Portraits in Mosaic

Luis has just returned to Asturias from a two week mosaic course in Belgium and from visiting fellow mosaicists in both Belgium and Holland. Needless to say he has had a brilliant and very productive time. The piece he chose to work on in Belgium under the tutelage of Mireille Swinnen at http://www.mozaiekstudio.be/ was based on an ageing Pierrot clown - a portrait in tessarae using a direct method in a painterly style. I was really pleased with his choice as for those of you who don't know I was once a keyboard player for a band called My Pierrot Dolls in the early 1980s (who incidentally are still playing gigs in and around Yorkshire in the UK - check them out if you get a chance). Despite a very active social programme, with Mireille's guidance he managed to complete the portrait with only the framing and mounting left to do.

Whilst in Belgium he shared some studio time with Jeannot Leenen a really talented mosaicist who you may remember created a portrait of one of our cats, Wentworth. Jeannot has very kindly now completed a second portrait, this time of Gawber so we will be able to display them in their full glory together: The Asturian Prince and The Asturian Hunter.

Luis ended his mosaic adventure in Holland and spent a few days with another great mosaicist Conny Van Der Wende who owns and runs  Tiles and Tools . Now back and filled with renewed energies, new techniques and numerous ideas, I am looking forward to his new projects... Watch this space.

Looking forward to 2015

It has been an eventful year for Luis and I here at La Pasera and in the UK. Luis continues to develop his artistry and knowledge in mosaic art and following a visit to an exhibition and meeting of mosaicists in France he has booked a mosaic course in Belgium for summer 2015.  He continues to restore both cane and rush chairs but increasingly finds his energies and thoughts moving towards mosaics.

I have continued writing, taking photographs and making music and have one or two interesting projects in the pipeline for 2015.

La Pasera still offers us our little bit of paradise, we continue to grow the majority of our vegetable and salad crops and no doubt that will continue for the foreseeable future. Plans for 2015 include the addition of hens for fresh eggs and finishing off the final bit of hard-landscaping.

We would like to thank all of you who read and/or visit our blog and wish you all a happy, prosperous but most of all healthy 2015.

Don't forget you can visit our other blogs as well, the links can be found at the top of this page.

Best wishes
Ian and Luis x    

Mosaicos La Pasera, an update.

As a mosaicist and whilst living at La Pasera, I have designed and created numerous decorative pebble mosaics that now adorn paths and a small terrace. My passion for this mosaic genre stems from my love for pebbles and a holiday we once took in the Greek Island of Rhodes where we saw many decorative mosaics been used as pavement. After returning home, Ian got me as a present, a book by Maggy Howarth titled "the art of pebble mosaic". Since then, I have completed a good number of mosaics that decorate our garden and have had several as commissions.

For my latest pebble mosaic of a flower pot made out of small pebbles and terracotta roof tile, I spent several hours selecting the right sized pebbles no grater than 1 cm in diameter. Using these small pebbles, I was able to create small mosaics light enough to be used as a decorative picture hung on a wall,

This little Mosaic (31x22 cm)  was made as a present for a mosaic artist friend of mine who comes from Belgium and whom I recently met when I travelled to Chartres in France to visit several international mosaic exhibitions.

Although I usually I work with natural stones for my Roman style mosaics my last two commissions required me to use smalti (vitreous paste) made by the Orsoni family in Venice following centuries old recipes. This allows me to choose from a wide colour palette. This was the case of my latest commission for a birthday present depicting a lobster.

Using smalti has been an enjoyable challenge that not only required me to learn to use new tools but also required to adapt and use different processes and as a result I am researching several mosaic courses to see which one can suit my needs better specially since I want to learn more about colour use within mosaic art.

XII th century stone carving in one of the porticoes of the Gothic cathedral in Chartres.

I recently returned from Chartres where I attended the opening ceremony of the 10th edition of the internationally renowned mosaic "Prix Picassiette" celebrated on alternating years. During this event, I met many mosaicists and mosaic artists with whom I have been communicating via the Internet and several mosaic art forums I am a member of.

