Mosaics made for Exhibitions
Made for British Association of Modern Mosaic Exhibition (Scotland)
Abbotsford House
Celebrating the 250th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott, with my piece Abbotsford House, made for an exhibition at the Scott Gallery in Hawick.
Abbotsford House was created from his vision in the Scots Baronial style, which was in fashion at the time, with lots of stepped gables and chimney pots. He also designed the layout of the gardens with lots of 'rooms'.
Whilst the house and garden structure is depicting it as it currently is, the flowerbeds are from my imagination!
In the Garden with friends exhibition
Tree of Life Persian Carpet
The design combines my interpretation of several elements of traditional Persian rugs, however, having to balance tradition with finding the right materials for the mosaic meant a bit of 'artistic licence' in its execution.
Materials including mirror glass, glass tiles (left over from a bathroom job), ceramic dishes, vintage ceramic tile, and ball.
102cm x 80cm
Made for British Association of Modern Mosaic Exhibition 2023
Southern Birds
Inspired by Johann Bayer's illustration of the Southern Birds constellation in his Uranometria, a star atlas, published in 1603. The constellation comprises of four bird panels: Tucana (toucan), Grus (crane), Phoenix and Pavo (peacock). The fifth title panel, alongside the whole presentation of the mosaics, references the John Clayton mosaics in Chester Cathedral.
Materials: reclaimed ceramics, including 1970's Midwinter Caprice and J&G Meakin's Impact cups and saucers. Handmade MDF frame.
100cm x 70cm
Made for the Fortingall Arts Exhibition
Dalchonzie Meadow
Made from vintage pre-loved ceramics, in an upcycled frame
91cm x 61cm
MADE FOR BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF MODERN MOSAIC EXHIBITION 2018
The Flight Of The Miscellanea
The miscellaneous pieces are flying away into my (then) newly learned technique of smalti glass, from my usual style of flowers… incorporating all manner of finds from various friends and gifted china.
Currently on display at the Found Gallery, Dunbar
"BEST IN SHOW" AWARD AT THE BIELD AT BLACKRUTHVEN
Scapes
Prior to starting my mosaic, I heard someone describe Kenneth Steven’s poems as having a 'fractured syntax'; which on reading ‘A Song Among the Stones’ made sense to me. It became the starting point for my piece, entitled “Scapes”; a series of small panels following the journey of the Papar from the brooding Scottish landscape to the light of their new home (which to me evoked the landscape of the Fens, where I lived as a child – muted tones and bulrushes!).
My use of recycled materials emphasizes my frustration at our throwaway society; ruining our Garden of Eden by too much landfill. This mosaic is made on salvaged corner shelving boards and a variety of vintage tiles; old crockery and discarded ceramics from my sister-in-law’s pottery.
Currently on loan to The Bield, at Blackruthven, Tibbermore
BAMM "Material Matter" Exhibition 2019
Oceans ~ Savage Future & Beautiful Past
Savage Future is made of mostly rubbish, including plastic toys and plastic knitting needles, and a computer keyboard.
Also included is debris from East Lothian’s beaches, including a fish shaped lure.
Beautiful Past is made from the scraps of blue and white china from my box of ceramic scraps.
Perthshire Open Studios Taster exhibition
The Chicken With No Name
The cockerel is one from the Bield's steading, and is quite a flamboyant one!
I have reproduced him with a variety of broken crockery, including a mug which had chickens on it, and a few mugs which had my father's church on (Eccleshall, in Staffordshire).
Perthshire Open Studios Taster Exhibition
Groovy Goat Girl
Inspired by the wild goats which visit the field across from my workshop space in the winter.
Materials: bone china plates for her body, and vintage soup bowls and saucers for the background.
Currently on display at the Tayberry Gallery, Perth
in the garden with friends exhibition
Isobel's Garden
Isobel is my husband's aunt , who is now in a residential home. I have acquired the contents of her kitchen cupboard, and most of what is in the mosaic is hers. Lots of lovely hand thrown material..
BAMM miniatures exhibition at the Jewry, by Guildhall, London
Alms House, Southwark
This mosaic represents the Alms Houses in Southwark. What caught my eye was the juxtaposition of the old buildings with cottage gardens set amongst really geometrical high rise buildings.
Materials: discarded ceramics and stained glass scraps
33cm x 24cm
British Association for Modern Mosaic (BAMM) exhibition
Paolozzi's Garden (Imagined)
BAMM's annual exhibition was centred around the artist, Paolozzi.
Using this as my starting point, I envisaged his garden to be one full of colour, as his mosaics were bright and colourful, but with a dark sculptural piece as the focal point of my mosaic, as most of his sculptures that I have seen are quite dark and sombre.
Materials: bone china crockery, a large ceramic vase, various stoneware items and wine