Aspiring to acquire new skills has been my mantra since moving to New Zealand. I craved this to be a chance to break away from how I saw myself by challenging this self-perception with new routines and new interests. Some things have worked well – like snowboarding – others have been epic fails – going to the gym every week. Other things seem to come and go as they please, and I am happy with this – swimming laps for fitness, reading more books and eating healthy are just a few. The latest craze for me though has been……mosaic. Gasp! The domain of bored housewives and childcare centre inmates. However, I did some research and found it to be one of the most ancient and elaborate art forms in the world, with examples still standing from thousands of years ago all across northern Africa and the old roman empire. A stash of library books later and an all day work shop saw a new terror unleashed on society. I was ready to create a formidable artistic impression on the world. So far though the impression is more of a small dent with only one piece completed – a mirror. No quite the walled garden of an ancient roman artisan but a comfortable place to begin. There are a few more pieces lurking unfinished in my ‘studio’ as well as a mountain of tiles, boards, mirrors, glass and assorted utensils – all waiting to rally to generate pieces of enchantment and admiration. Stay tuned to be enthralled (and guess what you’re all getting for Christmas’ for the rest of you lives)!