In Chartres I was able to spend time not only admiring the beauty of many works of art but also having an opportunity to study different mosaic techniques specially those used in 3D mosaics as I have in mind several projects for mosaic sculptures that in time I want to create and place around our garden here at La Pasera. You can follow my mosaic work on my dedicated and newly updated blog: Mosaicos La Pasera 

The Asturian Prince - Wentworth

The Internet attracts a lot of criticism for all sorts of reasons but it can also be a wonderful resource and mechanism to connect with people you would not normally come across by other routes.

We have developed friendships with many people over the years via the Internet both through our blog and through various social networks. It never ceases to surprise us both how generous these virtual friends can be.

One such friend offered to make us a portrait, in mosaic, of Wentworth, our beautiful black cat: named after an area of South Yorkshire where we used to live. Jeannot Leenen is a mosaic artist from Belgium Luis initially met through one of the Internet based mosaic groups they both belong to. We have always admired her beautiful work and over the years Luis has became very good 'pen-pal' friends with her via the Internet. Her kindness and generosity both as an artist and a person are boundless and later on this year Luis plans to meet up in person when they both visit the internationally renowned mosaic exhibition that will take place in Chartres, France.

Words cannot express how magnificent this portrait is. She has captured his character, his posture and his ever-changing black glossy coat as it reflects and absorbs the changing light - absolutely stunning.

Jeannot knows how pleased we are with this gift and it will be a lovely moment when Luis can meet with her in person and share their passion for the art of mosaic.

Restoring a garden bench and making a rustic one from recycled material

We like sitting in the garden. Typically the weather allows us to use the garden much more than when we were in the UK. We have various areas dotted around where we sit and watch the natural world go by.

Some years ago I came across an old wrought iron bench that was in urgent need of repair. The wooden slats were rotten and the wrought iron had broken and was in need of welding (not an easy job).

After sitting around gathering dust, we managed to get it repaired by Luis' brother-in-law and we sourced some new hard-wood slats which we treated with white spirit and linseed oil. A coat of paint and with new slats fitted, it looks great and is a welcome addition to the terrace.

The other bench we made this week was from a discarded beam someone had dumped on the roadside. We cut it in half, fastened it together with a couple of metal plates either end and stood it on two old terracotta chimney pots we have had lying around for some time.

This week we also decided to site the mosaic coffee table Luis made several years ago. He now needs to get on with making a couple of matching mosaic pedestals on which to stand it, in the mean time bricks will do.....

The Kingfisher has flown its nest - mosaic

A few weeks ago Luis was asked to design and create a mosaic intended as a gift for a birthday. The brief was: a Eurasian Kingfisher. Working with the people involved they agreed on a design and composition, size (quite large 70cm x 85cm), how it would be constructed to suit the position it was to be hung and what materials it would be made from.

A pencil sketch was used to agree the main design elements but they very much left it up to Luis to interpret their idea.

The next task was to source the appropriate materials, choose the colour palette, prepare the base and plan the construction methods. He decided to use a mixture of marble, limestone and Orsoni Smalti from Italy as this would give him the colour palette he required to capture the beauty of this wonderful bird. Materials were sourced and work commenced.

Mosaic work on this scale and with such detail is labour intensive. Long hours were spent studying kingfishers and refining the design, planning the project, cutting the tesserae and reviewing methods and techniques. The mosaic is worked in reverse so you never know what the finished surface will look like until it has been set, dried and turned.

Once the mosaic is complete, the worrying times commence as cement glue is spread carefully across the surface of the mosaic and onto the cement backing board on which it will be mounted.

Several days later the mosaic is turned, cleaned and closely examined.

The next stage is to grout elements of the picture, seal, polish and generally put the finishing touches to it including a hanging device and more weather-proof sealant and wax.

Phew, all was well and the 130 hours he put into the mosaic was well worth the effort, it looks magnificent. Needless to say the recipients were very pleased with it and will now have the pleasure of seeing it proudly displayed on the wall of their cottage and garden.

There is always a sadness to see such a piece fly the nest but on the other hand there is a sense of achievement and consolation knowing that it is going to a place where it will be cherished.

