Barbara Keith - Artist

First panel done

2012-01-16T16:37:00.003-06:00

I grouted the first panel of three today. The panels will be going into a new Jamestown, North Dakota, hospital. I'm so excited to be involved. My mom and her family is from the area and I grew up going there. They lived near the tiny town of Streeter.

I am using doilies in all three mosaics to symbolize the hard work and dignity of the immigrants to came to this area. I've included some detail shots. There are two doilies in this piece, one more obvious than the other.

The panels will each be inside a niche, with about half an inch of wiggle room. I'm gluing a glass edge on these pieces to give them more of a finished look.

New Project

2012-01-06T14:16:00.002-06:00

I'm working on a new project - a triptych. For these, I'm using doilies under the pieces of glass, of which some are transparent. Because the boards may be visible, I painted them first.

Some New Mosaics for the New Year

2012-01-01T09:49:00.005-06:00

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Signing Your Work

2011-12-25T19:24:00.003-06:00

People have asked how I sign my name on my mosaics. It's really easy! Just use a small bit on a Dremel tool. Take a look at the bit in this photo on my old Dremel. I'd recommend practicing a few times on some scrap glass like I did in the photo. The vibrations might throw your signature off if you aren't used to it. It usually shows up a little lighter. If you want it to show up a little bolder and darker, sign your work before you grout (if using a dark color, it will show up darker). Have fun!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-17T08:14:00.002-06:00

Wishing you all a very happy holiday season! May 2012 be a productive, healthy and happy year for you!

Article in Rochester Women magazine

2011-12-05T10:06:00.006-06:00

This article is in the current issue of Rochester Women magazine. If you right click it and open it in a new window, you should be able to zoom in a little to read it. Have a great week!

Music Play

2011-11-03T15:15:00.003-05:00

This stained glass mosaic is 36"h x 48"w and was commissioned for Children's Hospital St. Paul.

Television Segment about my Art Now Online!

2011-10-24T13:23:00.004-05:00

I hope you enjoy it! (Please double click on the image to fill your screen so you don't miss the right half.) Thanks!

My Art on TV!

2011-10-21T06:40:00.001-05:00

I hope you can tune in to see a segment about my art on TV on Sunday night! Channel 15-1, 7:00 pm PBS/KSMQ's "Off 90". If you don't live in southern MN, you can catch it on this link on Monday or Tuesday.

Next Piece

2011-10-18T09:47:00.003-05:00

I'm starting in on my next project for Children's Hospital St. Paul. Here is a close up of one of the little squirrels! He's carrying a bass clef.

Finished! Green Place in the City

2011-10-14T13:10:00.004-05:00

This is going into Presbyterian Homes new assisted living home near the campus of St. Kate's in St. Paul. Original design by Sister Ansgar Holmberg. 5' 9.5" x 5' 9.5"

Almost Done!

2011-10-11T10:58:00.007-05:00

I'm just finishing up the border today and should be grouting later this week. Here are some photos that show some of the details.

Here you can see the long cleat on the back of the mosaic, near the top. The bottom of the cleat is 10" from the top edge.

This is the small cleat near the bottom. Top of cleat is 10" from edge.

You can see the center part of the mosaic is raised.

Overall shot. Just the border left! Sides and top and bottom are about 69 1/2" inches. (Some spots vary slightly down to around 69 1/4".)

The cleat under the top. (The screws ends will be cut off so they are nearly flush with the nuts.)

Cross section. You can see how the glass is slightly uneven in thickness. Including the cleat depth, the thickness is about 1 1/4".

View from above.

The frame (better than this block of wood!) will cover part of the glass edge and finish it off. About 1/4" or 5/16" overhang on frame might be good.

The frame profile might look something like this.

The top and bottom cleat that will go on the wall.

(Vicki: Dusty Bill 24" x 24". Last original from The Girls and Boys of Mother Goose. Unframed.)

WIP: Green Place

2011-09-17T12:58:00.003-05:00

Here's the latest! I'm working on the upper left corner right now. Some work done on upper right as well. Border shaping it out, too!

WIP "Green Place in the City"

2011-09-08T16:40:00.002-05:00

I've got three sides done! I've glued the finished panels down on the base. These areas will be raised 1/4" from the background. I've put some glass through the kiln that will give a smooth edge the raised area.

WIP "Green Place in the City"

2011-08-29T07:38:00.001-05:00

WIP: "Green Place in the City" This is the center panel. I've muted the mint green from the original. Starting work on the houses now! Once this panel is done, I'll attach it to the large board and start in on the surrounding houses.

Next Project

2011-08-07T10:05:00.002-05:00

Here is my next project! I'm collaborating with Sister Ansgar Holmberg to create a large mosaic based on her painting for a new assisted living home. Here is her original painting:

This is the design (see below). It has the original painting in the center, but it's been extended by a circle to echo the interior design theme. There will also be a mosaic border, shown here only with the mustard color.

Here is the board. It is 5'9.5" square made of two layers of wedi board. I made it so the pieces are arranged so there are no straight lines all the way across. This will make it stronger.

I used an overhead projector to trace the design onto the board.

The center green space and all of the buildings will be on a 1/4" raised panel.

Getting started! I'm going to try to tame the greens with more yellow based greens.

At the Dance

2011-07-26T11:20:00.000-05:00

In between projects right now, I made this mosaic, "At the Dance". It's 30" x 30". Stained Glass Mosaic. I have a meeting tomorrow about the next project. More on that later. Have a great day!

Three mosaics

2011-07-10T16:58:00.002-05:00

These three mosaics will be hung in the elevator lobby in the same building where the mural is going. They are 20" x 20" each. I'm so excited to get them and the mural installed in about a week!

Birthday deals!

