Inspiration from found objects
This is a term used for ‘found objects’ is object trouve. Mosaic designs start from many sources; commissions, childhood memories, colours, or just the tiles themselves. Just recently I purchased some gorgeous velvet beetroot iridescent tiles from Bath mosaic supplies. For me this is like coveting a pair of high heel shoes. I HAD to have some! They have already been used in a Lazy Susan Plaice circle design.
So it is with this theme that I talk about three mosaics, created from using objet trouve.
Catenary – a piece of old nylon blue fishing rope discarded on the beach. This is from my cat series. A play on the words with cat in the title. My cat was a great prowler at the time. He was brown and fawn. The ginger tiles matched the blue rope that makes this mosaic sing. Catenary means a wire suspended from tow structures – a bit like a tight rope. I use this image for my ‘Night on the Tiles’ walk. He prowled the streets at night, elegant and composed.
Covid chameleon was made during the pandemic lock down. It started with finding a shell lying there discarded on the beach; when my daughter was younger we used to call them mermaids rings. This had the hole pierced in just the right direction to form a chameleon’s eye. The rainbow at the time was being used widely to represent the NHS and I decided that it would be a good metaphor for us all adapting to the new normal. Just like the chameleon.
And today I found an unusual pebble – a mixture of quartz and not sure what the other stone is – it will make a great eye. Watch this space. What will it be?
aberdabbadoo 