Art is Better than Therapy

Lots going on this side of the World, in my little ol’ life. Some positive change which is great, but change can be exhausting even when welcome! Needless to say life has simply gotten in the way of this blog… I miss it, so here I am.

Since last I wrote I have installed a ~5 sq metre mural at my daughter’s preschool. Something I had been thinking about for a long while and was unsure was ever going to happen. I talked it over with a good friend of mine who convinced me to do so. I am so very glad of it too. Between the time that I agreed to the time it was done, was only a few weeks. It was the first community project I have ever been a part of and also the first time to lead a large project with volunteers. It was looking a little worrying there for a little while, thinking that I had noone to help out but people pulled through and new friendships forged  (new addictions too)… The original idea was to come into the preschool, sit down with the kids in small groups and make a mosaic from one of their pictures with them. I was inadvertently offered a full time job that I wasn’t expecting and so that idea kinda went out the window!! Nevertheless I pushed ahead by taking some pictures that the kids drew and mosaicing them myself. The inspiration was simply the drawing of a 4 year old child. Clean, simple and without too much detail. I love a child’s approach to most anything. Honest, innocent and arguably without detail but in saying that I don’t think that children miss the detail. To me, their approach is fresh and I always find myself drawn to it.

In any case the whole project was very satisfying and I feel very happy indeed about the whole affair. It got a little write up in a local newspaper that I was also pleased with, so it was a really nice end to the whole thing. I have managed to do 2 large installations this year. Hard work, but I really think this is where it is for me. Definitely more to come…

I’m also in the midst of doing the Christmas Art Markets at the Old Bus Depot Markets. Quite different this year, in that there was a very steady stream of people instead of a mad rush. I actually thought I wasn’t doing as well as last year, perhaps a sign of the times, but upon counting the sales at the end of last weekend I actually did better than last year. That was comforting. I think I know what sells and so therefore it is just easier to know what to make. I also upped my prices on a few things and introduced smaller pieces, at a smaller price but without compromising my artistic integrity.

Other major news is that I am headed to San Diego next year for the SAMA conference. Very exciting indeed… My first time, I hope not my last 🙂 I am really looking forward to meeting everyone I have come to know on the internet, meet those I am yet to know, be inspired, inspired, inspired and learn aplenty. Of course a little side trip/holiday is also in the works. Life is too short to constantly say NO!

A little earlier on, I  finished a pair of ballet slippers that got shuttled away to Texas, USA. I was very happy with the way they turned out, falling within the description of what the client specified so happy all around I believe. I was quite stoked by that commission too as it would never have come my way had it not been for the internet.

I also got around to installing a commissioned number plaque. That was a bit of a trip. The client had bought it as a surprise for his girlfriend, as they had purchased their first home together (1, 2, 3: Awwwwwwwwwwww…) and when she opened it she apparently said something like ‘ who made this? Kim Grant?!’. I kinda momentarily let it go to my head and was a celebrity for that split second, lol! 😉

So what’s on the cards for the future? One more day for the markets, then Xmas and all that it entails (can’t wait, family time!!!). I’ll be hopefully starting on the install of the mermaid mural which I am really looking forward to. The prep on that wall may take some time though, not something I particularly look forward to. Then it will be time to finish off a few projects I started for myself and start a few others. Trades that are on the cards, a swirl for Lin Schorr‘s project, a new(ish) website… too much to do frankly and never enough time but art is better than therapy. Amen!

Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year! Thanks for being such wonderful readers…

Mosaic in Film: Run Fatboy Run

So I was really surprised to get to the end of this movie and find that David Schwimmer, of all people, directed this film. OK that and the intimation that a woman would EVER get back together with a fella that left her standing, pregnant, at the altar all because he was too skeered! Not likely mate. BUT it was a good watch overall and there was a scene with walls of gorgeous mosaics!!! I am told by one of my English friends that they could be the mosaics at Portobello Road, but I couldn’t say for sure. I’ve only managed to find one mosaic mural from Portobello Road – it’s amazing, but definitely not the ones in this film.

Anyway, a good DV’ to watch at home and … okay, okay I’ll admit I got all teary at the end! 😉

If any one of you know where those mosaics are, who they were made by etc… please leave a comment and let me know!!! 🙂

Mosaic Time Walk – Centennial Park at Cooma

Cooma is the major town of the Snowy Mountains region of NSW, Australia and one of the state’s many “gold rush” towns. A hundred years after the Cooma Township was settled by Europeans in 1849, it became the headquarters for the huge Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme. Its historic Avenue of Flags beside the Mosaic Walk represents the people of those 27 nations who came to the Snowies to help build one of Australia’s greatest feats in engineering.

The Time Walk is a unique presentation of the history of the Monaro District, re-created in 40 ceramic mosaics which were constructed to commemorate Australia’s Bicentenary in 1988.

The events represented in the mosaics are:

• Monaro aboriginals
• the discovery of the Monaro by European settlers
• the early squatters
• law and order
• Mount Kosciuszko
• Inns and accommodation
• religion
• health services
• mining
• business
• transport
• Nimmitabel
• education
• bush rangers
• building
• forestry
• sheep
• wool
• cattle
• snow sports
• Dalgety-Berridale
• mountain horses
• Wragg’s observatory
• pastoral & agricultural
• trout fishing
• Adaminaby
• Jindabyne
• local government
• Snowy River march
• mountain life style
• communications
• Michelago/Bredbo
• armed services
• tourism
• Kosciuszko National Park
• Snowy Mountains Scheme
• pioneer women and other organisations.

