Mosaic Oasis News - call us at 781-316-1667

Mosaic Oasis “Regular” Goes World-Wide with Eyes of Nepal Mosaic Project

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:59:50 +0000

"Eye'm Watching Over You"

Glynda Benham and the EYES OF NEPAL MOSAIC PROJECT

Studio regular, Glynda Benham, recently took the class with the internationally renowned British mosaic artist Martin Cheek here at Mosaic Oasis. During the weekend she discovered that Martin has been to Nepal to teach mosaics under the auspices of the UK-based Esther Benjamins Trust (EBT) which rescues Nepalese children who have been trafficked or displaced into India and are subjected to appalling treatment and living conditions. The trust offers refuge and rehabilitation to rescued children and also supports education and vocational training initiatives for young hearing impaired people.

Martin and another mosaic artist created the “Eyes of Nepal” project to raise funds for EBT. More than 100 mosaic artists are creating 10 inch square mosaics incorporating Martin’s fused glass eyes, that will be permanently displayed in a hotel in Kathmandu. When she found out about the project, Glynda knew she wanted to be a part of it, because her daughter has lived in Kathmandu for over two years and she has visited the country, but the challenge was, she only had a short period of time in which to finish the piece because it needed to be in London by May 1st. Glynda's mosaic, shown above, is entitled “Eye’m Watching Over You” and was created in just under two weeks using Italian smalti, vitreous glass, turquoise, assorted beads, crystals, pebbles and raku, and is inspired by a lizard’s eye which has incredible detail when viewed at high magnification.

Each of the mosaics is being sponsored with all of the proceeds going to support EBT’s Bhairahawa Art Workshop in southwest Nepal.

If you would like to sponsor Glynda's mosaic, donations of any size, large or small, can be made online through:

http://www.justgiving.com/EYESOFNEPAL

Please note in the message box that your donation is for Glynda's mosaic, also note you are donating in British Pounds so a 20 pound donation is approximately $32.

If you would like to read more about the Eyes of Nepal project or the Esther Benjamins Trust, here are some other links:

Esther Benjamin’s Trust: http://www.ebtrust.org.uk/

Eyes of Nepal Program: http://www.ebtrust.org.uk/news/eyes_of_nepal2012.html

YouTube video of Martin teaching the children: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZivmQxB9jU

Eyes of Nepal Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/eyesofnepal/

Happy Spring!

admin — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:22:29 +0000

Think Spring – Mosaic Workshops:

Thursday, April 26th and Friday. April 27th – House Number Plaques …sign up to start working on a beautiful address plaque for your home. We will lead you through the steps and get you going and then you work at your own pace. Class 6:30 – 9 pm

Wednesday, May 23rd and Friday, May 25th – Mosaic Planters… make a colorful flower pot to adorn your home or garden! Class 6:30 pm – 9 pm

Click "Upcoming Mosaic Workshops" for details

Mid-Winter Blues? Not This Year!!

admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:01:31 +0000

We leapt into February this year with relief as the mild weather continued. No winter blues this year and one extra day to enjoy on February 29th! Now we are thinking ahead to March and the official welcome to Spring. As always, some beautiful mosaics were made by our wonderful clientele..

Taste of Mosaics Newest Gallery – February 2012

admin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 23:07:16 +0000

Happy New Year 2012 !

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:40:07 +0000

Wall Plaque by Diane

Here at the Oasis we are excited about the new year and are looking forward to some upcoming classes that we hope you will partake in. For starters we are running another session of our very successful class, Mosaic Art Design, starting on January 7th and running for four consecutive weeks on Wednesdays and Saturdays.We will then run it again later in the Spring through the Arlington and Lexington Community Education courses. (see "Classes" on our blog page and scroll down for a description).

December saw many of you in gift making mode and some really beautiful pieces of art were created! Hopefully you are now ready to make a mosaic for yourself! And remember that winter is a great time for an indoor project and we can help you get started designing and translating your next project into a mosaic masterpiece. Maybe you have a fireplace surround that calls for some color or are planning a renovation and want to see your own art put right into the walls. We can help you at every step of the way…

December – a Time to Reflect on a Year of Mosaics

admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 02:13:59 +0000

One of the wonderful things about running a mosaic studio is that even though this is a business, we really enjoy getting to know our customers, and having our customers connect with each other. Over time we become friends, which is one of the side benefits of having this studio and coming to this studio, it is a great way to make new friends and expand your circle. But most of all we are really pleased that you found the art of mosaics and that it has influenced your life in ways big and small. We really enjoy assisting all of you in creating beautiful mosaic pieces and are amazed at how different each one turns out. So, thank you for patronizing Mosaic Oasis, you really make opening up in the morning a pleasure, and we really hope that you will continue in the coming year to find time in your life for art – it really makes a difference!! We have inserted into this post some new pieces of art done by Betsy and Suzanne – unfortunately I cannot figure out how the caption works so I will list them here – the first is a pebble mosaic mirror done by Betsy, the second is a round mirror done in Grecian style by Suzanne, the third is a family crest done as a custom order by Betsy, the fourth is an art panel done by Suzanne, a view of Boston from Hull, and the last is a mirror made by Betsy using Raku pottery . You can click on any of the images to get a larger view.

We are so pleased with the mosaics that you create – here is a small sampling of some of your latest masterpieces!! Jeanna created this Fleur-de-Lis in our Mosaic Art Design class, one of our most popular classes. First time mosaic artists create beautiful art panels that are suitable for hanging and admiring. Sue was inspired by her work with fabric and designed this colorful abstract panel.