A big thank you to Jeannot Leenen and Ornella Martens, two mosaic artists from Belgium for their generosity and guidance throughout the project.

Anyone interested in Luis' work can view his range of work here: www.mosaicoslapasera.com

Email: artesanialapasera @ gmail.com (remove spaces)

Mosaics in and around our garden.

Those of you who follow our blog will know by now that I am passionate about all things mosaic related. My mosaic journey really started when following a holiday in the Greek island of Rhodes where we visited numerous sites with beautiful mosaics Ian got me a book on pebble mosaics written by the British based artist Maggy Howarth.

During our time at La Pasera, I have had an opportunity to explore the technical and aesthetic aspects of mosaic art both relating to pebble and roman style mosaics. My abilities as a mosaicist continue to evolve with each individual piece I design and make.

In my journey into the mosaic world as a self taught mosaicist, I enjoy reading books and publications relating to mosaic art and greatly value the information and sharing of ideas with fellow mosaicists and artist via the Internet based mosaic groups I belong to.

Thanks to these groups, I found that there is a two yearly international mosaic exhibition in the Italian city of Ravenna which I visited last November. Taking part in Ravenna Mosaico 2013 as a visitor was an incredibly valuable experience during which I was able to admire contemporary mosaic art and some of the most beautiful Byzantine mosaics dotted across the city in several World Heritage Sites. This submersion in the mosaic world was very inspirational and on returning I started to create a Byzantine style mosaic representing Prometheus, the titan that Greek mythology tells us that as a protector and benefactor of humans presented us with the gift of fire, a myth that has always fascinated me.

Prometheus

The making of Prometheus gave me an opportunity to explore some technical and aesthetic aspects relating to this beautiful art and craft that help me to gain the expertise that enables me to create more complex mosaics not only to adorn our garden but also when I get a mosaic commission as is the case with the latest one I am working on at the moment. It is a mosaic intended as a 50th birthday present for some keen birdwatchers who have commissioned me to do a kingfisher for which I am using vitreous paste or smalti in order to achieve the bright colours of this beautiful bird.

Birdbath

My first mosaic

Recently, we have also completed the paving of the patio and the path leading down to it in which we have incorporated a series of 19 small mosaic fish and 4 lily pad mosaics directing your attention towards the pond area creating the illusion of a stream. We have also set within the patio two more mosaics depicting a bird in full flight and a lizard. The step from the patio down into the grass area is also paved with a simple but beautiful pebble mosaic; this is the very first mosaic I ever made and which originally adorned our garden when we lived in the UK. This is a very important mosaic for me and I value the opportunity to enjoy it here at La Pasera.

Oatcakes and ginger biscuits

With the rain teaming down outside, Luis in the studio working on his new mosaic Prometheus and the cats tucked up in their bed, I decided it would be a good day to make biscuits.

Oatcakes are one of my favourite biscuits for savoury snacks. We had made some two days before for as an appetiser when friends came to dinner, served with black olive tapenade and guacamole but they had disappeared long ago so I decided to make another batch.

Really simple to make they are just like the Scottish oat cakes I remember from the UK.

Oatcakes:

225g Oats lightly milled
60g Rye flour
60g butter or margarine
half a teaspoon each of bicarbonate of soda, dark brown sugar and salt
80 mls of hot water

Combine dry ingredients, rub in fat, add hot water and bring together. Roll out on floured surface to desired thickness (3-5mm), put on greased trays and bake in hot oven for 15 or so minutes until light brown, cool on rack. 170 Celsius.

Whilst making the oatcakes we received a call from friends who were planning to pop in later in the day so whilst I was in biscuit mode I decided to make a batch of ginger biscuits to have with an afternoon infusion.

Ginger biscuits:

170gm Self-raising flour
115gm soft brown sugar
30gm margarine
25gm cream cheese
1 dessert spoon of golden syrup
1 egg
2 teaspoons ground ginger (according to taste)
half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

Mix all dry ingredients, rub in fat, add syrup and egg, bring together into stiff paste. Form into small balls and place on greased trays leaving room to spread. Bake at 175 Celsius until golden brown (15 mins) cool on trays until fully set, transfer to cooing tray.

