Exciting News and a Discount!

 

I'm sending my quarterly newsletter out tomorrow. If you'd like to receive it (with exciting news I haven't announced yet and a special discount inside!) sign up here.

GVAA Artist Studio Tour

Art by Christine Brallier

 

This weekend I participated for the first time in the annual Goleta Art Studio Tour where members of the Goleta Valley Art Association (GVAA) open their studio doors to the public to share and sell their art.

Art by Christine Brallier

This year more than 20 artists participated at five locations. I was grouped with three wonderful artists, Marie Arnold and Judy and Warner Nienow, at Marie's home. Marie showed her fabulous abstracts in acrylics as well as her super adorable knitted cactus pin cushions!

Art by Marie Arnold

Art by Marie Arnold

Marie Arnold and her knitted cacti

Judy brought her beautifully expressive animal paintings and still lifes in oils and Warner, his wonderful atmospheric urbanscapes, nocturnes and still lifes in oils.

Art by Judy Nienow

Art by Judy Nienow

Judy Nienow and her art

 

Art by Warner Nienow

Art by Warner Nienow

 

Warner Nienow and his art

 

My artwork included some of my stained glass mosaics, my newest paintings, and a few embroideries.

Art by Christine Brallier

Art by Christine Brallier

We had a steady stream of visitors with lively conversation about art, cacti, travel, and more art! I made many new friends and sold one of my mosaics (thanks Warner and Judy!) as well as some of my books and cards.

Sold! To the Nienows

I haven't been very active with GVAA for the past few years, but I am excited about participating much more this year and in the coming years!

Holiday Special on My Book!

Attention mosaic lovers, cat lovers, children's book lovers, Christmas lovers, art lovers! My book The Night Before Christmas is available for $10 through the month of December, so now is the time to buy several copies as you are saving more than 40%! I will also include a couple of printed art cards in your order. If you reside in the U.S. you will also receive free shipping, so how can you say no to that? :)  
Available at www.cbmosaics.com/book
 

 
 

Published in Glass Patterns Quarterly

Several months ago I was asked by the editor of Glass Patterns Quarterly Magazine to create a mosaic tutorial for their winter edition and I just received my copy! There are four pages of step by step instructions to create this 10" stained glass mosaic titled "It's Cold Out!" It includes  a list of all of the materials you will need, plus many, many color photos illustrating the process. Also included is a full size pattern. 

Look, I'm on the cover, too!  You can buy the magazine or download the pattern directly from their web site here. If you make it, please share with me - I'd love to see your version!

Full size pattern and color coded



Easy instructions!



New Notecards Available

Folded notecards of my fennec fox mosaic, "Reverie," are now available on my web site. They measure 4x5.5", include envelopes and are blank on the inside. You can find them as well as my postcards and book, here. :)

Pop-Up Mosaic Gallery

I will be showing my stained glass mosaics with two local mosaic artists, Betsy Gallery and Wendy Brewer, at Menelli Trading Company next week! I will also be displaying a couple of my mosaics featured in my book, The Night Before Christmas. The book will be available as well as postcards and notecards. The evening will feature wine by TheSpanishWineGuy.com, hors d'oeuvres and an opportunity to meet the artists and observe the ancient method of mosaic making with traditional tools and materials…and of course the opportunity to purchase the perfect mosaic for yourself or a loved one. Valet will be provided.

 

When: Thursday, Sept. 29, 5:00-7:30 pm

Where:  Menelli Trading Company, 1080 Coast Village Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93108

 

Hope to see you there!

Mosaic Creatures

The One with the Flowered Fingers

The One with the Jagged Eye

Just finished these little guys, made from a couple drawings I did recently in my sketchbook. They are on 5" wood rounds and are made with stained glass, millefiori, beads and polymer clay.

Grouting was tricky since I didn't mosaic the whole wood piece. To protect the wood, I put blue tape all around the image and some aluminum foil over the bark, but the edges of the creatures were still dirty after pulling off the tape. To conceal it, I put a row of beads around each creature and actually prefer the result! I added some polymer clay leaves that I got from Klew's Gallery and they were done! 





Mosaic for Glass Patterns Quarterly Magazine

It's Cold Out! - 10", stained glass, millefiori, beads







I was recently invited by the editor of Glass Patterns Quarterly Magazine to create a mosaic tutorial for their winter edition. This mosaic is 10" in diameter and is made with stained glass, millefiori and beads. The tutorial includes the design pattern and gives step by step instructions and photos on how to create it. The issue will be available in December and will also be available as a purchasable download.  



