Artist Watch: Christine Brallier
Next on my hit list is Christine Brallier of Santa Barbara, CA. Most of you have probably already seen her work and she is such a sweetheart that it’s so difficult to not be attracted to her anyway!!! She’s a very supportive and generous Flickr friend (aka cbmosaics) and I’m sure for those of you who make mosaics in the Flickr community, she has already left really wonderful comments on your work!
As a child Christine always knew what she wanted to do: Art. By the time she reached Santa Barbara City College in ‘91 she had decided to be a children’s art and music therapist. She has since received an MA in psychology and delved into Reiki, massage therapy and also energy work. I’ve had energy work done on me before. It was quite fascinating actually and I’d definitely put my hand up as a guinea pig again!
Over the years, Christine continued to take art courses including water colour, figure drawing and landscape painting, as well as teaching herself cross-stitch and crochet. In 2005, she came across a DIY mosaic kit from Michael’s and has never looked back. Since then she has been teaching herself the art of mosaic – primarily through books and the internet.
In her own words:
“What I love about making mosaics is starting out with one piece of glass and watching it grow into a completed work of art. The process of choosing the colors and deciding how to cut the glass and how to lay it out, all of it fascinates me because there are infinite possibilities. All of my life I have loved every kind of puzzle, so mosaic art has been the perfect fit for me!”
Her first commission was making mosaics for her local Outback Steakhouse in Santa Barbara. I just loved that she waltzed in and told them the tables would look better with a mosaic on them!!! Well, OK words to that effect, lol. Needless to say she got the commission 
The other highlight in her mosaic career came when she finished work in a public park. She has found talent in making realistic mosaics too. Her pet portraits are just adorable and her first human portrait was of Portia de Rossi. Christine sent it into the Ellen Degeneres Show and has since received an email back from Degeneres’ mother saying thankyou! How sweet…
The subjects for her mosaics are those that touch her, those that create a peacefulness and a joy within her. She is drawn to children, animals and nature for these reasons. The beauty and naturalness of them, the playfulness and the joy of living they possess, inspires and brings Christine the utmost happiness. Mosaicing what she loves is the key to creating art that is meaningful to her and, perhaps, can touch others as well.
Christine makes mosaics for the home, business or public place. Go and visit her lovely website.
Currently she is working on a commission where she is making 38 (yes that’s thirty eight, not a typo!!!) trivets of the same design. It amazes me that she is capable of getting each and everyone of them just right. I know I’d be tempted to break out and be all rebellious and make them all slightly different! lol 
Anyway, I’ll let her mosaic do the talking now…
Okay, my back hurts originally uploaded by cbmosaics
Pears 2008 originally uploaded by cbmosaics
Officially done! originally uploaded by cbmosaics
Sleeping originally uploaded by cbmosaics
The Joy of Life originally uploaded by cbmosaics
And finally Christine busy working and looking all glamorous still
Rhoads Park 6 originally uploaded by cbmosaics
You are the sweetest, Kim! Thank you so much!! :-)))
Thankyou again for another great post. I am stunned by the gorgeous dog asleep.The light and shade are so beautifully captured.
Hey,
I have a great link for a video profile on an artist who works in several mediums, including mosaics. His name is Paul Peter Hatgil and he is a professor at The University of Texas at Austin. Here is a link to the video from the website of the show Docubloggers on the PBS station KLRU in Austin, Texas. Enjoy!
http://www.docubloggers.org/?p=248 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAXMyo6__IM&eurl=http://www.docubloggers.org/?p=248
-Heidi
Christine once said: “Mosaic what you love”. I will never
forget those words.
She is a great artist, brilliant, clever, always taking
care of those details that turn a work into a masterpiece.
I think she’s kept the pure soul of a child, which shows in
every work of hers, along with her amazing technical
abilities.
(Kim, 38 MUST be a typo!!=)))
Tía Gri
She’s one of my favorite arrtists!
Glad to see her story here.
Christine is one of the first “mo” artists that gave me such needed support and caring words. She is a devoted mosaic artist that takes the time to help beginners in her busy schedule. She’s so very talented and a true…artist!
Christine… now there is a Artist in the true sense of the word. She has always supported me and has seen things in me I did not know about myself, a true artist generous with her compliments and encouragement, helpful and kind.
I wish her all the best, and hope she stay’s this way.