December - Mosaic Association of Australia & New Zealand

OPUS
ORACLE
National E-Mag - vol 6
IN THIS ISSUE
D E C E M B E R
Symposium News
1
Fireworks - Ignite the Light
Schedule and Registration info
2
Sydney
Friday 21st - Sunday 23rd August 2015
Speakers and Presenters
3
Symposium Events
6
Exhibition information
sheets
8
Expert Ease - Photo
12
tips
Getting the most out of 14
a workshop
Understanding the jury 16
process
State Reps Reports
18
Advertisements
suppliers, courses , etc
28
New Members,
MAANZ info
31
2 0 1 4
We are closing the year with a further sneak peek into our 2015 Symposium.
MAANZ Symposiums are a wonderful opportunity to share knowledge, experience and passion with other mosaic artists. It is also a chance for delegates to
learn about the greater mosaic world, to expand their imagination and through
the process to feel that they have been encouraged to find their own voice.
Our Little Take on Our Theme
Fireworks - Ignite the light is our Symposium theme, as MAANZ believes that
we all have a spark to be a firework, most times it is only us that is standing in
the way of reaching our goals, fulfilling our destinies, being the best version of
who we possibly can be. We are all amazing in our own way and we should
not be afraid to show it.
Our Symposiums are created so that everything is catered for, morning tea,
afternoon tea, lunch, dinner, all after hour events etc so that attendees are
given every opportunity to mingle , to get to know each other and share their
passion for the mosaic art form. Australia is a very large country and these
symposiums give us the opportunity to deepen our community connections, to
share, to laugh, to be inspired, to learn and to grow. Stay tuned for loads more
information and a new MAANZ website in the new year.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, Symposium
Co-ordinator, Maria Kokkoris at miamosaics@ozemail.com.au and/or President, Noula Diamantopoulos president@maanz.org .
On a more festive note, from the Symposium Committee, we would like to
send greetings and warm appreciation to all our members during the past
year. We extend our very best wishes for a happy holiday season.
Maria Kokkoris
MAANZ Symposium Co-ordinator 2015
noula diamantopoulos
MAANZ President
PAGE 2
MAANZ Symposium: Schedule and Registration
Schedule and Registration
Registration will be available on the new MAANZ website coming early 2015. This will be a
one stop shop where you can buy workshops, salon entries, guest tickets, etc.
Registration Fees
Early Bird
Must be received by 30 April, 2015
Members - $396 non members -$440
Standard Rate
Must be received by 30 June 2015
Members - $450 non members - $500
Symposium Registration includes
All Symposium sessions, lunches, morning and afternoon teas. Attendance to the National/30:30 - Fireworks/Tesserae Exhibition Presentation Night, Small Works Salon & Auction,
Brown Bag Exchange. Dinners Saturday and Sunday.
Proposed Symposium Outline
Thursday - 20th August
6pm – 9pm – Registration and Flea Market
Friday - 21st August
A day of Plenaries
7.30am – 8.45am – Registration
9am – 5pm – Keynote Speaker & Plenary Sessions
6pm – National Exhibition Presentation/Awards & Cocktail Party
Saturday - 22nd August
Half day Plenaries half day short workshops
9am – 12pm – Plenary sessions
12.30 pm—Brown Bag Exchange
1pm – 5pm – Workshop Sessions
7.30pm – Formal Dinner
Sunday – 23rd August
Short Workshops
9am – 5pm – Workshops
6pm – Casual Dinner & Mosaic Art Salon/Silent Auction
10 min USB presentations
Monday 24th August
Harbour cruise
PAGE 3
MAANZ Symposium: Speakers and Presenters
Our Speakers and Presenters
We are thrilled to have such talented, well acclaimed artists on our Sydney shores presenting at the 2015 Symposium.
Keynote Speaker Emma Biggs
London-based professional mosaic artist
United Kingdom
Mosaic artist
www.emmabiggsmosaic.net
www.emmabiggsandmatthewcollings.net
Our keynote speaker Emma Biggs is coming from London and
will also be running workshops in Sydney and Melbourne. She is
one of the founders of the renowned Mosaic Workshop, the
largest mosaic studio in Britain. She has authored and coauthored many books on mosaics. She also makes collaborative
paintings with her husband, the well-known art critic Matthew
Collings (presenter of the UK television Channel Four's Turner
Prize programme) who will be joining her on this trip.
Speakers and Workshop Presenters
(in alphabetical order)
Margo Anton
Canada
Mosaic Artist
www.margoanton-mosaicjewels.com
Margo Anton has been working as a professional mosaic artist for
over a decade, creating fine art mosaics, mosaic jewellery, and
teaching classes. She has exhibited her highly textured art work in
her native Canada, the USA, and Italy. When not creating , she
shares her knowledge and love of the mosaic medium by teaching,
from regular classes in Canada, to workshops in the USA, to artist
residencies abroad. In 2009, she created the Mosaic a Day project,
creating a small mosaic everyday. Her exceptionally precise jewellery was one of the by-products of this enterprise and her mastery
of the tiniest cuts enables her to create these outstanding pieces.
