Website: www.spizzimosaics.com
What kind of mosaics do you make?
I work primarily with either Italian or Mexican Smalti, but I'm starting to add stained glass to the mix.
When did you start making mosaics?
I've been making mosaics for about 7 years.
How did you get into mosaics?
It all happened by fluke - a friend of mine saw a "do it yourself" program about cutting plates and tile and said that we should start doing mosaics. We started making our mosaics out of ceramic tile and I was hooked. A couple years later, my mom and I took Lucianna's mosaic course in Ravenna, Italy. That was my introduction to using smalti and I've been head over heels about it since.
What inspires you?
Anything, everything
How did you develop your style?
Do we actually develop a style or is our style just what we do and how we do it? Whether I'm studying someone else's technique or free-forming on my own, I think my hand and personal sensibility comes through without really thinking about it.
How did you learn to make mosaics?
I started just playing and experimenting with materials and tools on my own. I've taken a few classes to learn either some basics and tips or have the experience of learning from a particular mosaic artist.
How do you work best?
Before I start a project, I have to clean and organize my studio and, in a sense, transform my space into a clean slate. Generally, I work alone, especially during the design phase of a project. When I'm in production, I love when other artist friends bring their work over and we create and work on our own projects together. Sometimes I listen to music while I work and many times I just work in the peaceful quietness of nothing.
How do you approach a mosaic?
I write or sketch in a journal almost every day. That's really were all of my projects start.
What do you do with your mosaics once you finish?
I do a happy dance!
How do you fit mosaics into your personal/family life?
Mosaics are what I do.
Where do you work?
I have a studio in my house and a studio in the California building in Northeast Minneapolis . I love the flexibility of dancing between the two.
Have you ever done public art, community art, worked with children, etc...?
I've done several projects with children - a couple of Artist in Residency programs at Lake Country School and an Artist in Residency for a local Girl Scout Camp. I love the energy of working with kids and the collaborative outcome. I have also done an Artist in Residency with Kulture Klub Collaborative. KKC is a non-profit that offers art opportunities to homeless youth. The project was a community art "totem" that celebrated the individuality of each person within the context of the community. It was part of the 15 year celebration of KKC and was shown at the SOO-VAC Gallery.
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