Kai used the colors of a pomegranate as the focus for his art panel, and we think he got it just right!! Lei-Sanne followed the delicately curved lines of a four leaf clover and used smalti to make a beautiful wall hanging for her daughter. The Mosaic Art Design class can be taken before or after the Mosaic Taster class which is our basic introductory class. The next Mosaic Art Design class is scheduled for January, Anne used some of the traditional Roman techniques in her Celtic Knot. design and we think it looks terrific. Barbara used the very popular and colorful subject of a fish as her first mosaic and we can tell her fish has loads of character And last but certainly not least, Gate's semi-abstract autumn scene is calming, soothing, and beautiful all at the same time!!

Thank you all for joining our Mosaic Art Design Class and we look forward to seeing you again soon!!

Thanks to All Who Participated in Our Student Show!!

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:24:19 +0000

We had participation by over 35 artists and a very well attended showing on both Friday and Saturday. Some of the highlights:

Most intricate and quite beautiful – Arabesque Table by Glynda Benham and Geometric Mirror and Cube Trivet by Nick Sargent

Best Use of Found Objects – Garden Ball by Anne Kelly Contini

Summertime fun – Watermelon Table by Liz Clayton

Most Soothing to look at – Georgie O'Keefe by Amy Ellentuck

Most cheerful to look at – Pot of Flowers by Nancy Baratta

Most Glitzy – Round and Round by Jessica Gusar

Mirror many would like for their own home – Maine Mirror by Terry Bromfield

And last by not least…….most commented of all the pieces (drum roll here) ….."Fore!" and "Tennis Anyone??" by Solomon Owayda!!

See Below for a complete listing of all the participants – thank you again!!

MOSAIC OASIS CLIENT ART SHOW – SEPTEMBER 2011

Wall Hangings

Cardinal – Tracey Gresser

Cattails, Cat Tales, Cattell’s – Colleen Kirby Cho

Georgia O’Keefe – Amy Ellentuck

Guitar – Juliette

Jerusalem – Judi Bohn

Macaw – Mimi Ellentuck

Mosaic Elle – Kelly Harrington

Pot of Flowers – Nancy Baratta

Rooster – Marlene Talbot

Round & Round – Jessica Gusar

Seascape – Marybeth Connolly

Sicilian Doorway – Ann Baratta

Sleeping in the Bed of the Wild Boar – Colleen Kirby Cho

Tuscan Flowers – Gloria Vigliani

Tables –

Arabesque Table – Glynda Bentham

Leaf Table – Karen Edlund

Moroccan Tile Table – Anne Kelly Contini

Sunflower Table – Liz Clayton

Watermelon Table – Liz Clayton

Mirrors

Diamonds and Rust Mirror – Marlene Talbot

Geometric Tile Mirror – Nick Sargent

Maine Mirror – Terry Bromfield

Pebble Mirror – Judi Bohn

Small Round Mirror – Kelly Harrington

Triangular Field of Flowers Mirror – Paula Hobson

Victorian Mirror – Mary DeCourcey

Functional Items

Cubes Trivet – Nick Sargent

Found Items Garden Ball – Anne Kelly Contini

Purple Passion Trivet – Kate Loosian

Red and Gold Candle Holder – Heidi Star

Watermelon Trivet – Belle Brett

Wine and Cheese Tray – Ann Baratta

Various Trivets

Leisure Time Items (In a Category of It’s Own)

Golf Club and Ball – Solomon Owayda

Tennis Racquet – Solomon Owayda

Mosaic Oasis Student Art Show: September 30th & October 1st…

admin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:41:08 +0000

Please join us at the Mosaic Oasis for our first student art show to be held on Friday September 30th and Saturday October 1st.. All students are welcome to submit any piece done here at the Oasis since our opening in May 2010. Invite friends and family to show off your mosaic creations small or large. All are welcome so stop in to get inspiration and see what is possible even for the total beginner!! Please see our special events blog page for more details.

Mandala Table made by Amy

Panel by Marybeth Mirror by Nick

Endless summer….

admin — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:31:13 +0000

Summer is finally here in full and at the Oasis we are ready for the long, lazy days!

Since everyone is taking some vacation time, we thought we would join in and will subsequently be closed for a few days…. July 22, 23,24,and 25th. We will re-open on Wednesday, July 27th.

And what could possibly make the vacation even better? Mosaics, of course. Hope to see you at the National Mosaic Exhibition on Cape Cod which opens on July 20th to September 4th at Highfield Hall in Falmouth, MA. visit www.NationalMosaicExhibition.com to find out more about a great art show and upcoming workshops with master mosaic artists.

Need some mosaic ideas? We suggest a beautiful handmade flower pot for your deck, a nice "occasional" table, or a garden ball to name just a few seasonal effects.

Summer is a perfect time to take a class in our bright, sunny Studio. We offer day time classes as well as several evening classes while the light still remains. Check out our class schedule page above….

June is here…

admin — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:38:14 +0000

June is here and we are off to a summer start! Last weekend the studio was full as many came to make mosaic table tops. Porches and indoor spaces will come alive with these personal additions.

Summer is a great time to relax and get the creative juices flowing. Making a table of any size is rewarding and fun and you can even work on it outdoors if the spirit moves you. Contact us if you would like to design and make your own table large or small!

June is a time of celebrations and we have lovely gift ideas for all occasions…. what girl doesn't love/(hate) a mirror?? can't have too many picture frames for all those celebration photos! And what yard doesn't just crave a beautiful flower pot? Come browse our wide selection of gift ideas from jewelry to finished art, we have just the mosaic!

So stop in and start working on your summer project. We are available for commissions large and small if making your own is just not for you!! Happy Spring and welcome to summer.

Betsy & Suzanne