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MAANZ Symposium: Speakers and Presenters
John Botica,
New Zealand
Mosaic Artist
www.powerofpebbles.com
John Botica loves talking about his passion for pebbles. The New
Zealand based artist firmly believes that making pebble mosaics
is his destiny – and he pursues it with a passion, power and joy
that is evident in every one of his works.
Maher Dawoud
Cairo, Egypt
Teacher at the Faculty of Fine Arts, mosaic artist
www.maherdawoud.com
Maher currently works as a teacher at the faculty of Fine Arts, mural
department, as well as participating in various mosaics projects and
exhibitions in and outside Egypt. In 2013, he obtained his PHD under
the title The employment of mosaics in installation art (analytical
and comparative study).
Kate Kerrigan
San Francisco, USA
Mosaic Artist
www.katekerrigan.net
Kate Kerrigan has been a mosaic artist for 16 years. She actively
produces, shows and sells her work in the San Francisco Bay Area
and Lake Tahoe, and has been recognised and awarded on both
national and international levels. Originally from Wisconsin, Kerrigan currently resides in Lake Tahoe, CA. Kerrigan is well-known
for artful mosaic interpretations of her own photography.
Andrew Lavery
Sydney, Australia
Head of Department, Contemporary Art, Senior Lecturer,
www.andrewlavery.com
Andrew Lavery has been a practising artist for 12 years and has exhibited widely in Australia and abroad. Andrew has evolved as a conceptual multidisciplinary artist with specific interests in sculpture, installation and the handmade object in hybrid practice. Andrew completed a Bachelor of Arts with first
class Honours, and in 2001 graduated with a Master of Arts by research in the
faculty of Art and Design at Monash University, Melbourne. He lives and works
in Sydney and is Head of Department, Contemporary Art, Senior Lecturer and
Chair of the Glass Studio at Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney.
PAGE 5
MAANZ Symposium: Speakers and Presenters
Julie Richey
Texas, USA
Mosaic artist
www.juliericheymosaics.com
Award winning Texas artist Julie Richey has been making mosaics for
more than 20 years, creating custom residential and commercial
installations in the US, Italy, Spain and Mexico. Her mosaics and
sculptures have been exhibited across the US, at the biennial Ravenna Mosaico festival and at the Orsoni Smalti Veneziani foundry in
Venice as part of the Orsoni Grand Prize for mosaic in 2009.
Lillian Sizemore
London, United Kingdom
Mosaic historian and artist
www.lilliansizemore.com
Lillian Sizemore lives in London, where she is a doctoral candidate at
the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts. A lifelong artist, Lillian Sizemore
brings interdisciplinary creative thinking to her work as a mosaic artist,
educator, scholar and historian, combining art historical perspectives
and the living craftsmanship of art production. Lillian brings a depth of
knowledge and enthusiasm for mosaics, mandalas and geometry that is
unique and inspiring.
Suzanne Spahi
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Mosaic artist
www.suzannespahi.com
In her personal works, Suzanne specializes in interpreting
antique oriental rugs in miniature mosaics. Such decorative
works take between five and nine months to make. This
subject matter came to her naturally, as she is a fan of elaborate rugs and has always had a desire to own the most
famous antique ones. So now she weaves her personal stories in mosaic.
PAGE 6
Symposium Events
MAANZ Symposium: Exhibitons and Events
Flea Market /Registration Evening
Thursday - 20th August, 2015, 6pm – 9pm
Introducing our first time event of registration and flea market which will be held at the
Cafe 2 Function Room of the Tattersall's Club , 194-204 Pitt Street, Sydney. Vendors will be
open from 6pm and you can shop for all things mosaic. This is also a great opportunity to
register for the symposium and beat the crowds on Friday morning.
Vendors’ Market
The vendors market will also be open for business on Friday and Saturday for you to indulge
your mosaic obsession.
MAANZ Exhibitions
We have three exhibitions connected with the symposium.
Information sheets are next in the eMag.
30:30 Fireworks – Ignite the light
These are all works made in a format of 30cm x 30cm. Open
to all and the only themed exhibition.
MAANZ National Exhibition
This is unthemed. This juried exhibition is the main event
including mosaic wall hangings and sculptures.
Tesserae
For children 17 years and under – encouraging our next generation of mosaic artists.
PAGE 7
Exhibition Presentation Night/Cocktail Party
Friday night - 21st August 6pm – 8pm
The exhibitions run from 18th August to 30th August, held at Tap Gallery - 278 Palmer Street,
Darlinghurst. It is only a 2km/1.2miles (15mins approximately) walk from the symposium venue
to Tap Gallery.
MAANZ Symposium: Exhibitons and Events
Mosaic Art Salon/Silent Auction
The third mosaic art salon is scheduled for the
Sunday evening of the Symposium. Free to
attend for all salon delegates , this is your opportunity to view and purchase a small piece of
unique mosaic art made by a symposium
attendee, with all proceeds going to the artist.
There will be a small charge to people exhibiting
their work in the salon. Places to exhibit work
are limited to 45 and allocated on a first in best
dressed basis. Buy your place when you register
early next year. Details of the piece won’t be required until a month before the symposium.
