It all started with a DIY project for fashion designer, Karen Thompson. In this article, Tileista, JoAnn Locktov, presents the fashion designer's story that begins like this: "Be very careful if you decide to embark on a DIY project. It could change your life forever. In 1987, fashion designer Karen Thompson was restoring her home and taught herself the ancient craft of mosaics. It became her career, replacing fabric and buttons with ceramic and glass. "Working with a vast range of materials …
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Tileista: Ilana Shafir’s Spontaneous Mosaics
In this piece on the American Craft Council site, the Tileista looks at the work of artist, Ilana Shafir, to give us a peek on how intimate mosaic art can be. Here's how the article begins: "Born in the city of Sarajevo in 1924, now the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ilana Shafir knew from an early age she was an artist, though her parents were less than enthusiastic. As Shafir remembers, "In those days to be an artist was not a proper career choice for a woman." Her studies at the High …
New Ravenna Mosaics: The IKAT Collection Hand Crafted in Jewel Glass
The IKAT Collection in Jewel Glass (Exmore, Virginia)......New Ravenna Mosaics introduces the Ikat Collection in jewel glass. Designer Sara Baldwin has interpreted the ancient textile in her signature style, combining brilliant color and refined texture in jewel glass mosaics. Inspired by her travels along the Silk Road and her personal collection of Ikat textiles, Baldwin has integrated the classic patterns of Central Asian Ikat textiles with the glitter of reflective glass and mirror. The …
Tileista: Mark Bulwinkle’s Tile Stripped Bare
JoAnn Locktov, aka the Tileista, deems the mosaic shows of Mark Bulwinkle "energy with manic overtones." Her post reviewing them is worth a click-through on the American Craft Council site. It begins with this glimpse: "At first glance the artistic world of Mark Bulwinkle appears happy. Animals cavort, flowers bloom, a boy has hearts for eyes, the sun shines. The cartoon-like images seem to be laughing at us, as if there is some private joke incised into each of them. Upon closer …
Re-Thinking the Table: Cleto Munari The Furnishings Collection
Vicenza, Italy........Design impresario Cleto Munari has launched his first Furnishings Collection in collaboration with nine international architects, poets and artists. Starting with Italian architect Carlo Scarpa in the seventies, Munari has produced collections of tableware in sterling silver, jewelry, Murano glass, watches, pens, and now limited edition tables. Munari has selected world renowned architects, as well as visual and literary artists, to work in complete freedom without the …