2011-07-01T07:51:00.003-05:00

My birthday is this month, and to celebrate I'm offering all of you 25% off of everything in my etsy shop! There are mosaics, books, cards, paintings... Just select any items you want and put them in your cart, and then use this coupon code when you check out:

JULYSPECIAL (no spaces)

Thanks, and enjoy!

Barb

FINISHED!!!!

2011-06-16T13:16:00.002-05:00

I've just finished grouting the final panel of the mural - the rocks! It will be installed mid-July. Final size is 5 feet high by 13 feet across.

New item in my Etsy store

2011-06-08T10:58:00.002-05:00

Hi! I have just added a new item to my Etsy store. It's a collection of ten postcards featuring my mosaic work. I had these for sale at my art tour show and they were a big success. People were getting them to use as postcards, but also just to put up on the fridge, and a few said they were planning on framing some of them. You can buy them HERE. Ten postcards for only $9. Enjoy!

Butterfly Wing

2011-06-04T14:38:00.002-05:00

I decided to finish up this butterfly wing before starting in on the final panel of the mural. I started this one during a demo at an art fair in April and it's been sitting patiently waiting for me to finish it ever since.

This is going in the same building as the big mural, but it will be down the hall and around the corner by the elevators. It's one of a series of three 20" x 20" mosaics that will be hung there.

Next Panel Completed!

2011-05-31T13:46:00.003-05:00

I've just finished with the fifth panel of the mural. It's a 5'h x 3'w rose and will sit next to the pinecones. This week I'll start on the sixth (and final) panel...rocks!

Work in Progress of Rose

2011-05-24T09:37:00.003-05:00

This is my progress on the fifth panel of the mural, a rose. It is 5'h by 3'w.

Mural Work in Progress

2011-05-02T12:34:00.003-05:00

I've just finished the pinecones! I'm happy with how they turned out.

Pinecones WIP

2011-04-20T09:10:00.002-05:00

Here is a work in progress shot of the pinecones. This is the fourth panel of the mural, so it is also 5' high. I'm happy with how it's looking so far!

Third Panel completed

2011-03-30T10:03:00.003-05:00

I've just finished grouting the third panel (out of six) for the mural I'm working on. It's five feet high, and six and a half feet wide so far.

I used some textured leaves that are very pretty and iridescent. I was a little worried about cleaning them, but the grout came right off with a toothbrush.

It Takes a Village

2011-03-03T11:02:00.003-06:00

The familiar African Proverb is the title of this piece created for a neonatal unit. 26"h x 38"w, stained glass mosaics, with some screen printing and some fused pieces. My initial design was more of a European style village at night, but they wanted more of a neighborhood feel and daytime. They also wondered if it was possible to hide a kangaroo somewhere in the piece. Do you see her?

It Takes a Village

2011-02-22T07:42:00.002-06:00

I'm working on a different piece this week (not part of the mural). It's for a neonatal unit in a hospital. Here's a sneak peek.

Second panel completed

2011-02-18T15:34:00.002-06:00

I've just finished grouting the second panel - trees! Here is how it will look next to the first panel. Both pieces are 5'h. The leaf is 3'w and the trees are 1'w. Have a great weekend!

Panel #2

2011-02-14T09:09:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I'm working on panel #2 of the mural. Here is a work in progress shot.

First panel is done!

2011-02-08T16:58:00.002-06:00

I'm working on a large mosaic mural. It will be made up of six panels. I just finished grouting the first panel, a giant leaf 5'h x 3'w.

Work in Progress on Giant Oak Leaf

2011-01-27T10:00:00.000-06:00

I'm working on the first panel right now, a big oak leaf. TIP: If you work with Weldbond, you might want to try keeping it upside-down in a container. That way, the glue is always ready at the tip for you! You can see it in the picture here. I use an old cottage cheese container.

New Project

2011-01-24T07:16:00.002-06:00

Hi, all! I'm starting in on a new project. This one is going to take six months. It will be several panels, all five feet high of varying widths. When put together, the mosaic mural will be 13 feet wide. It will be all glass mosaics. I've measured and cut all the wedi boards, attached french cleats to the back, drawn all the designs, and now I'm starting in on the leaf.

Two more mosaics

2011-01-15T13:10:00.001-06:00

I've just completed two more mosaics. The one on the left is titled "My Dream Goes Wandering" (stained glass mosaic, 38"h x 24"w). On the right is "Day Has Just Begun" (stained glass mosaic, 40"h x 19.5"w). Both will be heading to clinics, on in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin.

Works in Progress

2011-01-07T09:56:00.002-06:00

Here is a work in progress shot of two mosaics I'm working on right now. Have a great weekend!

A new design

2011-01-04T09:10:00.002-06:00

I got a Wacom digital drawing tablet! It makes it easy to draw in Photoshop, and I can blend images with my drawings. Here is my first design done on the Wacom, one of two mosaic projects I'm working on right now.

Mosaics from 2010

2010-12-23T23:03:00.003-06:00

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Mother's Love

2010-12-21T12:55:00.002-06:00

This is for a birth center. Roughly 9"h x 41"w. Happy Holidays to all!

Finished!

2010-12-18T08:09:00.003-06:00

I got all three panels finished with a few days to spare. I'm going to try to squeeze in one more project before Wednesday.

Work in progress

2010-12-12T16:55:00.001-06:00

Progress on the three panels. The girls playing a game are 18x18, the other two are 12x12.

Sketches for next project

2010-12-09T16:50:00.003-06:00

I'll be working on three mosaics for my next project. It's for a children's hospital and I hope to show kids of differing ethnicities having a great time, despite limited mobility issues, which are faced by many of the children there. Due date is in a couple weeks, so check back soon!