2013 mosaic salon
Brown Bag Exchange
Join in this free and fun event. Bring a brown paper lunch bag of
your favourite tesserae as a gift to another delegate. Check it in
when you register and receive a raffle ticket in exchange. On
Sunday, hand in your raffle ticket, pick a brown bag and enjoy
your goodies. You don’t need to book in advance, just turn up
with a surprise bag.
Workshops
MAANZ Symposium workshops are a chance for attending mosaic artists/enthusiasts to meet mosaic teachers
and artists, to talk, play and learn. Participants are not
required to finish their project they start within the
workshop. We do however expect that they will leave
the workshop with detailed notes, hands on skills and
tips from the Workshop Presenter to finish or continue
the project at home. Each workshop will have a maximum of 15 people.
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PAGE 12
Feature: Photographing your Art
Expert Ease - Taking Good Photos
Lea Kannar
gives us some
essential tips
on photographing mosaics.
You have now finished your mosaic and the last thing left to do is to take a photo. If you have
spent months cutting and creating your work the least you can do is to take the time to get
good photographs of it. One way is to contact your local photographic society, many have
people who are happy to take photos of artworks for under $100. You could get a couple of
friends together and share the costs. However if you cannot afford this investment in your
art then you have to work with what you have. How can you improve the photos of your
art? Let’s talk about light and reflection! Here are my top 5 fixes.
Fix no 1 - Always wear black or neutral
When you are photographing any art work… and I do mean ANY, every
colour you wear will change the colour of the work… I know you may
think it does not but…
 A red shirt and purple socks might look great when you’re out but
can play havoc with shiny reflective surfaces
 Coloured clothes can also reflect in any artwork you photograph
Fix no 2 - Turn off your flash
See what happens when you wear
This may mean that you need to invest in a tripod to take
orange!! Suddenly my work has
better photos but it is worth it. Meanwhile you could Blugone all colourful… ugh!
tac your camera to the back of a chair to make it steady
 A flash creates blooms and glare on your work especially if you have mirror
 The depth of colour you get without flash is worth the effort
With flash - bleached out
Without flash - much better colour
Fix no 3 - Watch what kind of light is in the room
Artworks supplied by Lea
Kannar and
Jens Lichtenberger
It can pay to invest in a light meter to help you take better photos. This helps you to make
sure that the light around your artwork is even – digital cameras try to make adjustments for
uneven light with varying results.
 Once you know that your work is not evenly lit then you can either move to a different
location or add another light source.
PAGE 13


Use a desk lamp faced towards a nearby surface to bounce light onto the work.
Or use some drafting or tracing paper to cover the end of a lamp to soften the light. This way you can
face the lamp in the direction of the work without creating reflective blooms
A strong light
behind you will
create shadows
on the work
See how one side has less light
than the other
A piece of transparent film will take away
any glare
Fix no 4 - Getting rid of the grass, curtains, carpet or wall paper in your backgrounds
With a large sheet of black and/or white paper (2-3 meters in length) you
can sit a hanging mosaic on a plate stand or sit a sculpture just short of
the front.
 You don’t have to buy the expensive photographic backdrop paper
 Stationery supplies or art supply shops sell rolls of paper. It does not
have to be very thick, just long
 You can easily loop a large sheet of paper or roll over the back of a
chair or a box
The paper creates an infinity
background which gives the work
clean lines
Fix no 5 - Invest in a tripod
Steadying your camera is essential.
 If you cannot afford a tripod then Blu-tac on a hard surface like a table or back of chair
 Don’t stand up close to your work to take your photo. Use the zoom function.
 Never zoom to full zoom (if your camera has an extending lens turn off your digital zoom)
 Zoom to about halfway. This will give you a quality image and also make sure your reflection is not
reflecting off the image
 Use the timer on your camera to take the
photo. This avoids camera movement
 Stand your tripod approximately two metres
away
 Tilt the camera so it is on the same plane as
the item you are photographing
 For sculptures rotate it to at least five different angles
High and angled or centre line of work
Lea Kannar
See more of Lea’s work at http://www.artsculpt.com.au/
Lea also recommends this Saatchi video on photographing your art work .
PAGE 14
Feature: Choosing Carefully
Getting the Most out of a Mosaic Workshop
Julie Sperling
shares her
valuable insights on
attending
mosaic workshops.
A slightly longer version of
this artice
appeared as a
blog post in
October 2014
and we reprint
it here with
her kind permission.
Julie Sperling is a Canadian mosaic artist based in Ottawa, Ontario. As a geographer and environmentalist, her work is influenced by both the surrounding landscape and present-day environmental challenges. She’s happiest when she has a rock in one hand and her hammer in the other.
With every mosaic workshop I take (six to date), I develop my skills both as an artist and as a student.
Not having a fine arts background, I started out with zero knowledge about how to take an art class.