Grouting in progress

New Mosaic - Nowhere to Be (But Here)

This mosaic titled Nowhere to Be (But Here) is 10 1/2 x 13" and is made with stained glass, millefiori, beads and steel wire whiskers. For me, it expresses the joy of being in the moment with a loved one. If you are interested in purchasing it please email me.  Hope you like it!

My Mosaic Process

First sketch

Final mosaic

I thought some might find it interesting to see how I go about creating a mosaic. This is my most recent one, Reverie, which is 5x10" and made with stained glass and millefiori. First I choose my mosaic subject: one of my son's favorite animals is the fennec fox (mine, too!) and so I begin with an image search online for the position I want him to be in. 

Once I find something I like, I use it as reference for my sketch (often times using many photos as reference for markings, body proportions, etc.). I then scan the drawing and place 6-10 copies of the image on an 8x10" page. I use them to play with several things: color, pattern, value, and andamento (the flow and direction of glass cuts and lines). I like having the sketches small so I can get many ideas down quickly or color the design many times without taking hours to do so!  I usually go through three or four pages of these. Here is one of my pages from this process:

Once I am happy with the direction I want to go, I trace the design onto wedi board and attach the hanging system (a d-ring with washers on either side). I pick out the materials I will be using with a range of values. I had planned to use beads in this mosaic, but every time I tried to incorporate them, it wasn't working how I liked, so skipped them in the end.

I begin cutting glass for the eyes, to first establish personality and mood. As you can see, I often make changes on the design as I go along, as well as make markings for color and lines for andamento. I like to lay the glass down without cutting it to see how it works overall. I take pictures of different combinations which allows me to compare them side by side and choose the best option before I commit to a very time consuming process of shaping the glass.

I pay very close attention to the head and body values to ensure that the head is seen clearly. For example, the dark at the end of the tail rather than continuing the same brown throughout, helps make it clear that it is separate from the brown on his face. Also, the glass chosen above his head is darker at the top and gets lighter as it gets closer to his head and ear. The tail is further differentiated from the body by outlining it with the rolled edges of the stained glass, giving it a bit of a 3D effect and some waviness, too!

 

Finally, there are often spontaneous choices and "happy accidents" if you are open to them. The center of the body was supposed to be cut pieces like the rest of the fox, but none of what I tried, color-wise and andamento-wise was working. I happened to look up and see a whole sheet of stained glass that had this wonderful brown curve that I knew would fit just right! I had one chance to get the piece cut perfectly. Well, I was off by a teensy bit at the top, so I filled in the gap with the blue millefiori which ended up being more interesting and harmonious because of it.

 

 

The next step is grouting, followed by finishing the edges and painting and signing the back. One of my favorite mosaics, it now lives happily in Phoenix, Arizona. I hope you enjoyed reading about my process, thanks for stopping by!

SAMA 2016 in San Diego

View from my room

Earlier this month I attended my eighth SAMA (Society of American Mosaic Artists) Conference, this year in San Diego. Loved seeing my old pals and making some new ones, including my late mother's cousin's wife, which was a wonderful surprise!  

The mosaic art salon is always a highlight.  This year I helped set it up, which was fun and a nice way to contribute to an organization that is run by almost all volunteers.  I also sold my mosaic at the salon, this piece titled Reverie.  It is 5x10" and made with stained glass and millefiori.  

Reverie, 5x10"

I found some fun ceramic tiles from Amber's Artistry and glass fusions from Bonin Glass Designs at the vendor marketplace that I am very excited about using in my upcoming mosaics!  

Amber's Artistry

Bonin Glass Designs

I also enjoyed beautiful art at the MAI Exhibition, entertaining and informative presentations, cutting glass at the mosaic marathon, and a couple great workshops including exploring the line in mosaic art with Rachel Sager which I highly recommend!  Here is my sample board and I can't wait to experiment with what I learned in my next project. 

Looking forward to my ninth conference next year in Detroit, see you there!

 

Mosaic cats in progress

After creating my most recent mosaic of a kitten with his parent (this one), I decided to do another one with a completely different color scheme.  I've always loved this color combination and don't think I've ever used it before in my art.  I'm really happy with how it is coming out so far.  I hope to be finished in a few days and will post the finished mosaic after it is grouted!