Four bird panels

2010-12-02T08:01:00.003-06:00

These four birds are for a children's hospital. The art consultant wanted me to create some birds in the same style as four birds I did previously. No pinks and purples allowed, but oh, how those pinks and purples were pulling at me, especially for the background of the goldfinch! But I like to look of the yellow background. I wouldn't have done it without those restrictions, but somehow the yellow on yellow really works! Sometimes it's good to have limits and find new solutions!

New Birds

2010-11-27T07:22:00.004-06:00

I'm working on four bird panels for a children's hospital. The deadline has been moved up from Dec 20 to Dec 3, so I've got to finish them this week! Here are three of them (reversed in mirror). The fourth, a cedar waxwing, is also finished, and I've done the background for that one as well. Three more backgrounds to go!

"Art of Food"

2010-11-03T09:58:00.002-05:00

The Lanesboro Art Center is having an exhibit called The Art of Food. I created a paper mosaic for this show called Essential Ingredient (garlic... what else?), which sold at the opening night reception!

By the way, did you know you can follow on Facebook?

Six Little Preludes was installed today!

2010-10-14T19:21:00.003-05:00

My mosaic "Six Little Preludes" was installed today at the Children's Hospital. It didn't go off entirely without a hitch because of the tiny switch for the fire blanket that was located right in the middle of where the piece was supposed to hang! After a meeting of about a dozen minds, we decided to hang it just to the left of the little switch and they will redo the wallpaper and install an extra light. But it will be great in it's new home! I hope it will bring joy to many! More pics at: http://www.facebook.com/barbarakeithdesigns

Ribbon Cutting in Bemidji!

2010-10-09T20:39:00.003-05:00

It's finally open! Today was the official ribbon cutting, after which they opened the doors to the public for the first time. It was great seeing people see the floor for the first time!

Update on Bemidji Floor

2010-10-01T09:33:00.002-05:00

I was up in Bemidji yesterday to see the floor. It's DONE!! It really looks incredible. Here's a teaser photo. I posted 25 other pics on my facebook fan page, so I'm going to refer you there instead of uploading them all again. http://www.facebook.com/barbarakeithdesigns

While you are there, please "Like" my page! I just set it up recently and I've already given two books away! I'll do it again when we hit 300 fans.

Update on Children's Hospital

2010-09-29T07:59:00.003-05:00

Done! Next stop - framers. They'll give it a nice decorative frame, although it will hang from the french cleat that is already attached to the back. Then it will be ready to installed!

Update on Children's Hospital

2010-09-17T08:27:00.002-05:00

I'm working on a project for the Children's Hospital in Minneapolis. It's 5'h x 6'w and it's called Six Little Preludes. It's for the music themed floor of the building. Birds done, finishing up vegetation now. Then the background! It will be shades of yellows. Some tiles in the vegetation and background are transparent so the sheet music shows through.

2010-09-14T16:39:00.003-05:00

I've just started a Facebook Fan page. Please stop by and maybe you'll "Like" the page. I've already posted a few albums, including one with all of my mosaics from 2010 (so far), one with my mosaics from 2009. I'll occasionally be giving books away, too!

Bemidji Update

2010-09-11T07:53:00.004-05:00

I took these photos off the Bemidji Regional Event Center facebook page. Isn't the floor looking beautiful? Above is the area with the lake near the windows. In the lake there are fish, a loon, and a beaver and his lodge.

Bemidji Update

2010-09-03T11:44:00.006-05:00

The very last section was poured this week! There are also some areas that are polished, and everything in between. It was very exciting to see the floor. Should be just a few more weeks and they will be finished. After everything is polished, they will add a sealer as the last step.

A loon diving for his dinner.

Much of the floor looks about like this hallway. Sprinkled with grit and ready for polishing.

This part of the floor has been polished. It's still very dirty and dusty, but nearly done! These steps come down from the arena seats.

Close up of some of the polished floor.

A sand hill crane. This area is not yet sanded down, so you see only the epoxy color.

Here is the very last section that was poured! It's still wet.

A few fish.

He's polishing the floor here.

This guy is polishing around the edges.

One last photo... I was driving around Bemidji and passed this sign!

Children's Hospital update

2010-08-29T07:51:00.003-05:00

I've got five birds done so far. I'm pulling out some of my favorite glass on this project - the mirrored and iridized glass! I like shiny and twinkly - surprise! :) I took this photo while looking up into the mirror that is mounted above my table. That explains why it's in reverse and why my camera is in it's own photo. It's nice to see such a large piece from a distance, and the mirror is great for that!

Elmer won First Place!!

2010-08-25T14:51:00.004-05:00

Last night we went to the Preview Night for the artists at the Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Competition. I wasn't even through the front door when I spotted Elmer. They hung him right inside the front door, and even better, they hung a giant ruffly blue ribbon next to him! I am still flying high! It's quite an honor. Over 2000 people entered this year. Only one blue ribbon in each category - I think there are 8 categories (like photography, sculpture, painting, etc...) My category is ceramics and glass. If you get a chance, please stop by the state fair fine arts building and visit Elmer, the blue ribbon pig!

Six Little Preludes - Work In Progress

2010-08-18T14:49:00.002-05:00

I've finished two more birds and started in on the fourth bird. There are six in all.

Elmer has been accepted!

2010-08-11T12:27:00.003-05:00

Great news! I just found out Elmer has been accepted in the 2010 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Competition! It's not easy getting in, so I'm thrilled! If you go to the fair, please stop by and say Hi to Elmer!

Six Little Preludes - Work In Progress

2010-08-09T17:16:00.004-05:00

I'm starting in on a project for Children's Hospital - Minneapolis. This will be on the third floor, which has the theme of "Music". I covered the backer with sheet music of Bach's "Six Little Preludes" because some of the background will be done in transparent colored glass. Now that I've drawn out the design, I'm beginning to mosaic the six little songbirds. Below is the first little guy, using stained glass, iridescent glass, and VanGogh glass. The glass on the birds is opaque, so you will not see the music.