Depending on your experience, this will sound either very odd or glaringly obvious: the skills and mindset you need to approach a mosaic class are quite different from those you need to be successful in,
say, biology or literature. So yes, there is a learning curve to learning how to learn an art. I have become a better mosaic student by trial and error, and I have unfortunately not gotten the most out of
some fabulous learning opportunities because I didn’t have the right approach to the class. While I’m
not a perfect student and am still figuring things out, I wanted to share some thoughts and lessons
learned with those of you who are in the same boat so you can learn from my mistakes.
Go in with nothing (unless instructed otherwise)
The first few classes I took were very project based and we
were instructed to bring a design that we wanted to execute. I thought this was the norm, so when I took Sonia
King’s class I arrived with everything nailed down, design
wise. Big mistake (one that I regret to this day). Yes, there
are workshops where you will make a specific project and
you should go prepared. But there are other workshops that
are more about artistic exploration and if you go in with a
predetermined idea of what you want to make, you will miss
out. Make sure you know which kind of class you’re signed
up for and prepare accordingly. If it’s a class more about arMosaic intensive with Sonia King: Enhanctistic expression, try to go in with as little as possible (in terms ing technical skills and integrating artistic
expression at Institute of Mosaic Art
of design, materials, and tools), leaving yourself open for
learning opportunities. I know it can be nerve-racking and it can feel like you’re unprepared and are
only increasing your chances of failure, but trust me on this one .
Do not expect to create a masterpiece
I admittedly still struggle with this one, even though it should be a no-brainer. Most workshops are
more about the process than the final product. Let yourself get lost in the process and don’t worry
about whether you finish or whether you create something pretty. You learn as much from your failures as you do from your successes, so use your class time to experiment and take risks and push yourself under the guidance of someone who knows more than you. This can lead to really fantastic conversations with both your instructor and classmates, and their insights into what works and what doesn’t
(and why) are invaluable. Sometimes a failure is just one tweak away from something that works amazingly well and is exciting and new.
PAGE 15
Be yourself
Your instructor has a distinct style and so do you. You are not there to learn how to imitate your instructor.
Yes, they will share their knowledge and insight about what they do and their process, but at the end of the
day, you’ve got to be you. The challenge is to figure out how to take their style and their teachings and use
them to enhance your voice and vision.
Get what you need
This will apply more to some readers than others, but since it’s wholly
applicable to me, I figured I’d include it in the list. I am quiet and introverted and I shy away from attention. Consequently, in class I keep my
head down and quietly go about my business, and am reluctant to ask
questions. The more classes I take, the more I realize that this is a terrible
approach. Any one-on-one interaction you have with your instructor is
incredibly precious and valuable, so don’t be afraid to ask questions when
you have them or to call the instructor over when you’re stuck or want to
sound out an idea. Of course, it goes without saying that you shouldn’t
hog the instructor’s attention—always be respectful and mindful of your
Modern expression with Maestro
Verdiano Marzi (Chicago Mosaic School) classmates.
Learn from your peers
It’s easy to get totally focused on and immersed in what you’re creating, but
don’t forget to get up occasionally and take a spin around the room to see
what your classmates are up to. The diversity of work in a class never ceases
to amaze me. Everyone has a unique perspective and way of incorporating
what you’re all learning, and it can be very enlightening to see what other
people are creating—the challenges they’re running up against and their solutions to those problems, their individual process (including everything from
cutting materials to figuring out a plan of attack for their mosaic), and their
artistic vision. Even if your class is made up of really different skill / experience
levels, there’s still lots of peer-to-peer learning to be had. Obviously beginners
can learn from their more advanced peers, but more seasoned mosaicists can
also learn from beginners, who have the benefit of ‘fresh eyes.’
What lies beneath our feet
with Rachel Sager (Touchstone
Center for Crafts)
Embrace how you feel
There is no right way to feel during a workshop. I’ve had classes where I feel like I’m on top of the world and
things just feel right and effortless (case in point: my time in Rachel Sager’s class). But I have also had classes
where I feel like I’m struggling and am consumed by anxiety and self-doubt (example: Verdiano Marzi’s class).
This is normal. Feeling unsettled in a class is not an indication that you’re doing something wrong or that
you’re failing. And grinning ear to ear and feeling like everything is just clicking doesn’t in any way mean that
you’re not pushing yourself or learning anything. You feel how you feel and it’s all part of the experience and
the emotional rollercoaster that is artistic growth. I’m sure there are plenty of other words of wisdom about
how to approach a mosaic workshop, but these are the ones that I’ve learned the hard way and wish someone
had told me before I started.
Julie Sperling
See more of Julie’s work at www.sperlingmosaics.com
PAGE 16
Feature: Presenting your work
View from the other side
The MAANZ national show, like many other art shows, is now juried which is a new experience for
some MAANZ members. As a practising artist and a sometime judge and juror, these are some
insights from behind the scenes. And a disclaimer as I duck for cover – these are my personal
opinions and experiences.
Definitions
Open show – a show where everyone whose work fits the show’s criteria – eg: size weight, media
will get in. However, “open” is sometimes used to refer to a show with no theme, so you can have
a juried show with an open theme. Next year’s MAANZ national show is a case in point.
Juried show – a show where the works are selected by a jury or selection committee. Sometimes
referred to as a selective show. By its very nature, not everyone gets in.
