1303 News from Santa Barbara School of Mosaic Art

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SANTA BARBARA SCHOOL OF MOSAIC ART


March 2013  
Greetings!

March is here and so much is happening here at SBSMA. 

 Erin Pankratz-Smith just finished a successful “Everything Color” workshop teaching students how to use color as an element of design.  She really gave students an opportunity to broaden their horizons and open up their creative sides to a new way of looking at mosaic art.  Check out the pictures below.

 Scientists say when we are creating art we use our right brain.  The side that visualizes the whole piece, while simultaneously putting all the parts together, i.e. the design, the colors, the shading and movement.  

Coming to SBSMA is a great way to exercise your right brain and let the left side, better known as the the analytical one, relax.  

There are great new workshops to explore here and allow your artistic side to open up and expand your horizons.  

Check out the list below as well as the visiting artists still to come…. 

 

 

 

THE FEATURED ARTISTS COMING TO SBSMA:

 

  • Mixed Media with Laurie Mika, learn to work with Polymer
    clay while creating a colorful and unique triptych piece
  • Realistic Mosaic Art in Stained Glass with Professional Artistic Techniques with Carol Shelkin, learn to use stained glass in a portrait or image using shading and tones. 
  • Pebble Mosaics with Deb Aldo, learn how to work with different size river rocks in creating a spiral or mandala.

All these workshops and more can be found at  www.santabarbaraschoolofmosaicsart.com

   

 

 “Wide-awake I can make my most fantastic dreams come true.”

~Lorentz Hart  

  

 

Schedule for upcoming workshops 


Workshop                                  Instructor               Date                               Fee

Mixed Media                                             Laurie Mika                Mar. 23-24              $295+$20 mat.
Glass Mosaic Portraits or Images
                                                                           Carol Shelkin             Apr. 6-7                    $395 inc. mat.
Table Top                                                      Tami Macala             Apr.27-28               $185+base
Stained Glass mosaics in”A” day   Tami Macala              May 11                       $175
Pebble rock mosaics                               Deb Aldo                      June 6-7                   $300+$30mat.
Garden sphere/Boulder                      Tami Macala              June 29-30             $195+$40mat.
Everything Mosaics                                Tami Macala              July 20-21               $215+$20mat.
Mexican Smalti                                         Betsy Gallery              July 27-28              $210+$50mat.


VISITING ARTISTS BIO’S 

 

 

Betsy Gallery 

Betsy Gallery studied classical mosaic making in Ravenna and Venice, Italy, and modern mosaic techniques in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Her large mosaic murals are found throughout Santa Barbara. Her work is in collections from Madrid, Spain to Taipei, Taiwan. Betsy has published articles in The Groutline, the publication of SAMA (the Society of American Mosaic Artists), and has been the subject of interviews in the press and T.V.

Betsy has lived in West Africa, Spain and Costa Rica, picking up inspiration for her work from these cultures. Her current project is creating mosaics from children’s designs from Santa Barbara and East Cameroun, West Africa.

Betsy Gallery’s Mexican Smalti

 

 

Laurie Mika

Laurie Mika is a mixed-media artist with a passion for combining and overlapping a variety of mediums creating an original style of mixed-media mosaics using handmade polymer clay tile. Laurie’s background in painting is evident in her mixed-media works influenced by medieval and Renaissance art. The gilded devotional panels of the past become secular icons imbued with personal narratives. Art and folk traditions referenced in her work derive from her travels and experiences of living abroad, (East Africa). The highly embellished surfaces, including segments of text, form sumptuous tapestries of traditional and modern materials. Like a modern-day alchemist tinkering with the ancient art of mosaics, Laurie finds magic in combining disparate elements. Laurie shares her distinct style teaching at national and internationally recognized art retreats like

ArtFest, Art Unraveled, Art and Soul and Raevn’s Nest.

 She recently taught a workshop in Reims, France. Laurie is often on the move also teaching at venues across the States. Closer to home, Laurie participates in juried shows, teaches workshops and has her work in local galleries.

    

Laurie Mika’s Mixed Media

   

 

 

Carol Shelkin  

Carol Shelkin is a mosaic artist who creates fine art pieces for galleries,

homes, architectural and public settings internationally. It was made clear at a young age that Carol’s life would be centered upon her passion for creating and teaching art. Carol continued her studies at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Fleisher Art Memorial, and Philadelphia College of Art. She eventually opened an arts-nursery school/child care where she works today. Along with her school, Carol has been teaching a variety of art mediums to adults worldwide. Gathering community and making art is a special passion and she has worked with up to 600 students at one time to complete a public mosaic.

Carol, having a successful career in painting and pottery, has been accepting commissions with mosaic work as well as being invited to show her work worldwide. She has won many honors and awards including works at Ciel Gallery, N.C. with Maestro Giulio Menossi, Italy, honoring her mosaic. Her mosaic portrait, In A Village has been displayed at The Museum of Man, San Diego during Mosaic Arts International 2009 after one year of mosaic experience. She was invited to display another portrait Fabulous Hair during Mosaic Arts International 2010 at Smith Museum of Stained Glass, Chicago, Ill., and was honored again to have another portrait on exhibition at Mosaic Arts International 2011 in Austin, Texas.

The dominant influence on Carol’s work would be the simple joy of living. She is a member of the Society of American Mosaic Artists, British Association of Mosaic Artists, Philadelphia Magic Gardens, Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia Art Museum and a Juried member of The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen.

 

   

Tami’s Latest Commission 


This piece was commissioned by a man wanting to have a scene representing the hills of Jerusalem that looked up to the “old temple”.  The river that runs through the hills represents the water which ends at a faucet that is used to wash hands while saying a prayer when entering the home.  
The materials used for this piece are Italian smalti, stone, marble and gold smalti.  It’s substrates are 1/4″ hardie backer screwed to 3/4″ marine board and mounted with french cleats.   It measures 5’x3′.

 

temple mosaic  

 

Student Works from the 

Everything Color workshop
 
 
 
Here are just a few examples of what was created with the tesserae from the choices above.
 

Erin Pankratz-Smith teaching her first Santa Barbara School of Mosaic Art 
Everything Colour workshop!
 
                                          

  

LAB
LAB is a great way to work on all your mosaic projects. For $20/hour you have access to the SBSMA studio, all adhesives, grout, tools and my guidance as well as not worrying about making or cleaning up your mess.
Email for more details or to reserve a time.

Private Lessons

If you would like to learn mosaic art but do not have the time or weekend availability now for $45/hour you can book a minimum of two hours with Tami privately to have the full undivided attention with access to the studio tools, adhesives and grout. 
Publicity


SBSMA Birthday Parties

Have your next child’s birthday party at SBSMA.  Any age, up to 12 kids.  Rates based on time and materials.  Call or email for more info. 

 
Gift Certificates 

Gift certificates are now available.  Any size amount towards classes, kits, tiles or other supplies.  What a great holiday or birthday gift.

 

 LAB punch card  

SBSMA LAB punch card.  For every 10 hours of LAB time you get the 11th hour free.  Students are loving their punch cards and getting their free hours. 

  

SBSMA Supply Store

 SBSMA has all your mosaic art supply needs. More new colors added to the tile collection as well as stained glass, Italian Smalti and Vitreous glass. There are new tools stocked up as well as nippers, files, adhesives and grouts.  Just added are Leponitt brand mosaic wheel nippers for $28.95. 

  

 

Sincerely,
Tami Macala
Santa Barbara School of Mosaic Art
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  tami@allcrackedupmosaics.com
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