Terrazzo Floor Update

2010-08-04T19:23:00.008-05:00

It's always so exciting to see progress on the floor! The floor is basically a U shape with one arm out the side of the U. They have poured the floors for most of the U, and laid the strips for the last part of the U. They haven't done anything to the arm hallway yet. So the floor is in various stages, ranging from untouched to ready for buffing.

I think the most exciting thing I saw this time was the mirror bits sparkling in the water sections. The water is along a long wall of windows, so the mirror bits and mother of pearl chips are really going to pick up that light and shine!

Here the guys are mixing the different aggregate stones together. This mix goes in red epoxy.
Such a pretty Canadian Goose!
This grit is sprinkled on most of the floor. It will help with final buffing.
Trees with brass leaves/fruit.
Front entrance. This is the last part of the U shape that needs to be done.
The end of the U shape where the water starts. You can see the bottom right corner is unsanded. The rest of it has been sanded.
One of the fish. This is before the floor is sanded down. You can't see the aggregate mix at all, only the epoxy color.
Up close mirror bits! You can see there are little holes. Those get filled in with grout.
They added a little water so I could see how it shines! Wait until you see it!
Some little fish. One is still partially covered. Will be exposed fully with more sanding down.

Bemidji Update

2010-07-20T12:22:00.004-05:00

Things at the event center are really progressing! It's so fun to see my design coming to life. Here are some photos from my visit yesterday. You can see that the terrazzo has been ground in some areas. This is very exciting - the aggregate in the epoxy mix shows now.

Here is a brass insert with the different colors of epoxy filled in and ground. We swished some dirty water over it to bring out the colors. This goose is flying over a sunset color.

Here you can see that the left side of this floor has been ground, but the right side is still unground. Later it will be grouted and polished which will make the color more vibrant. But this is a good demonstration of how the unground terrazzo only shows the epoxy color, while the ground part shows both epoxy and aggregate.
He's grouting this section to fill in the little air holes that might remain behind. You can get a sense of the colors, but the water is very dirty, so it does obscure the true color.

A close up of a bird, with a little section lightly moistened. The brass inserts are going to look amazing!

They have started in on the other side of the building as well. This side has no sky, but water. This loon is going after a few fish.

Bemidji Pioneer paper

2010-07-13T10:43:00.003-05:00

I just got a copy of the paper so I thought I'd share it. The article and photo were quite prominent! I recently posted the content of the article here.

Outdoor Art Fairs

2010-07-12T20:02:00.002-05:00

A few years back, I did three outdoor art fairs. There was severe weather at each one. One of the storms quickly turned into a tornado warning and we were left in our little booth with the rain coming in sideways, holding the tent down so the whole thing wouldn't blow away. Another time my grid wall left two 20" scrapes in the hood of my car. I swore I would never do an outdoor art fair again.

Allow some time to pass...

Yesterday I did another outdoor art fair. Why, I cannot tell you. While most of the day was nothing more than extremely hot and sticky, the last couple of hours left us all drenched by two very strong downpours. I've got a lot of really wavy warped books now that will have to be added to my damaged stack (half price books, anyone?).

Luckily, today was sunny and dry and I laid everything out in my driveway. Everything except the books recovered.

On a more positive note, thank you so much to all the people who came by my booth and bought something to take home with them!

Art at St. Kate's on Sunday, July 11

2010-07-09T14:12:00.004-05:00

I'll be at this event. I hope you can make it! Click here for more info.

Article in the Bemidji Pioneer Newspaper - June 20, 2010

2010-06-21T07:24:00.003-05:00

This was in the paper yesterday:

Construction of BREC terrazzo floor begins
Molly Miron - 06/20/2010

The work of art that will be the floor of the Bemidji Regional Event Center is now taking shape – literally.

“This whole area is going to be terrazzo,” said Barbara Keith, the artist who designed the 15,000-square-foot panorama of leaves, trees, birds, fish and animals framed by the blue north woods sky and waters.

The crew from Advance Terrazzo and Tile of Coon Rapids, Minn., has prepared much of the surface and installed the aluminum vertical sections that will divide and frame the colors and patterns the workers will inlay. The terrazzo is colored marble chips mixed with epoxy.

“It’s a pattern of a lot of intersecting leaves,” Keith said. “It’s the story of what’s happening in the fall. The birds are migrating; the beaver is working on his lodge.” The animal images and some of the other details are brass, which will be polished to a golden sheen. The brass and aluminum inserts will stay shiny because of the foot traffic from BREC visitors.

Keith was one of three finalist artists seeking the appointment. She said she had a budget from the BREC officials and sought bids from Advance Terrazzo and DeMars, also of Coon Rapids, for the brass details. She said she chose to work in the Ojibwe Woodland style of art to make the design a story that unfolds as visitors walk around the hockey arena and conference center.

“Once I came across that, it just fell together,” she said. She chose as animal characters the representatives of major Ojibwe clans: crane, bear, loon, fish, marten, bird and hoofed animal, in this case deer.

A person standing in one spot can’t see the whole picture, but a stroll allows the images to unroll. “It will invite people to explore – at least I hope so,” Keith said. “You might come across a lake and catch a glimpse of a fish, a loon diving for dinner or a beaver preparing for winter. A river flows away from the lake and across your path, but no worries, there is a series of rocks that is reminiscent of the beginnings of the Mississippi River in Itasca that will see you safely across.”

Keith, who also works in stained glass and mosaic, said she has completed many public art projects, but nothing as big as the BREC before. “I love they’re going to be in a place where lots of people can enjoy them,” she said.

