Lori Greene Mosaic Artist

Quiet

2012-02-28T17:33:00.001-06:00

I have a little break between projects I have been wanting to combining my fusing, mosaic and my little cutouts.
There is a story in here somewhere...

Finished and gone!

2012-02-22T14:55:00.000-06:00

Wow, 2 solid weeks of work! the pieces put together are 3' x 10' they will stand vertically I have yet to see them that way as my ceiling is not that high. Hopefully I will get a picture one day... If anyone lives in Chevy chase Maryland...
We got them all grouted and cleaned today and the courier arrived about 10 minutes after I photographed them. No time for the Minnesota long good bye!

I might take tomorrow off from mosaic and play with glass again...

Superheroes in love

2012-02-10T17:18:00.001-06:00

Sometimes things just aren't working, I was working on a piece for me while I awaited the next job...and I think I over thought it so it failed....
But I hate wasting materials And I need to not take myself so seriously so I re-did the failed piece.

Young superheroes in love.

Layering

2012-02-02T16:45:00.000-06:00

The Experiment continues,

two layers of glass with paint and glass frit on all 4 sides then fused together and this is what you get!

A new commission starts tomorrow so only one more day to play!

Conversation

2012-01-29T13:10:00.001-06:00

I am interested in pattern, layering, transparency and storytelling

I love the speed of glass fusing... Painting, layering and firing...trying to get to the answer to the question... And never quite getting there.

I like how glass changes depending on what is behind it.

I am a person of few words, I have always felt uncomfortable with language, either verbal or written. Yet I love language, I love to listen and to read. My voice comes out mostly in my work, it is often laced with metaphors and illusions but it is also straight forward.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

triangles

2012-01-27T14:59:00.001-06:00

Playing with glass again, while I have a little down time- today's influence triangles!

Finished!!!

2012-01-25T15:56:00.001-06:00

These panels are 9 feet by 4 feet in total!
I think the top way is the way they should be displayed. They are in route to DC now.

I am going home now- hopefully my children will agree to popcorn for dinner!?!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Mariposa!

2012-01-20T21:10:00.001-06:00

The third piece is done, well ... Needs grouting
And the 4th and final piece is under way...

I am beyond tired and extremely grateful to good friends who have come and filled in the white pieces ... Those are my favorite!

This is the smallest only 4 feet by 30 inches!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

mosaic number two!

2012-01-17T12:26:00.000-06:00

Yesterday being Martin Luther King Day I really did not want to work all day and my kids were at home so I felt guilty leaving them alone. To appease my guilt I only worked 4 hours and while working I watched Black in Latin America, its a four part series by Henry Louis Gates. In which he travels to Latin America in search of its African roots. When my father was alive he was very interested in Brazil and he studied Portuguese in College We never really talked about it but I believe he was interested in this too. This series of mosaics are for a Mexican Restaurant, I am combining my African culture and my memories of living in Mexico together. Can you see them? Then I went home and we made black bean empanadas and talked about my Dad and his role in the civil rights movement. Thanks Dad and thanks Martin Luther King it was a great way to honor you!

Going for the undoable!

2012-01-14T23:25:00.001-06:00

I was given a rapid fire commission 4 large mosaics to be installed in Florida

In two weeks...it's a much longer story but not interesting... And involves too much complaining on my part.. Wheeeeee!!!

Here is the first one finished, sans grout!

It's 4 x 3

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Huipil memories

2012-01-11T07:14:00.001-06:00

Long ago I used to live in Oaxaca, Mexico...

I am enjoying these little simple exercises in line drawing on glass- no thinking, no pre-planning, no erasing and no judging...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

It's the texture!

2012-01-10T07:17:00.001-06:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

It's something about glass....

2012-01-08T21:49:00.002-06:00

I am not certain why I can't just paint on canvas or draw on paper

Instead I need the alchemy of glass, it's more expensive, it takes more time and sometimes it explodes...

still at it/ back at it!

