Been going through some rough waters emotionally as of late, BUT I decided to move forward and sign up for some classes this spring and summer at Chicago Mosaic School. Yes, it's a drive, and gas is $$, but this is the only non-profit art school in the world that specializes in mosaics. So actually, I feel it is fortuitous that it's within a drivable distance. I will be in for some late nights and some 16 hr days but I weighed the pros and cons and decided to put in the effort to move ahead with some of my interests no matter what the cost. Inertia and stagnation tend to creep up on me quite easily, so I am making a conscious effort to keep "trudging" even if I don't always feel like it. I have been making mosaics on my own for several years and am self-taught up to this point, but I am interested in getting some formal training, especially in color theory and design layout. If I could re-do my life, I probably would've gone to art school instead of pharmacy school. ahh well. i guess everyone wishes they could change some things. Some of us just tend to beat ourselves up about it more than others. Well, enough of regret and more of action.
This is the beautifully crafted sign that is located on the inside wall of the building. It is located on the near North Side right off of Damen/Irving Park Rd. Nice location on a dead-end with plenty of parking.
a small part of the storage space for tiles/glass/tesserae.
The grout and adhesive counter.
Saws and grinders.
Kitchen/break area.
Rest-room mirror and sink.
a smalti mosaic. made by one of the instructors I think.
And that's it for the pictures today. As beautiful as they are, it is always kind of frustrating to me that pictures of mosaics never do them justice. It is a completely different experience seeing a mosaic in person than seeing a photograph of it. I will keep posting pics of the projects we are working on and some other examples that are hanging around the school. Quite a few people ask me how I got started in it and why, and really, I don't know. I don't consciously remember making a decision to start...it just kind of naturally happened. Check out their website...they offer one-day classes, parties, etc. Reasonable prices. oh, by the way there is a permament exhibition of stained glass and mosaics at Navy Pier if you ever happen to be there. Also very cool.
and....song of the day is
No comments:
Post a Comment