A Mosaic Trade with Christine Brallier

2010-06-16T14:12:00.004-05:00

Look what I got in the mail today!! Art trades are lots of fun, but you can't really make a living at it. So even though I've never done a mosaic trade before, I made an exception with Christine Brallier, a mosaic artist in California that has been my long time pen pal and good friend. I am so glad I did, because I had such fun making the mosaic I gave to her (see below). I think I smiled the whole time I made it. Then of course, I got this masterpiece today. I cried. Yup. Flat out cried. It means a lot to me and will always be very special.

I was also glad I traded because I got to see the sides and back of her mosaic. She paints the back, which was very impressive and dressed it up so much, even though it's not seen by anyone but me. The sides were grouted (backer is wedi) with thinset underneath, which is much tougher than grout alone. Somehow she got the sides so flat and smooth. Beautiful! She also sent some fun goodies, including a magnet and some stickers.

Finally beginning work in Bemidji!

2010-06-12T12:12:00.003-05:00

It's finally time to begin working on the terrazzo floor at the event center in Bemidji. It was exciting to be on the site. It's very quiet and organized. We began by drawing the design in marker on the floor starting from one end. We made some progress, and the guys followed up with aluminum strips, like these pictured below. This will divide the different colored epoxy in the design. Above, I'm holding up one of the brass inserts that will be placed on the floor and filled with different colors. One of the final steps is polishing the floor which will make the brass shine. In the very bottom picture, you can see part of the floor with some marker lines and some strips going in.

The time has come!

2010-06-06T07:43:00.003-05:00

I've been waiting and the time has finally come to begin installation on the terrazzo floor! First my design will be drawn onto the floor in the concourse of the Bemidji Regional Event Center first, then the brass and aluminum goes down, then the terrazzo goes in. I think it will take about 2 months to install and I hope to post progress pics along the way.

2010-05-22T08:36:00.002-05:00

I've been very busy doing commissions for hospitals and clinics the last few months. I love this type of work, knowing that the artwork will be seen and enjoyed by many. Public art is so special, because it appears in places where people go for other reasons, and then they stumble upon the art unexpectedly. In healing environments like hospitals and clinics, the art can help calm, soothe, and distract the patients and visitors. I like being a part of that.

The recent piece above, Spring Birches on the River, is now in a Minnesota clinic.

Bluff Country Art Tour 2010

2010-04-26T09:14:00.005-05:00

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to visit me on the art tour this year! An extra special thanks to those of you who made a purchase. Thank you so much for supporting the arts! I look forward to seeing you again next year!

Fellow BCSAT artists: Click here to take the 2010 survey

Bluff Country Art Tour this weekend!

2010-04-21T10:24:00.005-05:00

Bluff Country Studio Art Tour

31 artists share their work and studios

When:

April 23-25, 2010

10 am-5 pm

Where:

Southeast Minnesota

Southwest Wisconsin

Northeast Iowa

http://www.bluffcountrystudioarttour.com/

The Wonderland Series

2010-04-15T08:16:00.002-05:00

The Olmsted Medical Center has purchased the Wonderland Series (Winter Wonderland - shown above, Spring Wonderland, Summer Wonderland, and Autumn Wonderland). I am always so happy when my work is placed in a public setting, especially healing or educational environments. Thank you, OMC!

Featured in La Crosse Magazine

2010-03-29T13:28:00.007-05:00

Check out pages 10-11 of the latest issue of La Crosse Magazine to see this article about my work.

What is an Artist?

2010-03-13T16:20:00.002-06:00

Sure, I spend time in my studio, but I like to participate in many different art forms. I'm performing in a play right now called Blithe Spirit and I'm playing Ruth. Ruth only wants the best for hubby (and herself) in this comedy by Noel Coward.

I've also been known to play the accordion, but that's a story for another day...

Bird Series Finds a New Nest

2010-03-03T07:36:00.005-06:00

This little bird series has found a nice home at the very prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester. It will join the amazing collection already there. I'm honored to have my work included. I went yesterday to drop off the mosaics and I was lucky to be treated to a personal tour of some of the art of the Gonda Building. Minnesota artist Michael Sweere has created some incredible pieces that I was lucky enough to see. Oh, and then there are other artists, like Dale Chihuly, but it's hard to measure up to Mike! ;) The art there is incredible. I'm going to go back when I have the whole day to see more!

Bluff Country Studio Art Tour 2010

2010-01-17T09:05:00.004-06:00

Hi all! I couldn't find much posted on the web, so I thought I'd put out some info for those of you that would like to attend the art tour and might be out there searching for details. The dates for the 2010 Bluff Country Studio Art Tour are April 23, 24, and 25. The art tour covers SE Minnesota and extends a little into NE Iowa and SW Wisconsin. I will be at the Lanesboro Community Center in downtown Lanesboro, MN, with several other artists including - but not limited to - a potter, someone who turns wood, and someone who makes purses. Below is an image from the tour a couple years ago. This year I will be selling mosaics, books, fused glass, jewelry, notecards/postcards and paintings. It's nice to have more than a 10'x10' space - we get lots of room to spread out!

The art tour is a great way to see artists working in their shops, as well as groups of artists that have come together in groups like us. I'd love to invite people to my home studio, but my long, steep and narrow driveway won't allow two way traffic, so I'm thankful I can still participate in a group setting like this. I usually have pretty deep discounts on my older mosaics, even more so on the last day. Hope to see you all there!