2012-01-06T11:23:00.000-06:00

After a lovely week in Northern Minnesota where it still snows...
I am home mostly doing paper work but trying to squeeze in a little art work,
these are small glass tiles 5 x 4. I so wish it was not so difficult to shoot glass...grrr to much glare!

Caramel rolls and Christmas

2011-12-25T14:09:00.000-06:00

I realized that I never post about food or cooking and it's probably what I love the most and where I get the most feedback. I can please more people with my cooking than I can with my mosaics or drawing on glass, no one ever feels afraid or intimidated commenting on my cooking and I can tell if they like it even if they don't tell me because they get seconds and thirds. Most of the time no comment is made about my art I am sure this is due to a feeling of not understand rather than displeasure....

Last night I started some lovely brioche dough, I always forget how long this process takes. I had to get up once during the night to gently punch it down (before santa arrived!)
And roll it between layers of butter this morning (luckily for me my kids woke me up at 6:30!) so I had plenty of time to work on it while they were absorbed in their new toys. It took all of 20 minutes for the children to finish off the pan after only 15 hours of minor labor... They liked them! I was very pleased with their beauty and the multiple layers of very thin dough, teaming with butter and caramel and yes they were tasty. Thank you Julia Child!

More fun with texture and pattern!

2011-12-15T11:50:00.000-06:00

you can click on the pictures for a great idea of the texture

Randomness

2011-12-13T17:17:00.000-06:00

This is the time of year that I return to the sewing machine, something about the long nights and the snow outside makes me want to sew. I have been teaching my 8 year old son how to quilt and I have been doing some of my own it's all random. Strips and blocks here and there, it's not exactly what I want I may have to cut it all up and sew it back together in a different configuration.

in my other studio I am still playing with glass

there seems to be something similar happening here...

The glass has lots of textured not visible with my iphone camera!

under the sea

2011-12-01T18:16:00.000-06:00

I created this piece with eight children from the hematology/oncology unit at Children's Hospital this summer. I drew the fish on mesh and the children cut and glued glass tiles down in their own style! The piece was funded by my good friend, Marsha and her non-profit, Breanna's Gift. We wanted to create a piece that looked as though it was an abandoned port hole- all rough and scuffed up- but when you looked through it, you saw the magic of the sea life. We finished and installed the piece last week after a lot of hassle with plexiglass, which is a nightmare to cut in a circle!
click on the photo for better view of all the textures.

bird in hand

2011-11-29T19:26:00.000-06:00

its been crazy busy....
I have been waiting for photos to arrive to post. After long last we installed the mosaic at children's hospital but the pictures are not here yet. We had a fabulous albeit snowy opening of the goddess show but the pictures have not arrived yet so...
I will post some photos of stuff I am playing around with...

a 9 inch glass on glass medallion with fused center, its not grouted yet...

I went to my massage therapist a few weeks ago and had a very nice vision of a bird in my hand, I was trying to figure out how to make that in mosaic I don't have that part figured out yet but here are other examples.. one is cut ceramic, the black is wood and the lower ceramic and glass mosaic.
I hope to post professional photos very soon!

stuff!

2011-11-14T15:37:00.001-06:00

I was called to pick up my son at 10 this morning he was throwing up- but I managed to get to the studio for half an hour... And my son is much better!

She who is me

2011-11-09T06:47:00.001-06:00

I am desperately trying to finish a piece that is due tomorrow and I am having technical difficulties! So this is an older piece I am hoping her energy will
Help me get through the day.

With Thanks and much Gratitude!

2011-11-04T12:16:00.002-05:00

Today My shop / studio / community space is seven years old!
I am so grateful to my community, customers and friends who helped to make this happen!
I have come to know and love so many people through the stick it has been the greatest honor.

If you are here in Minnesota come to the goddess show opening and salsa dance party November 19

Love, Love, Love!!!!

Three little birds...

2011-11-01T17:44:00.000-05:00

"Don't worry about a thing,

'Cause every little thing gonna be all right.