Finalist – if you get into a juried show, you are a finalist.
Judge/s – this is the person or people who award the places: 1st, 2nd, highly commended etc. In
juried shows, they may or may not be the same people as the jury.
The judging/jurying process
I know it doesn’t always feel like it from the perspective of the entrant but, in my experience,
great lengths are usually taken to make the process as fair, as objective and as transparent as possible, usually using independent judges or jurors that are not members of the host organisation.
Usually works are looked at “blind”, that is without knowing the identity of the artist. As a judge
or juror, often you don’t get the title or the artist statement either, so all you have is the piece in
front of you. Obviously, if you know the mosaic art scene, you sometimes recognise a particular
piece but the idea is not to let it influence the decision.
So how is it done?
Marian
Shapiro offers
her perspective on entering work in
selective
shows.
It varies. Shows can have a theme, in which case you look at how well the works reflect the
theme. Other issues that come into play are technical aspects such as cutting, andamento, tonal
contrast, etc. Other considerations might be; does the artist clearly have a vision or a concept or
an intent, and how well has that been followed through? Is the work original or innovative? Does
the work have a distinctive voice or is it derivative? Often the aim is to put a show together that
reads well, and is varied and interesting. What it’s not about is personal taste. I’ve given awards
to pieces I didn’t like, but they were good pieces and worked for that particular show. When I’ve
been on a panel, everyone usually works independently and consults at the end. Sometimes, on a
panel, you give a numeric score and the scores are added together to arrive at the final selection.
Important stuff
I can’t stress enough how important it is to read, and then follow, the brief for whatever you are
entering. It’s there for a reason: to provide a coherent show for the viewing public for instance, to
celebrate an event, or for other practical purposes such as the size or nature of the venue.
If you are going to the time, trouble and expense to enter a show, it makes sense to give the work
the best chance possible of getting in and not enter work which is clearly outside the criteria and
likely to fall at the first hurdle. Entering shows is emotionally hard so why make it even harder?
Feature: Presenting your work
PAGE 17
So, if it says “original work”, a copy of a famous painting won’t make it. A show specifying mosaic
mixed media might accept a piece that is all stained glass plus one millefiori, but it’s unlikely to win any
prizes. A show that says maximum size 12” x 12” won’t take something that is 14” x 14”. If the brief
says that late entries won’t be accepted, they won’t be. The finished work should be clean and stable,
so no grout or adhesive where grout or adhesive shouldn’t be, unless you are submitting a postmodern take on the nature of grout or adhesive.
More of the important stuff
Nowadays, jurying and judging is usually done by digital photograph. Many shows specify size and resolution for photographs and this is so that the jurors can get the best view of your piece when they see
it on a computer monitor or project it onto a screen. Sometimes the photo specifications have been
arrived at to give the best reproduction for a catalogue. In shows juried in by photo, a bad photo will
usually not make the first cut. The jury will be looking at possibly hundreds of photos to whittle down
the entries. If one comes up which doesn't allow them to see the piece properly, then it will go no further. The nature of the process means that the jury will pass on that piece because it simply doesn't
give enough information to make an informed decision.
Photographs
If I put my work forward I want to show it to its best advantage. I certainly don’t want it to be rejected
because the photo is either not good enough for the jury to see the piece properly or because it
doesn’t meet the specifications. If it’s going to be rejected I want it to be about the quality of the work
not the quality of the photo.
Photographing mosaics well is difficult. It really pays to have a decent camera and learn how to use it
properly, or know someone who does, or be prepared to pay a professional to do it for you. It’s generally OK to do a little bit of photo editing to straighten things up, sharpen focus or ensure that the colour is true but in the end the photo really needs to look like the work and give as much information as
possible to the jury. So in focus, glare free, true to colour, no shadows over the work, etc. See Lea
Kannar’s article in this emag for some very useful tips. Many shows reserve the right not to display
work or withdraw awards if the work received is significantly different from the photograph submitted
and there is a good reason for that.
And finally
It takes guts to put your work out there and enter something and it’s really hard not to take rejection
personally. Most juries don’t give feedback, which is frustrating for the artist, but would be impossible
in terms of time, not to mention potential angst. If I want to be taken seriously, then I must act seriously. In show terms, this means reading the brief and following it to the letter, submitting decent
photographs and other materials, managing my expectations and (the difficult bit) being adult about
the outcomes. Easier said than done, but I try to assume I won’t get in, so that I am pleased if I do.
As a frequent entrant to juried shows, the one thing I am sure of is that you can never second guess a
jury. I don’t know who else has entered, what the standard is, or how my work fits in with other entries. What I want to be confident of is that I have given myself the best chance I can in terms of trying
to meet the brief and in the quality of my photos. For what it’s worth, I have had work rejected for one
show that has gone on to win first prize in a different show. You really never can tell.
Marian Shapiro
www.dariandesign.com.au
State Reps Reports
PAGE 18
NSW - Caitlin Hughes
Sydney Royal Easter Show
Don’t forget about the Sydney Royal Easter Show Arts
and Crafts Competition coming up in March – April 2015. We had a large number
of mosaic entries last year with almost 40 entries over
2D Mosaics, 3D Mosaics and Kids Mosaics. Online entries close 21st January 2015.
