Five Favorites For February - REPOST due to broken links

I spend a lot of time surfing the net. As someone who is passionate about mosaics and the art form, if I'm not working on a mosaic, I'm looking at it somewhere online. Often I am searching for supplies or books to help me in my quest to find all things mosaic and find some wonderful discoveries. On occasion, I end up getting side-tracked, perhaps a bit distracted in my search to find something but not quite knowing what I'm looking for.

Finding someone who has the creative ability in their own art form, not necessarily mosaics, to make me gasp is one of those "happy accidents" from being distracted so easily! It's not uncommon to hear me uttering aloud (usually alone and scaring the cat, I might add), "Ohhhhhh...look at THAT!". I've found many who have the ability to create beauty in all art forms in my eyes.

A few things that I've done general searching for online have been blown and fused glass, ceramics, jewelry, paintings and of course mosaics in all shapes and sizes, just to name a few. It's always interesting to see what these searches bring me.

I have picked Five Favorites to share with you. The links I've provided will give you the chance to see their work and hopefully enjoy them as much as I do.

1) Dale Chihuly: I found Mr. Chihuly's website after doing a search for glass baskets. The instant I found him, I knew he was one of the most talented individuals I'd ever read about. His work is some of the most amazing I've ever seen through the computers eye view. Please take the time to look at his work and follow the computer trail, as I did, to the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio on his website. What a magical journey!


http://www.chihuly.com/baskets/selbas.html



2) AugustMoonArt: Every so often I find a fellow Etsian whose ceramic work speaks to me. I have begun quite a collection in my list of favorites for this medium. Many are young people sharing their talent and love of handmade items with us all. AugustMoonArt on etsy.com was first on my list as an artist to check in on often probably at first because she shares her name with my oldest daughter, Tara. However, her pottery has become the focus on my visits to her website now. Her use of warm colors in her ceramics puts her art on my top 5 list. I love it all! She has a collection of blue stoneware that I would love to own and NOT smash! Trust me...that says it all when you make mosaics! My favorite is her Blue Berry Bowl:


http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40174751

3) Paul Pearman: I found Mr. Pearman's mosaic belt buckles while searching for blank belt buckle bases online. Veering off towards his website was something I will never regret! His mosaic work, all of it, is truly a personal inspiration for me. I really love his "art for the hips". I've made a few mosaic buckles. I feel my work is too new and child-like to be pleased with it but know as time goes on and I continue to experiment with buckles, I will find my own style and will be happier with the results. It's obvious that this man has found his own style and it's awesome! I highly recommend you do what I do to find inspiration and look at these beauties:

http://www.newschoolmosaics.com/


4) Luminosities: Another Etsian, Nicole makes, among other things, jewelry for people and our pets. Something I find very cool about her is that she uses gems in the "shinies" as she calls them, that have metaphysical properties. I truly believe everything has energy. When creating mosaics I give each piece a positive energy flow while working on it. I believe it is important and probably why I was drawn to her etsy site to begin with. What caught my eye were the Astrological magnets and ones called Magnetic Attraction that she creates. I find them fascinating! Here is my personal favorite from the Magnetic Attraction series:


http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8924389

5) Rick Cheadle: Rick Cheadle Art and Designs has become a fast favorite of mine. Daily he adds new photos to his flickr photostream and I am one of 350+ fans anxiously awaiting the newest photos of his work. I am a child of the 50's and his work reminds me of that magical time of the 60's and 70's. A time of peace and love and all that is and was ever groovy. His wonderful use of colors, reminiscent of my teens and early 20's, makes me smile and feel good each and every time I see something he's made. His work is a daily reminder of just how fantastic color can be! What a wonderful gift he has! His hand painted tables and wall art are well worth a look:

http://rickcheadle.shutterfly.com/

I hope you enjoy these wonderful artists and share in my joy in having found their work.