Felice Dia de los muertos!

2011-10-31T12:38:00.000-05:00

heads up!

2011-10-24T09:19:00.000-05:00

getting closer....

more drawing on glass/in glass

2011-10-23T08:30:00.000-05:00

Minimalist on glass

2011-10-21T13:30:00.001-05:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sister Moon

2011-10-17T16:56:00.001-05:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Birds!

2011-10-11T21:08:00.001-05:00

Old bird

New birds

Playing around with scraps and smalti!
The bottom bird is wearing a party hat and is in love with a dog!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Wip

2011-10-05T17:56:00.001-05:00

A mosaic! With a little fused glass thrown in, it is not my usual style, no obvious subject matter... Just another prayer thing, trying to keep my mind occupied...

Love begets love begets love begets love...

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Beautiful day!

2011-10-03T21:44:00.001-05:00

I am a hot weather person! I spent most of the day outdoors doing paper work on my iPad and feeling the lovely 83 degrees enter my skin.
My garden continues to feed us and we are blessed.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Balancing act

2011-09-28T23:10:00.001-05:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The many things I do not understand...

2011-09-25T21:33:00.001-05:00

I will limit this post to glass fusing, Not to the mysteries of the universe, time travel, love, child raising, gardening, politics, global warming, healthcare reform......

I am primarily a mosaic artist working in vitreous glass tile, ceramic tile, plates and various other found objects. But I like to experiment with everything. For the last several years I have been teaching myself glass fusing. I work with bullseye glass Coe of 90. I like the company, love their website all their fact sheets, videos and artist gallery and the glass itself is wonderful to work with great colors and so many possibilities.

What I have found repeatedly BUT not every time is if I attempt to fire a piece for the second time it often explodes, case in point.

I added a little more black glass paint (glassline) to some areas then added a clear piece of bullseye glass and fired it according to my previous firing schedule. ( which I won't go into unless you want to know) When I opened the kiln this is what I saw. Busted superhero!

-

The extra piece of glass made my drawing line much clearer, just like I wanted. But the expansion of the glass and the breaking of the glass... Not so much... I need to spend some time with the books and see if there is an answer... I suspect I need to slow the firing w a y down. My total firing time has been approximately 15 hours, ramping up at 250 per hour up to 1450.

The lesson is slow down and keep reading ...

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Obsession, perhaps?

2011-09-23T13:00:00.001-05:00

-

And it's kind of lost in translation.... Dang! Seeing it live you can see more details but lots of it are lost... So close and yet so far. Back to the drawing board and the kiln....

Superheroes again!

2011-09-17T07:45:00.001-05:00

Ok here I go again
This one is painted on top and in-between and many layers of glass underneath ... I know what does this mean?
It means I am still playing still trying to figure this all out..
Here is the result

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Repairs and Reparations

2011-09-15T07:47:00.001-05:00

Life is often complicated there always seems to be one thing or another. Family, health, money or some pain I may have caused someone or may have been done to me.

The past two days I have had to work on a repair of one of my sculptures that lives in Minneapolis at the Midtown Global Market. Once a year for the past 5 years I get called to make a repair. It is a bittersweet experience I go feeling sad and guilty and that I did not build it well enough to withstand all the touching these piece get daily. Yet every time I am there people approach me and tell me how much they like these figures. This makes it all worth while, no one has ever scolding me for bad craftsmanship or said anything negative. I built these sculptures for the people that live, work and shop at Midtown I want them to interact with them, which means touching and maybe climbing on them so I will be back next year.

I am blessed and so grateful for all of the love I receive, through my artwork, and through my shop. I am also grateful for the experiences I have had even when they are painful to me, for I grow stronger for the experience.

love and gratitude

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

When less is more

2011-09-08T10:43:00.001-05:00

My usual style is to pile as many colors, textures and patterns into a piece as possible. I am trying something quieter

Glass paint, frit, bullseye glass, and patience....

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Why superheroes?