Download the schedule from www.sydneyroyal.com.au/artscrafts.htm
Christmas Gathering
Earlier this month 20+ MAANZ members and friends gathered at Studio
Noula for our NSW Branch Christmas Gathering. We all enjoyed entertainment by band Version Territory between ducking bolts of lightening,
flash floods and huge claps of thunder as has been the norm in NSW for
the past month. We enjoyed a BBQ and a few drinks in Noula's delightful
garden before heading inside to cover and for a Creative Cris Cringle and
more mosaic chat.
It is always so lovely to get together,
share ideas and mosaic news.
In Noula’s lovely garden
Looking back over 2014
We have had a busy year. We started with a mountains gathering in March sharing lunch and working on our current pieces. This was a lovely day with no particular intention other then The band, Version Territory
to be together, chat and mosaic. We are looking to repeat this
in early 2015.
April saw many members enter the Sydney Royal Easter Show Arts and Crafts Competition. A large
group attended the Arts Review Night and a keen group of hard workers volunteered to run a
MAANZ demonstration stand. Over the day we had over 200 people through our stall making mini
mosaic Easter Eggs. We also had the opportunity to talk to a huge changing crowd of people about
MAANZ and mosaics in general as well as conducting several demonstrations throughout the day.
PAGE 19
In March we began preparing for our NSW Branch Exhibition Surface Play. The exhibition encouraged artists to
incorporate smalti into their pieces so we by holding
some smalti demonstration days. These events were very
popular and demonstrated how keen our members are
to extend their skills and knowledge.
Mosaics at the Easter Show
Noula offered an opportunity for learning at her studio in
June with a Mini Workshop focusing on portraiture in
mosaics.
In August we enjoyed a fabulous day visiting Hazelhurst Regional Gallery to view their mosaic exhibition and enjoy lunch at the Gallery Café. It was such a delightful venue and fantastic to see such a
large-scale mosaic exhibition.
October was the highlight of our year
with the Branch Exhibition Surface Play
at Gaffa Gallery in Sydney. Our exhibition coordinator Inge Gardner worked
tirelessly with a team of helpers to endure the exhibition was professional in
every way. Thanks again to our sponsors
of this exhibition – Mosaico, Smalti Australia, and Mosaic Magic who along with
MAANZ contributed to significant prizes
for our deserving winners.
Opening night at Surface Play
Looking forward to next year, our eyes
are fixed on the upcoming symposium
and all it has to offer. We are so lucky to
have such a fabulous team of coordinators who are all working hard to ensure
this symposium will be a great success.
Caitlin
State Reps Reports
QLD - Barbara Humphreys
PAGE 20
Fused Christmas Decorations Workshop
Our last branch workshop for the year was a lot of fun, creating beautiful
glass Christmas decorations. The workshop was held at the Creative Glass
Guild of Queensland in Red Hill, Brisbane and was facilitated by MAANZ
member, Chris Bell, with Glass Guild member, Kate Ritchie, assisting.
The day’s goal for each of us was to create a snowflake,
a draped glass decoration and, from lots of samples provided, as many decorations as our glass supply could fit
onto a strip of kiln shelf paper. The results were amazing even before the decorations were fired in the kilns.
There were Christmas trees, snowmen, santas, angels,
candles, snowflakes and even a some Christmas fish, a
cat and a penguin. The ideas were limitless.
Thank you to Chris and Kate
for sharing their knowledge
and skill. We headed home
wanting to make more as
we had had such a good
time. When fired, the decorations were beautiful and no
doubt some of them found
their way into Christmas
stockings this year.
Helen and Diane
Glenys Bev and Carol
Kym’s decorations
Helen’s decorations
State Reps Reports
PAGE 21
Queensland Branch Christmas Break-up
As is Queensland Branch tradition, our last function for the year was our Christmas break-up held
at Barbara and David Humphreys’ home in Maleny. The drive up to Maleny, on the Blackall
Range in the hinterland west of the Sunshine Coast, is a pleasant one and the temperature at the
“top of the hill” is a little cooler than Brisbane or on the coast.
Enjoying the Christmas break-up
Everyone contributed to a magnificent luncheon spread – we seem to get better and better each
year in the food department! Thanks to all who contributed to our growing waistlines!
There was lots of fun and laughter during our Secret Santa present giving with Glenys Fentiman in
the Ms Santa role ably assisted by her elves, Barbara, Mary and Coady.
With the mosaic year at its end, it is time to thank everyone who contributed to events this year,
whether as participants in workshops, attendees at meetings, workshop tutors or volunteers at
our exhibition. A special thanks to Glenys, Kym, Tammy and David, our Queensland Branch Committee, for their constant support. And thank you to all Queensland members who keep in touch
and love to hear of the Branch activities.
To all our MAANZ mosaic friends and family, we hope your Christmas was a happy time and that
2015 is a great year for you all. Happy mosaicing!