Mosaic Portrait of my Sister

2010-01-10T10:33:00.005-06:00

This is a mosaic portrait of my sister. I started with the photo of my family below (after I reduced it to only black and white in Photoshop - originally it was a color photo). After sketching it out on my board, I decided on which two colors of glass I'd be using. I love this red because it has so much variation in the glass, and it's always been her favorite color. The dark brown is warm and went well with the red, and it added a good amount of dark contrast.
She opened it yesterday and loved it. I gave it to her and her husband, since my mom said she might feel funny hanging a big mosaic of herself up in her house. Funny, I'd have no problem hanging a big picture of me in my house! ;) By giving it to her husband, he can put it up and she doesn't have to say she hung it!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-30T10:40:00.003-06:00

Though it isn't officially the Year of the Pig, Elmer is here to ring in the new year with a smile! I grouted this yesterday, with the cleaning help of hubby Pete, and today Elmer the pig sat for his official portrait. I'd like to wish everyone reading this a happy, healthy, creative, and productive 2010!

Terrazzo samples

2009-12-26T11:25:00.004-06:00

Here are some of the terrazzo samples for the arena project. These three are my proposals for the water areas. They have some bits of mother of pearl and mirror to give it a reflective sparkly surface evocative of water. I've had to ask for some redos of some of the other colors because I wasn't happy with the aggregate mix I had selected. As you can imagine, it really affects the overall color. The redos look great, however!

I've been out of town in Florida visiting family, but I'm back and just an hour ago laid the final piece in the pig (see below). He's a happy guy, and I think I'll name him Elmer. Apologies to my Uncle Elmer, who at one time was, in fact, a pig farmer...

Hope you all had a merry Christmas!

Mosaics again!

2009-12-05T09:10:00.005-06:00

My little vacation from mosaics was wonderful! I love painting and linocuts, and so many other things. I need to make other art forms part of my regular routine. It helps me grow and stretch as an artist, and it made me even more excited to come back to mosaics!

I actually completed a large mosaic just before my "vacation" that I can't post because it is a gift. After the holidays I'll share it with you. But right now I'm working on a very large pig! This one is 48"h x 36"w. I really need to mount a mirror above my table because it is hard to stand back from this and see it well since it's so big. Taking pics helps - seeing the image on the camera screen or the computer screen helps the mistakes jump right out. In this pic, lots of the pieces are just laying there, not glued down. Usually I glue as I go, but with so many colors, I need to see how they are working together, and then change things around to get the right mix. So it's taking me longer than normal to put this one together. But I'm loving it! Feels good to be back!

Answer... Not for me

2009-11-18T07:50:00.004-06:00

My last post was titled, "Selling on Ebay - Does it work?" My answer is "No, not for me!" I listed four pieces, none of which sold. Maybe not enough of a bargain, even though they were marked much lower than their original prices. There were only about 20 views a piece. Oh, well. I'm out 60 cents...

Selling on Ebay - Does it work?

2009-11-13T07:50:00.004-06:00

I've listed four of my mosaics on Ebay. I put them on for very low prices in the hopes of clearing out some of my older work (above from L to R: Lily, Joy, Reaction, and Belle). This is a bit of an experiment. I'm not sure how successful Ebay is for selling artwork. Have any of you tried it? Did it work for you?

Innocence found!

2009-10-28T09:51:00.002-05:00

I heard an author talk about "losing your innocence" when you attain proficiency at something. You know how when you go to a new place you are amazed by every bird and tree, and you can't believe all these people aren't gazing adoringly at all the sights just like you are? They have lived there, gotten used to it, and "lost their innocence" about the place.

So I'm on a little vacation from mosaics, much as I love them, to try some new things! It's been an exciting couple of weeks with the new terrazzo job, making some linocuts, and now painting. I can feel my engines recharging, like a glass filling up with water. I'm loving this! I've regained my innocence!

I Got the Job!

2009-10-26T11:56:00.007-05:00

A little over a month ago I was selected as a finalist for a large public art project - a terrazzo floor design for a large event center. Last week I presented my proposal to the committee and I just found out that it has been selected! I'm so excited about it! Here is some background:

What is terrazzo? You have probably seen terrazzo many times and just not known the name. It's an epoxy floor with stone, granite, quartz, glass, or other aggregate like this:
By changing the color of the filler, and the color of the aggregate, you can create different looks and colors. The different colors are divided by aluminum strips.

The event center will host ballrooms, a conference center, and more, but the main attraction is a hockey arena. My floor design will wrap around the bowl of the arena. You can see the construction beginning over my shoulder on the left side of the photo. More info about the event center is at: http://bemidjievents.com/

They were looking for a north woods feeling for this floor design. My design has three sections: earth, water, and sky. (I'm holding my design above.) You will see leaves of autumn in the earth section, like on a forest floor in fall. In the water area, you might spy a fish, a loon, or a beaver. The sky area shows Canadian Geese migrating south. It will incorporate brass inserts for the animals. More about that as it happens.

I will post updates of this project as it unfolds. I'm so excited!!!!

Marketing Yourself

2009-10-13T08:32:00.013-05:00

This image is from a recent mosaic called "When One Door Closes, Another Opens". It's all about opportunities. I'm going to be talking about opportunities for marketing ourselves at our next Minnesota Mosaic Guild meeting. We are so lucky to have a great group of mosaicists that get together monthly to share ideas. Since my blog will be one of our sites to visit, I'm going to post the list of good websites and other ideas here. Some of these sites and books are suggested by Christine Brallier. If any of you has any other info to share, leave a comment. Thanks!