2011-09-04T08:51:00.001-05:00

Myth is the secret opening through which the inexhaustible energies of the cosmos pour into human cultural manifestation. Religions, philosophies, arts, the social forms of primitive and historic man, prime discoveries in science and technology, the very dreams that blister sleep, boil up from the basic, magic ring of myth.

Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, 1949

-

The black glass paint ran and obliterated part of her face. I like the back side the best.

To be continued...

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Superhero series begins!

2011-09-03T12:10:00.000-05:00

I have always wanted to be a superhero... kind of scary and lots of responsibility.. trying to save the world

these are the first glass pieces in this series, of course the are not what I had hoped they would be, but thats okay. I will keep trying and one is the reverse side of the other, I like the reverse the best! they are 5 x 6 and 5 x 7- any tips on glass fusing always welcome! thanks

Playing with glass

2011-09-02T15:17:00.001-05:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Who does she think she is?

2011-08-28T09:19:00.000-05:00

I watched a really good movie last night Who does she think she is? it follows five women artists whom are also mothers and the joys and struggles they go through. I had want to see this movie since it came out in 2008. One of my big memories from graduate school was being told regularly that I could not make it as an artist and a mother. I guess I don't know what making it really means.

But I am still playing....

-
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Playing

2011-08-25T14:03:00.001-05:00

On our way back from Kentucky we stopped at The City museum in St. Louis, MO. It is the most Amazing museum I have ever seen- it is all about play, imagination, experience and creativity. My children were immediately thrilled and they were off exploring right away. I was taking pictures of the floor, the walls the ceiling and everything! There were mosaics everywhere but also carvings in the wall, caves, crazy crawl spaces like one through a whales butt and a giant slide that goes from the top of the building 10 stories all the way to the bottom!

I need to play more in my life! Go Play!

Out of the fire

2011-08-23T13:09:00.000-05:00

I am fairly pleased... It's different that what I was looking for but I am trying to learn from this process. So I will keep playing!

After 2nd firing

First firing

More went in the kiln this morning

In the mean time I will paint and glue and wait...

Glass painting/fusing

2011-08-22T08:30:00.001-05:00

Oh I love being an artist! Wear my heart out on my sleeve...

This is the process...

Start with a depressing (or perhaps happy) picture of yourself, sketch from photo or mirror than redraw simplified in glass, I use glassline...

Start glueing bits of glass down

Into the kiln

Her skin color and shirt are covered in glass frit this is the reverse of ultimate piece....

And we have failure! Well maybe not completely I am thinking that the sides pushed in because there was not enough glass on top. I piled on more brown frit and put an off white piece of glass behind it and back into the kiln it went. It will deform even more- I have no idea what will happen and I won't be able to check on it for at least 12 hours. So I will wait ....

On the road to find out

2011-08-14T21:14:00.001-05:00

My children and I are in Louisville Kentucky, we are here to learn more about 7q11.23 duplication syndrome it is a developmental disorder resulting from an extra copy of ~25 genes on the long arm of chromosome 7. Individuals who have 7q11.23 duplication syndrome have 3 copies of the genes in this region. We found out my oldest daughter has this duplication back in early January. We had spent the past two years in and out of doctors offices trying to understand what was going on with her and if she would ever be herself again.
We are here having an adventure, we arrived on the heals of a huge storm system that took down trees everywhere as well as the power through out the city. But there was a crazy beautiful rainbow just as drove into downtown, I think its a good omen.

Life is often tumultuous we never know what is ahead of us but we keep trying to learn and enjoy each other as much as we can..

Here is one of the only abstract pieces of art I ever made, it was a commission for a spiritual center in a local college. It is named sustainable peace.

Embrace sustainable peace as love begets love begets love begets love..
(In remembrance of a sweet poet and in gratitude for a dear friend)

Just sharing...

2011-08-10T12:12:00.001-05:00

I grouted the goddess of love... I don't know that I will keep that title(?) it's just what came out...

I am still working on the cutouts

still making prayers...