The mosaics were created by local artist Chris Graham and students at the local TAFE College in 1988 (Australia’s Bicentennial Year).

The Centennial Park is located at the corner of Sharp & Bombala Streets in Cooma, NSW.

For more pics on these mosaics (can’t show them all here as there are so many!!!) check out my Cooma Mosaics Set on Flickr.

Mosaics in New Zealand

One of my friends went to NZ late last year for a family holiday and came back with all these pictures of some gorgeous mosaics. I love that! So many of my friends notice mosaics now 🙂

Unfortunately, don’t know anything about these installations. They appear to be made from ceramic and the ones on the ground can be found in a town called Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty. The toilet block can be found in Colville. Amazed that anyone would be bothered to make such a mural on a toilet block. It’s rather refreshing…

Anyone know anything about it, please let me know!

Disneyland Mosaics

While in CA, we took the kids to Disneyland. Their first time and my 1st time as a parent… It’s an odd place I tells ya. I had a load of fun, but it’s an odd place! Of course what I did notice all over everywhere were the mosaics. In Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure Park and Downtown Disney. See?! It is an odd place. It’s like a city all it’s own! I was rather taken aback at the money spinner that it is. Here we are with global poverty, shortages on basic foods and then here in the West there’s Disneyland, where I don’t know how many tens of thousands of dollars get turned over in a day. Kinda crazy. But that’s not the point of this post… “The Happiest Place on Earth”, perhaps. But something about that slogan makes me feel uneasy. I have to say thank goodness the ride known as “It’s a Small World After All” was closed for construction. That ride is trippy! Don’t know if I could have done that one all over again… lol!

It was pretty awe inspiring just how much detail in everything there is. First of all it’s really clean. I mean like really clean. People that worked there were friendly. Everything just ran really well. The amount of organisation that must go into creating and maintaining something like that is, in itself, quite remarkable. And to top it all off, every night they had fireworks that far surpass the New Year’s Fireworks we get here!!! Every night! Certainly alot of fun to be had. We went with extended family, and it’s definitely a lot more enjoyable in a large group 🙂 Makes all that waiting around doable…

There were some beautiful mosaics. I have no idea who made any of them so this post will just be a bit of a visual feast. Plenty more in my Disney Mosaics Flickr set… There are some hardcore families who seem to go a lot. I don’t know if that’s me, in fact I know it’s not!!! By the third day (of all of us looking out for 6 young kids) I was holding L’s hand and suddenly looked around, panicked, blood drained from my face and I screamed out “Where’s L!!!?”. I knew it was time to leave. 😉

Such a perfect use of mirror!!! This mosaic quite literally sparkled…

The floor entrance to Naples Pizza, in Downtown Disney.

Detail shot of the Sunflower Fountain at the entrance of Disneyland.

Gorgeous hand made tiles it seems… This mountainous mural flanked both sides of the entrance to Disney’s CA Adventure Park. It depicted everything that CA is famous for… Really a fantastic mural!

The mosaic on the floor to Aladdin’s theatre in Disneyland. Didn’t go in to see the performance but this mosaic certainly caught my eye…

Seoul Subway Mosaics & Glass Art

Just thought I’d finally post the remaining pictures of the mosaics I found in the Seoul subway system – I have to say a very pristine and efficient one in my opinion! And one that is so much more pleasing to the eye with the addition of mosaic murals!!! Gotta love how Seoulites embrace public art.

I really quite likes this one because it deviated from the “norm” – most of the mosaics I saw on the subway there were worked in the grid style, opus regulatum.

This is one of the bathrooms (!!!) at Itaewon station…

At Seocho station – thought this was funky!

I wonder if this is the same artist as the first one above…

This mural was titled “Kkot Gil” which means “Flower Road”. Can be found at Gosok Terminal.

This was at Tongdaemun Station –  a huge transfer point.

Also at Tongdaemun…

A stained glass ceiling at Tongdaemun Station. Just so lovely!!! Look up as you go up or down the looooong escalators…

Also at Itaewon Station…

Gangnam Kyobo Tower

Outside the famed Gangnam Kyobo Tower is a public art installation of mosaic spires. In Seoul there is a law that states that every highrise building has to be accompanied by a sculpture. It’s a wonderful law. I think every city should adopt it! Public art abounds in Seoul and it really makes such a difference walking through it.

The building is home to, among other businesses, the Kyobo Bookstore.  It’s huge and so fun (I love bookshops. I could, and do, spend hours in them…). The building was designed by Mario Botta, an Italian architect who is world renowned. He also did the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco among many others… It’s a nice building actually, I quite like it.

Anyway, what I found so wonderful is out the front the mandatory artwork is a mosaic installation made by Yoo Keun-Sang called “Corea Fantasia”. I think it’s fantastic! Would love to have something like this in my garden. It’s made from ceramic, stained glass and smalti and is not grouted. The pieces have been pushed into the cement-based adhesive. Really inspiring work! I love the gradation of colour from cool to neutral to hot.