Marketing Yourself

Online:
http://www.flickr.com (share pics, learn from others, make friends, MMG group – highly recommended)
http://www.mosaicsandceramics.ning.com (learn a lot here)
http://www.mnartists.org (Minnesota only, all forms of art)
http://www.etsy.com (sell some things)
http://www.americanmosaics.org/ (SAMA)
http://www.barbarakeithdesigns.com (get yourself a website)
http://www.barbarakeithdesigns.blogspot.com (get yourself a blog)
http://www.minnesotamosaicguild.org
http://www.artofmosaic.com
http://www.0ddlyenoughmosaics.com
http://www.mosaic-tile-guide.com
http://www.fineartamerica.com
http://www.facebook.com (meet other mosaicists, list your website)
http://www.myartspace.com
http://www.artbizblog.com (good marketing advice)
http://www.cafepress.com (sell your designs on mugs, shirts, etc…)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mosaic_addicts/ (forum – ask questions, get answers!)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mosaicartistsorg/ (forum – ask questions, get answers!)
http://mosaicyearbook.com/ (get published guaranteed)
http://www.mosaicandstainedglass.org/ (forum)
http://www.vistaprint.com (cheap business cards, postcards, etc…)

•Google “Public art opportunities” or “call for artists” and find websites listing offerings
•Email signature (market yourself with every email you send)
•Crosslinking with friends and mosaic websites (you get found in google and on their sites)
(by the way, if you want to cross link with me, leave me your link in the comments area and I'll list your site here on my blog. You can link back to me at www.barbarakeithdesigns.com Thanks!)

Other ways to market yourself:
Galleries/shows (go to galleries and get on their mailing list)
Art Fairs
Private Commissions
Newsletters/brochures/business cards/placing ads/portfolios/notecards of your work
Mailing lists
Ask newspapers or magazines to write an article about you
Tax ID number, MN and Federal (you’ll need this for art fairs and some other opportunities)

Books:
Art Marketing 101
I’d Rather be in the Studio

Class Quilt

2009-09-28T16:38:00.004-05:00

Here is the beautiful result from our class! I took the photo outside on a cloudy day, so the iridescence really shows up well. Several students worked on most of the squares. There were only a few squares that weren't used because they were less than half done. I finished up a few squares that were nearly complete. These were all students that didn't know how to cut glass, and look what they did! You can tell they are artistic people.

The quilt will be donated to the Edina Art Center in Edina, Minnesota, where the conference was held.

Teaching

2009-09-25T17:28:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I was a presenter at the National Tile Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Living up to the "National" part of its name, I had only two students from Minnesota out of 80. My class introduced these fabulous tile artists to the art of mosaics. Although it was a lot of work (and some nerves once I found out there would be 40 students in my classes!) it went so well, was lots of fun, and everyone got a chance to work on a community mosaic!
This was part of my New Year's resolution to:
1) give a lecture - done in April
2) teach a mosaic class - done!

Now do I get to relax?

Update on "Bad Hair Day"

2009-09-08T11:38:00.002-05:00

Since I documented the creation of this mosaic, I thought I'd offer some follow up now that she is done. Bad Hair Day has taken up residence in the front window of a gallery. Hopefully she will catch someone's eye. But with hair like that...

Harriet at the Fair

2009-09-07T09:50:00.003-05:00

Harriet has been spending the last couple of weeks at the Minnesota State Fair in the Fine Arts Exhibition. She's far from lonely - over 10, 000 visitors go through that building every day of the fair! Over 2500 people entered, only 370 got in. I've gotten two ribbons in the past (2004 and 2006), but since they changed from flat ribbons to the giant ruffly kind in 2008 I haven't gotten an award. I gotta get me a ruffly ribbon! Maybe next year...

Janine Irisarri, a fellow Minnesota Mosaic Guild member, also got in. I also saw a mosaic vase, but I think that was it for mosaics. Janine got one of those ruffly ribbons! Congrats!

I said goodbye to Harriet when I was at the fair the other day. Someone has purchased her so she'll move into her new home after the fair.

Fused Glass Birds

2009-08-21T08:12:00.003-05:00

I'm making these "Gooney Birds" for a gallery nearby. The great thing is... they keep "flying" out of there! They are surprisingly popular. They are fun to make and they are all different. My favorite part may be the copper wire legs, and I've noticed that they seem to be getting longer and bigger as I make more.

A few more for Ilona (sorry for the poor photos)...

Sketching

2009-08-18T17:40:00.004-05:00

Christine Brallier and I made a pact that we were going to do at least five minutes of sketching every day. It's something I wish I did regularly since I enjoy it and it helps me become a better artist, but I rarely do it! But now I have made a pact with a friend AND I'm declaring it here to the world (or at least to the one or two people that might read this) that I will sketch for at least 5 minutes a day from here on out. So far two days successfully completed! I also want to do 60 situps a day, but that's another story...

Anyone want to join us (sketching or sit-ups!)?

"Bad Hair Day" is finished!

2009-08-04T15:23:00.005-05:00

She's finished! (Detail above, scroll down to see the whole piece.)

Today I grouted the mosaic. It took me a little longer than usual because there were uneven pieces throughout. I average about an hour to grout a piece, this took about 1 hr 15 min. Total time was about 15 hours. The piece is 42"h x 12"w.

After grouting, I etched my signature in the glass and took photos. I always take the photos through photoshop to square them up (so the edges aren't crooked), crop them, and get them set for my website, which means making a drop shadow behind it and making a 1" button.

Now... what to do next...

Ready for Grout

2009-08-03T15:30:00.002-05:00

I finished gluing tiles for Bad Hair Day today. I'm planning on grouting it tomorrow. I hadn't worked on it since mid last week. With the beautiful weather and the way our schedules work, I do most of my work M-W. I don't get much done, but it's been great being outside enjoying summer!

I Have a Title: "Bad Hair Day"

2009-07-30T08:19:00.002-05:00

"Bad Hair Day" seems like a good title. Look at all that stuff stuck in there! There is even a squirrel. If that's not a bad hair day, I don't know what is...

I'm not done with the hair (there is more above the pic). Next session.