A nice blog post on my shop!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

cutouts

2011-08-06T19:19:00.001-05:00

I have always loved cutouts starting with paper dolls when I was a kid. Right before I went to graduate school I did a series of 20 paintings on paper that I then cut out into life figures dancing. I realized
that the little milagros I was making maybe should be something more...

First inspiration. Elsa Mora

Matisse

Kara Walker

Mine are ceramic plates and tiles

Here's the first few

They still have a long ways to go, to be as powerful as my inspiration, but they were just plates a few hours ago...

Unpredictable magic

2011-08-05T17:39:00.001-05:00

I started making these last fall when my oldest daughter was in the hospital, making these helped me get through it, though in the end I did not know what would happen with them. I have some other difficult things going on right now and I am back to making these, little prayers hoping for a milagro........

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

I see

2011-08-03T17:10:00.001-05:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Niki de Saint-Phalle

2011-08-02T17:42:00.001-05:00

Going through paper work and other stuff so..... I thought I would look at yet another favorite artist!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Alison Saar

2011-07-29T21:12:00.001-05:00

Another of my favorite artists! No words tonight just images

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Great goddess of love

2011-07-28T22:16:00.000-05:00

Back to the portrait she change a LOT from what I thought she was going to be....still in progress

Gratitude

2011-07-27T21:07:00.000-05:00

Today was a day of community 18 people came in to mosaic on a stick to work on 2 different community projects one was

project for pride in living and other for Maxfield elementary school.

Thanks to everyone who volunteered their time. This is my first time publishing from my iPad, I hope it works!

the first step

2011-07-22T17:20:00.000-05:00

Cut the plates and dishes up

begin....

thinking about portraits

2011-07-21T16:32:00.000-05:00

Its been a busy week, and HOT! we finally had some cooler air move in last night so I slept well sort of.. I woke up at three am not because of my skin sticking to it self but because its time to do a portrait again. it won't be a portrait of a real person but a combination of people. I love the way Alice Neel does portraits, love her color use and the way you can really feel their characters. So while my portrait will be made out of glass, tile and found objects I will hopefully learn something from looking at Alice Neel's work.

processing

2011-07-15T13:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a challenging day I had residency with 45 students in my studio/ shop, these kids come from very difficult life circumstances. Each one deserved to have my full attention and time but instead were rushed through a process that they did not fully understand nor want to. I wish very much it could have happened differently, but this for the moment was the way it had to be done. I was called by a non-profit with virtually no budget but a program I believed in, so I planned a community project. It was pretty simple they would pay for materials and I would volunteer my time, space and services. I knew it would be a challenge and that I would learn from it. We did not finish the project of course too short of time (4 hours) too short of attention span, too complex the issues. This does not mean the project was a failure, it just means there is so much work to be done! I am in the process of turning my business into a non-profit arts org. which I hope will be able to address some of the issues in a much deeper way. More student contact where trust and relationship can be developed where we can create murals that deal with issues of poverty, race, hunger, homelessness etc... I could go on and on but for right now I will ruminate....

I will be thinking about this day for a long time

I am posting a photo of woman I do not know, I know nothing about her but I have made up many special stories about her for myself, I think she is powerful, magical and all knowing. I hope I can be something like her one day!

Residency

2011-07-13T18:45:00.000-05:00

Today I worked at a children's hospital they made some creatures for a project I am working on...

In the thick of it

2011-07-12T10:28:00.000-05:00

Each one is a little prayer, a little thank you, a little blessing...

I am prepping for some residencies this week and a new project...
hopefully I will get some time to work on the bird man ( a little mosaic guy I started)
and post interesting pictures....

Its all in the details..

2011-07-10T11:22:00.000-05:00

the food

the studio

the art

new girl

2011-07-08T10:51:00.000-05:00

the influence of the future

2011-07-07T10:01:00.000-05:00

I made a series of pieces when I was pregnant with each of my three children here is one I made while pregnant with my son

Joyce Scott!