Barbara
State Reps Reports
PAGE 22
SA - Luna Parrish
End of Year Party
We were blessed with a lovely warm spring afternoon for our casual end-of-year
get-together on a Sunday afternoon in late November. Local member Jane Silk
provided us the use of her beautiful six acre property in the Adelaide Hills and conditions were just
perfect for a relaxed al fresco lunch, with spectacular views and surrounded by trees and native
birds.
About 18 members attended but it was pleasing to see that many partners and husbands
also came, making for a reasonable crowd of
25 or so. Just as well, because there was a lot
of food! Jane gave people a tour of the gardens, as well as a sneaky peak at Mick’s prized
collection of lovingly restored vintage motorcycles. What a privilege. Thanks Jane and Mick – I
hope we didn’t leave you with too much of a
mess!
Lunch against the beautiful backdrop of the Adelaide Hills
Chris Hermann Memorial Mosaic
Working on the mosaic
Way back in January 2014 (it doesn’t seem like it was
11 months ago!), a small but enthusiastic bunch of
MAANZ SA members met to start on a special project
– a mosaic to commemorate the life of Chris Hermann. Chris was a sales representative extraordinaire at the Eco Tile Factory. He was kind, helpful
and a mine of useful information about all kinds of
products that a mosaic artist, novice or expert, might
be interested in. Chris suddenly and unexpectedly
passed away in July 2013 and is sadly missed. The
design we used for the mosaic was based on one by
Chris himself – at the time he died he was working on
a cross-stitch version .
It took us a while to get everything organised, but we were finally
able to present the completed mosaic to staff at the Eco Tile Factory recently on 3rd December. They were very pleased to receive it
and managing director Deb Lavis, had this to say:
Presenting the mosaic
State Reps Reports
PAGE 23
“Dear Luna and All
Thank you for quite the most beautiful and thoughtful mosaic you gave us today in memory of Chris.
We love every part of it and it continues to inspire our great memories of him. It will hang in a place
for all to see with a story to share with others.
On behalf of us all please could you pass on our deep appreciation and thanks to all involved.
I look forward to working with you all next year to continue to build our relationship with your association and share in the legacy left by Chris.
Warm regards
Deb and all at Eco Tile”
You can go and see the mosaic for yourself at the Eco Tile Factory, 180-188 Grote Street, Adelaide.
Thanks to those members who generously contributed their time and good energy to this project:
Deanna Kernick, Jenny Allport, Ella Baume-Maynard, Rex Jacobs, Christine de Brenni
2015 Schedule
The SA Branch committee has its first meeting of the new year on Monday 19th January. We have a
few events already in the pipeline but we are always keen to hear your suggestions for activities
that you are interested in. If you would like to contribute or volunteer to host/coordinate an event,
please email your ideas to the state rep sarep@maanz.org before Sunday 11th January.
Upcoming Events
February 2015: Workshops with visiting NSW artist Marian Shapiro
17th & 18th – Working with Smalti, 9 am – 5 pm both days. Members $250; non-members $300.
19th – Understanding Andamento (theory), 9am – 4 pm. Members $150; non-members $175.
Venue for both workshops: Barossa Regional Gallery, 3 Basedow Road, Tanunda. Participants wishing to travel up from Adelaide and stay in the Barossa can be billeted to save on accommodation
costs. Please contact the state rep for more details at sarep@maanz.org
Booking deadline is 31st January 2015.
March 2015: Campbelltown Moonlight Market
Friday 6th March, 6pm – 10 pm
Thorndon Park, Hamilton Terrace, Paradise.
This is the last of the summer outdoor evening markets run by the Campbelltown Council. Markets
are very popular with locals and well attended, thus we have chosen this month to do some MAANZ
promotional work and to offer members the opportunity to sell small items and promote classes,
etc. Members can submit up to 6 mosaics. There will be a selection process and a limit on the number of pieces that can be displayed. Please bear in mind that market buyers are generally looking
for low cost and easily portable items.
For more information, please contact the state rep. sarep@maanz.org Entries close Friday 27th
February 2015.
Luna
State Reps Reports
TAS - Sue Leitch
PAGE 24
MAANZ Tasmania State Exhibition: Piece by Piece
We will be holding a State Exhibition in March 2015 and will be inviting people to submit their mosaic art. Entry forms will be available
soon in the New Year, but start planning now!
Where: Kingston Beach Arts Hub Gallery, 20 Beach Rd Kingston Beach, 7050
http://www.kingstonbeachart.com.au/
When: March 17th – 21st 2015. Opening hours will depend on responses to our volunteer
requests.
Who: This event is open to both MAANZ members and non members. Members will receive a discount on entry fees. More information available with the registration form in the
early January State newsletter. We would love to receive your entry and encourage you to
get your mosaic friends involved who may not be members.
We are currently finalising information with the gallery and will send through more information in January.
We have the gallery booked for the week, so will be setting up on Monday 16th March and
packing up on the Sunday 22nd. We will have a special opening night event with more details
available soon. We will need volunteers to assist with gallery sitting duties and if you are interested and available to help please let me know at tasrep@maanz.org
Kaye’s European Tour
Kaye Gilhooly had plenty to keep us entertained when members in Tasmania met in November, so much so that we rescheduled to
get together in December to see some more.