New Mosaic

2009-07-28T18:07:00.006-05:00

I thought I'd document the making of a mosaic here from start to finish. I think it's hard to explain, since each one is processed so differently from the next, but at least this tells the story of this particular mosaic.

I don't have a title for this one yet. I was sketching in my sketchbook and I came up with a face I liked, starting with the eyes. The one on the left was one of those continuous line drawings that are fun to do and force you to draw differently than you normally draw. I liked something about the eyes, so I drew an eye without the continuous line, still liked the eye, and so drew a face.
So I grabbed a scrap of wedi board. This one was very vertical or very horizontal. I turned it vertically and drew the face near the bottom and lots of hair piled on top. I changed the face a bit and had to do some erasing, but I like how it looks now.
So far I've put in about half an hour. The next thing I did was put in the wedi washers near the top. This hanging system allows the mosaic to be hung on a nail. This took about 10 minutes.

I started gluing the glass down for the eyes. When I'm working on a face, I always start with the eyes. If you have great, expressive eyes, it hardly matters what else you do with the face! I always put a glint of light (white glass) in each eye to give it life. Then the pupil, iris, whites, and surround. Next I worked on the lips, then the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin.

I didn't plan on making the skin all colorful, it just happened. I was actually planning on doing it all in one color, but suddenly felt like doing this. I wasn't totally sure about the cheeks being the larger pieces, but it's kind of grotesque and clownish, which seems to work for this one. Very painted on. She's got a beauty spot, too, of course. I'm happy with it overall, because it's a bit more fun with all the color. I don't want this to be stuffy at all, rather I want it to have a sense of humor. I don't know what will happen with the hair yet, but it might be fun to have all sorts of crazy things in there.

Finally I did the collar, the blouse and the earrings. The mosaicking has taken me about 7 hours so far.
She ends up looking older and less glamourous than the drawing, which I'm really happy about!

What to Do With All Those Saved Fortunes?

2009-07-22T11:38:00.004-05:00

I've been saving fortunes from cookies forever. Un-fortune-ately, many are stained from the cookie oils, but I still have a pretty good selection. A few years ago, I used some of these in a painting, but this is the first time I've used them in mosaics. I love how they inspire ideas! This is one for the show at 360 I mentioned below.
I'm also using millefiori for the first time with my most recent mosaics. They add a little flair and they are a bit whimsical, which fits for this theme. I put some in the kiln and melted them to see how that would look. I used the melted ones below in another fortune piece.

Angel Ornaments

2009-07-21T16:00:00.003-05:00

I'm working on some ornaments for the Gallery 360 show. For these I collaged lots of Victorian images in Photoshop. I started with some girls, added wings to each, and decorated the surrounding area with other images of birds, flowers, text, etc... Then I mosaiced each one with clear glass in a pendant tray.

Gallery 360 show next Nov/Dec

2009-07-08T08:40:00.003-05:00

I am working on a show for Gallery 360 that will be in Nov/Dec. It's a five foot show, so very small. The theme is Victorian Angels. I'm working on large pieces, like the one above (Magical Life) down to small ornaments.

People are always asking how I do the faces, so here it is: I photocopy clip art, paint it, and glue clear glass over the top. I did the bird a little differently - I screen printed the bird onto clear glass, then glued that over crumpled tinfoil. The wings are printed scrapbooking paper covered by clear tempered glass. The rest is all stained glass, surrounded by a border of gold mirrored glass.

Roseville Bandshell Medallion Completed

2009-06-09T08:03:00.005-05:00

The Roseville Bandshell Medallion is complete and there was an unveiling on Sunday night. You can see the older post for details, but basically it was originally supposed to be a mosaic. I urged them to go this way instead (pigmented cement with bits of recycled glass) and everyone was happy with the result. I did the design and Concrete Arts did the fabrication. It should last for years to come! They painted a copy of the design on the back wall of the bandshell, too, which looked really nice. The misspelling was corrected and the repair is barely visible.

The dedication was really nice, with local dancers, orchestra, bands, speakers, etc... but it was really cold and a little drizzly at times. (note my frizzy hair!) But people were bundled up and having a fun time. In this picture it looks a little like no one wants to look at the medallion, so I'll just tell you that this was after the great unveiling (it was covered up and ceremoniously unveiled). Everyone clapped and oohed and ahhed and came up to look closely. It was cute because everyone toed around it but no one stepped on it except Frank Rog, the honoree, who stood in the middle of it for a photo. Very fitting!

The old medallion:

A close up of the glass chips:

Roseville Bandshell Medallion

2009-05-29T11:03:00.004-05:00

The medallion has been installed! I did the design and Concrete Arts did the fabrication. It was originally going to be a mosaic, but after speaking to several experts, we decided to go with a pigmented concrete piece that has bits of recycled glass in it. It looks really nice, especially the image where the colored areas are separated by silver metal strips. The letters look a little rougher without the metal borders. The medallion is all dusty in the photo, and there were even tire tracks on it. I am so happy that this will be long lasting and durable and stand up to cold winters and tire tracks (unlike a mosaic)!

Unfortunately, the word Amphitheatre was spelled with an -er instead of an -re like the city wanted, so Concrete Arts is going to have to redo those two letters. My design was correct, however (whew!). There will be a dedication at 5:00 on Sunday, June 7. I'll be there enjoying the concert and if you live in the area, I'd love to see you!

Aurora

2009-05-22T15:03:00.005-05:00

I changed the title to Aurora. It sounded a little more magical than Northern Lights and I thought it fit the piece better. It was really fun making this one. As I mentioned before, this is new for me because I usually create representational art. It was liberating to have the freedom to do what I wanted and not worry if something looked real or not, although I had to fight that feeling back a few times!