2011-07-05T11:57:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite artists!

Her pieces serve as a commentary for issues regarding race, politics, sexism, and stereotypes. Of her own work, Scott has said, "I believe in messing with stereotypes...It's important for me to use art in a manner that incites people to look and then carry something home - even if it's subliminal..." She received her B.F.A. from the Maryland Institute College of Art and M.F.A. from the Instituto Allende. Her work is in the collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art, Mint Museum, Spencer Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum

You can see more about Joyce Scott here on the Craft in America web site

work in progress

2011-07-03T13:28:00.000-05:00

after finishing the last character in just one day, another old ugly called to me... some progress was made, she is not as easy as the other

my head has been full of thoughts of her since I left her last night....we will see how long it takes me to go get her

where it began

2011-07-02T12:07:00.000-05:00

I had been in art school for three years, weaving, paper making, sculpture in clay, metal and fibers and loving it all but not really know where I was heading or what I was trying to say. Then I took African art history and it all began to make sense. I was seeing work that had the same aesthetics as me, that used color, texture and pattern. It spoke to the gods, to the earth to the basic wonderment of life.

this leads to this

finished!

2011-07-01T14:24:00.000-05:00

and just for fun!

A new day!

2011-06-30T22:07:00.000-05:00

Today was the first day in many months not to work on the library mosaic! In Celebration of finishing I started a new project! I hope to finish her tomorrow. I had started her some some months ago by building her body, her legs and hands are ceramic and her body and arms are wire mesh and filling and her face I carved out of wood. I had her sitting in my bedroom studio (my other studio) and she screamed out to me as I was leaving this morning so I grabbed her- and this what happened- probably should have taken a before photo too!

my muse!

2011-06-27T21:44:00.000-05:00

My son LuceSole is the inspiration for this piece- I am trying to encourage hime to read but he has not quite got it yet, he is a little late he just turned eight and he is not comfortable reading. I thought if I mosaic his image reading to the fantastic Mr. Fox it might help...

We installed the very last section this morning and then spent hours filling in spaces and grouting. We shall be back at it all day tomorrow!

final piece finished!

2011-06-25T17:15:00.000-05:00

I had over 200 hundred children submit drawings for the the whole project, I think I selected 48?
its been amazing! installing Monday and grout for days

inspiration!

2011-06-22T18:34:00.000-05:00

Sometimes they need to be big

2011-06-22T18:16:00.000-05:00

These are the last two panels for the Library, they are each 4 feet by 2 feet, if all goes well installation will be Monday followed by many days of grouting....
the whole thing measures 144 square feet.

sometimes they need to be little

2011-06-20T11:25:00.000-05:00

moose for library

2011-06-10T14:15:00.000-05:00

he is still a work in progress but he will be going up on the wall next week with his friends Raccoon and Skunk.

November community art at the stick

2011-06-10T10:35:00.001-05:00

It was a community art evening at Mosaic on a stick a group of fellows from The Creative Community Leadership Institute came we worked on the Open Your Heart mosaic, told stories and ate great food. Open your Heart will be permanently installed outside of mosaic on a stick, when the snow melts.

A new piece I just started

2011-06-10T10:34:00.000-05:00

tentatively titled a delicate balance..... It's another in my series on motherhood.

Mosaic! Work in progress

2011-06-09T11:46:00.000-05:00

Another work in progress, stalled by the snow... Hundreds of designs were submitted by children of animals and insects they saw in the garden, I selected about 60 drawings to recreate in mosaic. Combined with my own sketches of children in the garden. Project completion spring 2011!

Physics dreams

2011-06-09T11:41:00.000-05:00

A new piece I just finished for a show at obsidian arts gallery in Minneapolis the show is titled "Ya Feel Me" is an attempt to explore ideas about "allure." The exhibition will answer the questions: What images scream to be touched? Can a visual item compel someone to seek to touch it against their will or better judgment? The goal is to evoke sensations to the challenge "Ya Feel Me?"