A special mosaic commission commemorating the First World War.

Hello everyone,

I have been and will be very busy making 9 mosaics , which I have been commissioned to make for a park in Ripley, Derbyshire, UK.  The designs are taken from paintings by local school children.

It's a wonderful project to be involved in, for so many reasons.  For those of you who follow me on my Facebook page - www.facebook.com/justmosaics.co.uk - everyone is getting involved in all sorts of ways.

It is so moving to hear so many real life stories of the sacrifices made, and I feel honoured to making a permanent memorial for everyone to see in the park - we will remember them.

The children's paintings are lovely, but have been a challenge to interpret into a mosaic in my own unique style.  The mosaics will be on plinths in a circle, and are 35cm x 39cm.  I am using porcelain tiles which are hard to snip, but now (thanks to an fb friend) have some porcelain snippers and life is a lot easier - first time I have ever had blisters!

I am making good progress - three are completed apart from the grouting, and I hope I am capturing the spirit of the children's paintings, as well as doing my own thing!

Below are the paintings, followed by my mosaic.

I have five more mosaics to make, and will keep you posted.

Thanks for reading,
Felicity x

The inspirational Barbara Hepworth Museum in St Ives, Cornwall, UK

Hello,
While on holiday in Cornwall this year, we were lucky enough to visit the Barbara Hepworth museum in St. Ives.  It was where the sculptor lived and worked.

We were surprised to find that that it was an unassuming corner house in the middle of St Ives - but, in fact, turned out to be a magical and inspirational place, with her leafy garden with a hidden sculpture at every turn, the chance to look into her studio and a fascinating biography of her, with photos and drawings of her designs and how she worked.
The shape, texture and form of her works are just breathtaking.  It always gives me that 'excited inside' feeling when you can actually see where a great artist worked, and thought, and looked..  Poignant too, with unfinished pieces, and stone cut ready to work on ...  She died in 1975 aged 72 in a fire in her studio.

Also to see the array of the actual tools she worked with ..

Her sculptures speak for themselves - here are just a few ...

A really inspirational place to visit if you ever get the chance - www.tate.org.uk

Thanks for reading,
Felicity x