in the air, on earth or under water. If you are very observant and lucky, you might just catch a glimpse of her when you least expect it - but keep your eyes peeled, if you blink you'll miss her!
Broken crockery, shards, glass tiles, mosaic glass, pebbles, beads and seashels on MDF backing. Grouted in dark gray with tinted grout lines. 18.9 by 37.8 inches
Patti's Art
"Lemon Meringue" the octopus
20" Tall X 24" Wide
stained glass, mother of pearl, tiny mirrors, glass gems, charcoal grout
Christine Carey
Ocean Picture Window
Size 17 1/2  x 11 inches
This Ocean Picture Window backer is MDF. The border tiles are bubble tiles I purchased from a Habitat ReSell store,  the tiny tiles are Kismet and the slightly larger tiles are Glitter tiles. All the fish, turtles, and seahorse are fused glass pieces that I created and kiln fired.

Laura Leon

Dolphin and Shark circling
Alice Garrett
Fantasy Fish
 11.5" x 13.5"
Materials used:  dish shards, beads, marbles, shells, broken fused glass bowls, ceramic fairy door, and ceramic tile on the border.
Peggy Lindstrom
Coming out of the Shell
Tina Shoys
"Above and Below"
This window is from a 1910 commercial chicken coop, old growth fir wood which is hard to get now.
It measures 29 1/2" tall by 34" wide.
Lori Frank
"Beneath the Waves"
Beneath the waves is a world to see,
So colorful, fun, and such a mystery.
Beneath the waves is a turtle that glides,
Riding the currents like big massive slides.
Beneath the waves the water does swell,
Churning up starfish and shells like a magical spell.
Beneath the waves a seahorse will prance,
With it's curled up tail it puts on a dance.
Beneath the waves are swift darting fish,
To swim with them all is my greatest wish!
8" Styrofoam ball decorated with stained glass, mirror, and re-purposed shower curtain hanger decor, (starfish and shells), grouted in a sea green color. Ball is permanently adhered to a re-purposed seahorse candle holder. Total height of piece is 19". Would make a lovely bathroom accent piece!
More about our Juror, Linda Biggers: As long as I can remember, art has been an important part of my life. As a child, I spent every spare minute drawing or painting. For years, I dabbled in photography, painting, sculpture and a huge variety of crafts and worked as a graphic designer for 18 years. In 1998, I discovered eggshell and mixed media mosaic. Mosaic became my medium of choice. With the use of glass, eggshell, natural stone and slate, I am able to create works with the color and intense drama that I enjoy. I love texture, brilliant colors and creating pieces that will evoke feelings and emotions to the viewer. I live in Upstate New York with my husband and two daughters. I am an active participant in local art shows in Albany, Saratoga and Adirondack Regions. My work can be seen at www.eggshellmosaicart.com, http://mosaicsbylinda.blogspot.com/, and art shows and galleries in Fulton, Saratoga, and Schenectady Counties.


MONOCHROME CHALLENGE

Monochrome Challenge Winners!

All the entries have been created by PieceMaker Members. Just click on the artist's name to see more or their work, or to ask them a question about their piece. A great big thank you to our Juror, Helen Nock!
Helen holds a B A Hons in Fine Art. Her studio is "situated amongst other art studios in a disused stone quarry surrounded by wildlife so in keeping with my strong interest in nature and natural material and recycling where possible". Her work is sculptural, natural, and we are all honored that she juried our show. You can see her work here.
A big thank you to Tiny Tiles Mosaics for giving the "Best in Show" winner a gift certificate to their very cool shop!
Best in Show as voted by our Juror, Helen Knock
'Pickles'  by Lori Frank
I think the word cohesive sums up this design. I would have liked to have read a bit of an explanation of how Pickles came about including the choice of material, especially the sparkly grout which I'm guessing is resin.  I liked the surprise of it ; the subtle bit of Bling introduced into what, at first glance, appears to be quite a graphic, monotone design. I also like the tightness of the cuts for the style of the subject and how Lori has identified and captured the traits of her subject. It is, ironically, like some of the other styles here, in complete opposition to the way I work - clean symmetrical detail, illustrative, and skillful control of the material and technique.  A difficult choice altogether, those qualities are evident in other work. Well done Pickles!  
-Helen Nock
People's Choice Winners
Thank you for voting! We received 227 total votes... and every single one is appreciated!
First Place People's Choice
Blue Horizons, Alice Garret
2nd Place People's Choice
Lavender Bouquet, Amanda Edwards
3rd Place People's Choice
Nelson Mandela, by Pam Holt

Scroll down to see all of the wonderful entries, and come back soon to see our next show!

