So...
If you are interested in how I create my pieces, why I do it, or why I choose the perspectives and subjects I use, you can probably find some clues in the following:
Nothing makes me happier than a warm breeze, sunshine, and dirt under my fingernails. Nothing. I can spend hours on my knees pulling weeds and watching the insects and tiny animals in the garden. I love the scent of herbs, roses and phlox, and organic fertilizer. I love bees, wasps, snakes, and all the things your mother told you a girl shouldn't like.
I love shiny things - the sparkle of sunshine on the French Broad River (photo above), tinsel on a Christmas tree, dew on the spider webs after a humid summer night, and the glimmer of a glass mosaic. I love the sunshine streaming through a glass of Pinot Grigio, Swarovski crystals, the spit polish on brass fittings of an old tall ship.
I love the words of people from times past, who delved into the beauty of our world and tried to help the rest of us get a glimpse of their vision. I love the smell of books and the look of them lined up on shelf after shelf, just waiting for the next person to discover their treasure.
If you are interested in my background and experience:
I am a self taught artist, working in mosaic since about 2006. In September of 2010 I joined the CrazyLake Art House as Gallery Director and Artist in Residence. In 2012 I moved to Jonesborough, Tennessee and served as Artist in Residence at Jonesborough Fine Art Gallery from Februrary through September.
I have participated in juried art shows from Ontario, Canada to North Carolina to California, winning Best of Show in 2013 for Joy.
My work is featured in Mastering Mosaics by Rayna Clark, published by Schiffer in 2013, and in Edible Bits and Pleasing Pieces (2014) by Pam Givens and Jacqueline Iskander.
I have contributed to public art projects in Florida and North Carolina.
I have taught classes at CrazyLake, the Sullivan Munce Center for the Arts, the Lawrence Center for the Arts (all Indianapolis, IN area), and at Jonesborough Fine Art Gallery and the McKinney Center in Jonesborough, TN.
I served as Outreach Assistant for ArtSpider, a NH based arts group, served on the board of the Hancock County (IN) Arts Council, and am a member of the Johnson City Area Arts Council. I also served on the board and as President and Vice President of the historical society in Greenfield, IN dedicated to preserving the boyhood home and legacy of James Whitcomb Riley.
I'm pretty sure that covers more than you ever wanted to know about me, but if not, you can email me at mosaicartbyla@gmail.com
My mosaic portfolio site can be found at Lee Ann Petropoulos Fine Art Mosaics.