Kaye travelled to Europe for the northern summer and showed us photos and information
from both Maison Picassette in Chartres, and
the Tarot Gardens in Tuscany. Both of these
sites are exciting mosaic sites in Europe and
Kaye gave us our own tour through her photos.
She had some great detail shots to give a good
feel for these fantastic mosaic destinations.
Kaye Gilhooley
PAGE 25
Kaye continued her presentation just before Christmas at her beautiful home full of colour and of course
mosaics. We finished our tour of the Tarot Gardens
and there was lots of inspiration for Christina and
Francis for their mosaic garden project at Geeveston.
Festive cake from Patricia
.
Kaye leading discussion on tesserae style at the
Tarot Gardens
Sue
Books food and wine to inspire
PAGE 26
State Reps Reports
VIC - Bev Plowman
End of Year Celebrations
Victorian MAANZ finished the year with a lovely time socialising and having
a nibble or two and a celebratory drink. We had a swap and sell market and
raffles. The festive season is definitely here.
A feast
Discussions
Chatting
State Exhibition
We are now gearing up for our exhibition in February at Monstsalvat. Details will be on the
MAANZ website.
A big thank you, to the Victorian Committee for all their hard work and support during the year.
Wishing all our members, family and friends a very happy festive season and a fun, creative,
healthy New Year.
Bev
State Reps Reports
PAGE 27
WA - Dorothy Burke
Looking back
2014 has been a very busy and productive year for MAANZ WA. We welcomed seven new members increasing our membership to 54.
We enjoyed:
 Three workshops
 Six social mosaic days
 Participated in three community events to promote MAANZ and coordinated one school
community mosaic project.
 Took MAANZ to the country on two occasions – Open Garden Day in Gingin and a day as
guests of the Bindoon Arts and Craft Society.
 Had our first mosaic retreat and hosted Marian Shapiro as our visiting artist.
Christmas barbecue
Visit to Bindoon
Tempered glass workshop
We ended the year with a workshop on creating substrates using fibreglass mesh, thinset and
polystyrene. This was followed in early December with our Christmas function. More than 20
members and their guests enjoyed a delicious bbq lunch in the beautiful garden of Philomena
Masters. It was a wonderful way to end a terrific year.
State Reps Reports
PAGE 28
Looking forward
We will start 2015 with the installation of the Tree of Life mosaic at Glen Forrest kindergarten
and a return visit from Marian Shapiro who will present two workshops in February.
13 February - One day technical course in the indirect method.
Learn two different methods of making mosaics with a flat surface, particularly suitable for tables, floors, etc.
14/15 February - Texture and Light. Make an ungrouted mixed media piece using the direct
method with cement-based adhesive.
Expressions of interest are now invited and places will be reserved on a first come basis. Pat
Manger will be coordinating the arrangements for these workshops, so please let her know if you
would like to reserve a place. patandhorst@bigpond.com
A safe and happy Christmas from Western Australian members.
Dorothy
Contributions Welcome
We welcome contributions to this e-mag. If you would like to write a book review, contribute to tips and tricks
etc or have a project of interest to MAANZ members, please contact the editor at mshapiro@dariandesign.com.au
The eMag goes out every two months. MAANZ reserves the right to edit for style, clarity, space or other
reasons.
PAGE 29
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PAGE 30
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PAGE 31
Contact Us
President:
president@maanz.org
Newsletter Editor:
mshapiro@dariandesign.com.au
Visit us on the web at www.maanz.org
Our mailing address is:
Mosaic Association of Australia & NZ
747 Darling Street Rozelle
Sydney, New South Wales 2039, Australia
© MAANZ and the original authors. Not to be reproduced in any form without permission.
Welcome to New Members
Meg Bishop
Ruth McLauchlan
Christine Ey
Vanessa Hearnden
Karen Hollands
Suzanne McKay
Marilla Ormerod
Shirley Abel
Jan Joustra
Merrilyn Langford
Noelene Trenorden
Heather Vollans
NSW
NSW
SA
SA
SA
SA
SA
Tas
Vic
Vic
WA
Canada
The MAANZ Team
Executive Committee
President & Public Officer: Noula Diamantopoulos
Vice President: Pamela Irving
Treasurer: David Lacey
Secretary: Jean Smullen
Branch Reps
New South Wales: Caitlin Hughes
Victoria: Bev Plowman
Queensland: Barbara Humphreys
South Australia: Luna Parrish
Western Australia: Dorothy Burke
Tasmania: Sue Leitch
New Zealand: Christine MacKenzie
Committee Appointees
2015 Symposium Co-ordinator: Maria Kokkoris
Members Database Administrator: Laima Gascoigne
National Education Officer: Liz Fitzpatrick
Newsletter Editor: Marian Shapiro
30:30 Exhibitions Co-ordinator: Position Vacant
Community Works Officer: Position Vacant
Committee Members
David Humphreys
Cetta Pilati
Kathryn Portelli
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