Entry 1

Be My Valentine, by Inez

Entry 2
Deja Blue, by Tina Shoys
Entry 3
The Blues, by Lori Frank
Entry 4
Lavender Bouquet, by Amanda Edwards
Entry 5
The Inner Workings of Blue, by Melissa McIntyre
Entry 6
by Peggy Lindstrom
Entry 7
Pickles, by Lori Frank
Entry 8
A Purple Explosion, by Dawn Briskey

 This thrift store photo frame has been covered in a vast array of materials, all in shades of purple:  iridescent stained glass, mirror, glass rod, buttons, Murano millefiori, Van Gogh tiles, and purple glass tile. It is grouted with purple seed and bugle beads.  Frame measure 7" x 8.5" and will hold a 3.5" x 5" photo.
Entry 9
A Study in Turquoise, by Frances Green
Glass mosaic on glass bottle, 24 cm tall. Grouted in light turquoise.
Since we were only allowed one colour I decided to work with different textures and transparent/opaque materials, such as: beads, both solid and transparent, mille fiori, nuggets, glass hearts, pieces of turquoise, glass jewels, ball chain, bathroom tiles, a broken bowl and a broken water glass, a marble, a dolfin, a medallion. turquoise TG. I found the turquoise TG half way up a Swiss Alp, where apparently a tractor windshield had had an accident - true story.
Entry 10
Peacock, by Christine Carrey
I gathered together all the different textures of turquoise that I had at home and looked at them for a few days. The color reminded me of a peacock. The triangles and body are fused glass. The wavy pieces below the triangles are shell. The rest are a variety of seed and bugle beads. Everything is glass except the shells.
Entry 11
Nelson Mandela, by Pam Holt

24x11 inches, 3/4" thick

I have been wanting to do something as a tribute to Mr. Mandela, and this challenge gave me the perfect opportunity. I searched for black and white photos of him, and used several different ones, as a guide for the details. It was hard to settle on just one quote, but I like this one, because it seems to sum up his life.
Entry 12
Clear Sailing, by Sandy Stotz
I have chosen to do the piece using a hammered back clear glass as the substrate.  I carefully chose different textures of iridesent glass to create the mosaic.  The water, seagull, sailboat and sun reflect the light in their own unique way because of the different textured glass that was used.  I chose clear glass sead beads instead of grout and have applied them on the water to enhance a wave-like image and also as part of the sail on the boat.   The piece is mounted on an oak board and can be placed in different areas to reflect the different lights.  The other special feature with this particular piece is that any solid colour of glass may be placed behind the piece to bring some colour into the piece if desired.
I made the patterns simple to reflect the simplicities in life.  When we can un-complicate our life and get back to basics and keep things simple, it really can be clear sailing.

Entry 13

Blue Horizons, by Alice Garrett

21"x27"

There are numerous ways the meaning of horizon can be viewed. It is the earth meeting the sky, it is reaching a limit of experience, it is a word used to describe a specific archeological period. My mosaic reveals several horizons, depending on which angle and orientation you are looking. I attempted to reach the horizon of all shades of blue ranging from an almost translucent aqua (tumbled pieces from a broken glass bowl) to a deep, dark, midnight blue (from a stoneware plate). Other materials used are tumbled pottery shards including cups, bowls, plates and a few salt &pepper shakers; jewelry pieces, glass flowers, metal flowers, a blown glass marble, beads, the bottom of a glass mug, buttons, and a recycled kitchen cabinet door.  I guess you could say, archeologically speaking, items from the 'Blue Horizon'.