A Mosaic of Ideas About Life, Art & Superfluous Adornment.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Make Your Love Felt

“The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass

 through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape

 parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. 

But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are

 scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come

 along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique

 talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because

 we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we

 underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word a

 listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of 

caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around. It’s

 overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there


 are to make our love felt.” 
 Leo Buscaglia
 Missing my dad and brother who both fulfilled these opportunities countless times...
And sending positive thoughts to my father-in-law, another compassionate fellow, who is in the hospital. Bless you, Pop.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Sweetest Days









"I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which 

anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but 

just those that bring simple little pleasures,

 following one another softly,

 like pearls slipping off a string." 

So many wonderful things take place at A Work of Art Studio. It seems like the perfect, visually stimulating place for a gathering of creative ladies to play their weekly bridge game; one of which is my Mom. I can sense my dad's happy spirit in house on these Thursday's. Two of these amazing women are over 90 years in age. We should all be so lucky to have such active brains at that age.

 Here is a panoramic view of the game.



 Luminary watches over all the proceedings at the studio.
There is a picture puzzle in place for any who would take the time to put a few pieces together.
If you want to stimulate your brain with an art class, check out the "studio schedule" link @

Monday, April 9, 2012

Discover New Art Classes!


"The details make life holy.
 If you want a little happiness in life 
don’t forget to look at the little things. 

It is a poet’s work to see the incidental, pluck it, 
place an appropriate silence around both sides and see the profound in what passes for a passing moment. 

It is an artist’s job to as much discover art as create it. 
Prayer is a way of making the common profound by pausing, tying knots around a moment, turning our life into a string of pearls." 

— Noah Ben Shea






Monthly Kids’ Art Class with Molly Moblo Perusse
    Starting Tuesday, May 1st. 1st-5th grades from 3:30-4:30pm. $10. ea.
6th grade and up from 5-6:30pm. $12.- each. Will be working on a 
variety of mixed media projects.   This class: Nail and String Art!
  RSVP and payment ahead required.
    
Mosaic Fish Sculpture Class with Molly Moblo Perusse.
 Learn how to make a basic sculpture wire frame, 
harden it with plaster gauze and cement,
 and cover with mosaic tesserae. Class will be extensive, 
as long as it takes to finish sculptures.
 Every Thursday night starting May 10, until we are finished. 
Materials included. Cost: $85.- RSVP required.
Art Journaling/ Mixed Media Class with Molly Moblo Perusse:
 Molly’s latest journaling project.
Art journaling/ Mixed Media class with Molly Moblo Perusse. 
Explore your creative thought process by getting it down on paper, with your own thoughts or quotes. Class will be 2 sessions, Saturday, April 14, and Saturday, April 21, 11 am- 2 pm. $40.-, includes materials. RSVP required.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

The Labor of Creation

"The artist seeks contact with his intuitive sense of the gods,
 but in order to create his work, 
he cannot stay in this seductive and incorporeal realm. 
He must return to the material world in order to do his work. 

It's the artist's responsibility to balance mystical communication and the labor of creation." 
 Patti Smith






Last week here in Lakeview was the school's Spring break and so I decided to try having kid's classes all week to give the kids something to do. It was very successful and fun, lots of spring and Easter activities. Our first project was a mixed media picture with a woven bird's nest, cut branch, painted egg and bird and springy quote. Here is Trent's masterpiece.


 "Hold fast to dreams, 
For if dreams die 
Life is a broken-winged bird, 
That cannot fly." 
Here is Nathan's work.
"Early bird 
Oh, if you’re a bird, be an early bird 
And catch the worm for your breakfast plate. 
If you’re a bird, be an early bird— 
But if you’re a worm, sleep late." 

And Madison's.
She took several of the quote choices and made her own verse:) 
She also cut a heart in her branch; a very creative student.



Here is Amelia's work, she made her very own verse!

Madison used this verse:
"Thanks for this day, for all birds safe in their nests, for whatever this is, for life." 


Here are all the girls' with their great mixed media art!


These are eggs made from "gluing" tissue paper to clear contact paper with an egg frame, very pretty on the window.
Trent was so ahead of the game I decided to have him try his hand at making a mosaic. This was his first day and his own pattern. 

Here it is finished with gluing.

Here is his Mom waiting in the salon's comfy pedicure chair for him to finish grouting:)

Wiping clean after grouting.

Finished masterpiece!!! He did in 3 days what most clients take 4-8 days to complete.
Great job, Trent!


The last two days were spent creating a "Peeps" Topiary. We glued fabric to a terra-cotta pot, added cardboard circles and florist's foam to hold up the ball, painted the stick, and made the ears from a white  pipe cleaner and pink tissue paper centered between two layers of clear packing tape. They are fun to bend !
                                          Peeps are darn sticky! We used gumdrops for filler.
 Here is Kadren helping daughter Suzanne with her yummy job!
The last craft was a small egg mosaic where the kids used beads and glass (they had a quick lesson on how to cut bits of stained glass). Here is Gwen helping her son.



Cora's masterpiece, a bunny mosaic!


                                                                 Posing with topiaries!
What fun we all had! Thanks for attending and we shall see what next year's Spring Break classes will bring.

Future kids classes will be posted on the "Studio Schedule" section of my website: