Time for a break...

Hello everyone,
It's that busy time of year, isn't it?  We are all looking forward to stopping and having a break.
I have made quite a few mosaics over the past months  - some of these..

and these .. 

...lots of these ..

and even a few of these .. 

to name but a few!

But it's all been good fun and I am very lucky that people seem to like what I do.  

Lots of plans for 2014 which I will share with you another time, but in the meantime, thank you SO much for your continued support, and happy Christmas!!

Felicity x

Mosaic sunflowers!

Here comes the sun ..... dodododooo!

I have been making mosaic sunflowers this week - they seem to be very popular all year round but especially at Christmas, because you can't go wrong with a sunflower, can you?!

I made this collage to cheer you all up on what is a dank day here in Bristol, UK!

This sunflower mosaic is for sale - £75 incl UKP&P - 30cm x 20cm - suitable for inside and out - do email me if you would like to buy it - felicityball@justmosaics.co.uk

Time out in Dartmouth, UK

We had a few days away to mark, and celebrate, our 15th wedding anniversary.

It's great to see new places and neither of us had been to Dartmouth, on the South Coast of England, before.

It was so lovely to see how unspoilt and eccentric it was - with nooks and crannies, unusual buildings and a local feel to it - independent shops, galleries and no restaurant chains!

We had some lovely tapas here !

Windows to the harbour

We walked around the headland to Dartmouth Castle and St. Petroc's Church

Ah - the moody sea!

.... and we were treated to some sun!

This piece of driftwood was just too big for one of my mosaics!

The beach at Slapton Sands a few miles down the coast - calm before the storm!

Regatta - a new mosaic inspired by our trip away!

As an artist, I am learning that you need times like this - to be inspired and give everything a good coat of looking - and Dartmouth fitted the bill perfectly!

Felicity x

P.S.  I am giving away this lovely daisy mosaic on my Facebook page - all you have to do is share my page on your page and you are entered! The draw will take place on Sunday Nov 3rd 2013 - do pop over and join in! www.facebook.com/justmosaics.co.uk

A rare chance to deliver a mosaic bench!

Hello, everyone!
What an exciting day yesterday - just wanted to share it with you!
It's not every day I get to deliver one of my mosaics in person, but we did yesterday, with this bench!

It is made from tanalised wood, is 1.8m x .4m and can be used inside or out - with a wipe clean surface, which is also a work of art!

We delivered it partly because I couldn't get a reasonable delivery price for a piece this big, but also because I put my heart and soul into making my mosaics and I wanted to see its new home and meet its new owners!
So we packed it carefully in the car - with Pip, our springer, of course - well, he wasn't going to miss out on the fun! - and off we went!

Pip wont be left behind!

I cant deliver all of my large mosaics - I wouldn't like to mislead you - but this wasn't too far away and seemed to be the best option all round!
My client's mother was there to take delivery of the bench, and showed us through to her lovely garden, where it was going to live ..

As the bench is heavy, we put it in the place her daughter wanted it to go ..

..before ... 

...and after!

Ta dah!  ....and there it is, in its new home!  They are both so delighted with it - and it means a great deal to me.

I received this lovely email from my client last night ..
'Hi Felicity,
A huge Thankyou!  I can't stop looking at it! Its absolutely beautiful, and incredibly comfortable to sit on.  You are very talented, and very kind to bring it all the way from Bristol
I'm going to put slabs underneath the legs to straighten it up, as the ground there is a bit humpy bumpy.  But it is stunning, and my brother is coming tomorrow, so mum can show it off!
Thankyou sooo much, for making it, I'm thrilled to bits!  I've never seen anything quite like it.
It really is amazing.'

So, a great day all round, and we found a lovely park to give Pip a walk in too!

If you are interested in ordering one of my benches or tables, do follow this link for more details - www.justmosaics.co.uk/furniture-gallery.php

How do you think the bench looks in its new home?  I would love to hear your thoughts!

Felicity x

PS It would be great to add to my noble band of followers, so do share my blog if you like it!

Just Mosaics studio update and sale

Hello,

The good news is that my small mosaic business is going from strength to strength - the bad news is that my lovely studio is getting a bit small ...

I would be so sad to move from here - it is just off the kitchen (main hub of the house) so when I am working I feel part of things but can get on, and the children can come and see me anytime - I can generally stop what I am doing, if needed!

The view from my work table is lovely - to the front of our house, so I see people walking past, friends pop in when they see me snipping away, watch the birds on the bird table, appreciate the flowers in the front bed, the tree we planted for our dearly departed dog, and so on...

All my music is set up in here, the computer, the phone, my thinking chair... - so as you can see, I really didn't want to move!

I set my husband to have a think - he is fab at DIY, thank goodness, and likes a project.  He decided more shelves were the answer, so everything has a place, a bit out of the way.  Now, unlike most artists, I can't work in a mess, so I liked this idea and this is what he built me over the weekend, and I couldn't be happier!
I can stay put - whoop whoop!

Before!  Holes filled in, wall sanded and ready for a lick of paint, before the shelves go up.

Ta dah - my lovely shelves!

After!  A place for everything!

I just like sitting in here and giving it all a good coat of looking - us mosaic artists don't get out much!!

Let me also tell you about my Facebook September studio sale - lots of lovely mosaics at great prices for you to have a browse through - I will be adding more during the week so keep a look out and see if something catches your eye, esp with Christmas coming up!  Click here for more - 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.380340765401886.1073741859.286173521485278&type=1

Hope this finds you all well,

Felicity x

Mosaic Kandinsky wall hanging finished!

Hello everyone,

The mosaic Kandinsky wall hanging is finished, and here it is in all its glory!

Very pleased with it - and in real life, the colours and textures are stunning!

It is 50cm x 160cm, and has been commissioned for a house in Devon, in which all the other walls are blank.

I will post pictures of it in situ when I have them.

What do you think?

Felicity x

Mosaic Kandinsky commission - update

Hello everyone,

I've been working hard on my Kandinsky commission and am loving using so many lovely colours!

I view each square as a little abstract mosaic work of art in itself.  Choosing the colour combinations and individual pattern is tricky - it just has to look right!  I change my mind frequently, but am happy with how it is looking now

1. Divide the board into squares - 24 in all! Start drawing the designs.

2. Choose the colours from the colour palette for the first square - ready to go - eek!

3.  Great to have started - love mixing the colours!

4. Small squares of abstract art - scrumptious nuggets of colour to uplift the soul!

So, all going well and I am really enjoying making it!

I will keep you posted, and blog about it again soon.

Do take a look at my website with the festive season coming up - I ship my mosaics all over the world but do give me enough time! Receive something you want this year!

Thanks,

Felicity
www.justmosaics.co.uk

Join me on my Variations commission journey- a mosaic inspired by Kandinsky.

Hello everyone,

Great news!

I have been commissioned to make a big Variations mosaic - inspired by Kandinsky

This is the Kandinsky that inspired my mosaics

It is always very exciting to have a new commission - especially making one of my favourite mosaics - it's the colours that always do it for me!

This is the mosaic that hangs in our kitchen - I wont part with it!

My clients came round with a swatch of their curtain, and after a long chat and coffee about nothing to do with mosaics, they chose some of tiles from my wide selection, to complement the curtains and to add some colour to their room.

The curtain material swatch

The tile colours chosen by my clients - lots to work with!

So, now to order the 19ml MDF - 60cm by 160cm - a whopper!

Follow me on my commission journey - here on my blog and on my Facebook page - facebook.com/justmosaics.co.uk

I will continue to take mosaic orders on my website during this commission so do have a look and see if anything catches your eye!
www.justmosaics.co.uk

See you soon,

Felicity x

Mosaic seascape wall sculptures - new work from Just Mosaics!

Hello everyone
I got really excited making these new mosaics-  see below!
I just knew from the moment I had the idea, I would like them.  And as I gathered all the materials together (tiles, driftwood, stones, glass etc ) and drew the wave shape for my husband to cut the MDF blocks, my heart started beating faster. I felt anxious to get on and see how they turned out.
I'm always on the look out for unusual tiles, for occasions such as these - when I can let my imagination run riot, as I think of the ever changing shapes, colours and tones of the sea, and try and reflect that in my mosaic.
The reaction to the Turquoise Seascape on my Facebook page has been great, but because I like them all so much, I feel that 'artist's angst' again about how they will go down when I put them up for sale  - I feel protective towards them already!
And then, what price?!  Always so difficult because I love to be busy and make mosaics for people, but each one of these takes at least four hours to make (and years of collecting!)
Anyway here they are - my mixed media seascape wall sculptures - available soon to order from my website www.justmosaics.co.uk or email me felicityball@justmosaics.co.uk
What do you think of them?  ....I can take it!
Felicity

Indigo mixed media wall sculpture - 15cm x 35cm - hangs like a picture - £45 incl UKP&P

Aquamarine mixed media wall sculpture - 15cm x 35cm - hangs like a picture - £45 incl UKP&P

Emerald mixed media wall sculpture - 15cm x 35cm - hangs like a picture - £45 incl UKP&P

Sky mixed media wall sculpture - 15cm x 35cm - hangs like a picture - £45 incl UKP&P

Turquoise mixed media wall sculpture - 15cm x 35cm - £45 incl UKP&P

A lovely morning spent at Tyntesfield, Nr Bristol, UK

We took the opportunity to visit Tyntesfeild, nr Bristol, before the school holidays begin - calm before the storm!

A beautifully restored gazebo 

Gazebo and maple - wonderful!

In to the rose garden, with the gorgeous smell of lavender.

View from the gazebo

Tools of the trade

Beautiful drive - all sorts of different trees with the space to grow!

I love they way they built the hooks in to the kitchen garden wall to train all the plants.

Fabulous colour..

..and the border of summer wild flowers was breathtaking - this photo does not do it justice!

..now that's what I call a greenhouse - one of many!

A quiet place to sit and look ..

What a stunning oak tree!

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfeild

It is a lovely place - do give it a visit if you ever get the chance!

Felicity x