Meanwhile, here's another track by me to accompany your tea and biscuits: Ride the greenway

My trip to visit Ravenna Mosaico 2013

Ravenna in northern Italy is considered worldwide to be one of the main centers for contemporary mosaic art; a place where many mosaic artists work and teach this craft and art. When visiting Ravenna, in addition to the beautiful Byzantine mosaics that adorn seven UNESCO World Heritage sites you can also appreciate the beauty of classic Roman mosaics as well as modern and contemporary ones.

This year, Ravenna was celebrating the third edition of  a two yearly event called "Ravenna Mosaico" with multiple events related to contemporary mosaic art at an international level. This year I had the opportunity to travel to Ravenna during this event. I visited the famous Byzantine mosaics, the numerous mosaics spread throughout several temporary and permanent mosaic exhibitions. I also arranged to visit some mosaic schools and studios with the view of taking a mosaic course in the future. A highlight for me was when I met some artists who live there and with whom I had been in contact over the last few years via the Internet. In fact, some of the mosaicists living in the city happen to be some of my most admired artists worldwide.

Visiting both old and modern mosaics, provided me with an opportunity to admire an art that has endured the passage of time and closely study both technical and aesthetic aspects related to mosaic making.

You cannot imagine my surprise when I accidentally discovered a mosaic studio and as I went in I met Marco de Luca, an internationally recognized artist whose work I greatly admire. To stand there admiring mosaics belonging to his private collection while he was telling me all about them was an unexpected pleasure I never dreamt of experiencing.

Earlier on in the day I had been invited to a private viewing of a mosaic exhibition in the company of the editors of Mosaique Magazine CaCO3 studios. I enjoyed my exchange of comments with the editors about a particular work of art whose creator I would later on meet in person.

Another highlight was meeting Sergio Policicchio a young artist I believe will become a great influence within contemporary mosaic art. He approached me while visiting an exhibition and offered to show me his other works exhibited elsewhere.

Sergio Policicchio

I value the opportunity I had to spend some time with a local artist and one of my mosaic Internet- based friends, Rosanna Fattorini, with whom I exchanged thoughts and  impressions on the mosaics exhibited within two of the main exhibitions: "Works from the World" and "Crossing times". In the exhibition "Works from the World" I was able to appreciate examples of the work from several other artists I greatly admire while discovering some exciting artists whose work I fell in love with instantly.

Rosanna Fattorini- detail

To Rosanna I am so thankful for taking me to visit Sergio Cicognani, her friend,  mosaic teacher and worldwide respected artist who was involved in the restoration of the Byzantine mosaics the World Heritage sites in Ravenna and other parts of Italy. The stone cubes or tesserae he gave me and the glass I received from Rosanna decorated by herself with gold leaf and paint colours and that she normally uses in her creations is something I look forward to incorporating in a future mosaic.

The numerous photos I took of particular mosaics, the books, detailed postcards, magazines and catalogues of exhibitions I bought and collected, some with a personal dedication from the artist, will provide me with a wealth of information that I will benefit from during the next stage of my mosaic making.

The homage to the artist Iliya Iliev, that the International Association of Contemporary Mosaists  had arranged gave me the opportunity to admire in person, many of the works of another of my most admired contemporary mosaic artists. Shame we did not coincide in Ravenna so that I could have met him in person. Iliya is another of my Internet contacts from one of the international mosaic sites I belong to.

Iliya Iliev

I had a great time in the beautiful city of Ravenna and enjoyed its culture, cuisine, ice cream and its gentle pace. The best Italian meal during my trip was by far the one I had when Rosanna and her husband welcomed me into their home. With the most aromatic limonchelo I have ever had we said goodbye to the memorable time I spent thanks to Rosanna. In a few words, the trip to Ravenna Mosaico 2013 surpassed my expectations. There are still many great mosaics I would love to see in person one day and more trips to plan... one day.