Welcome to Issue 7 of Mosaic & Glass magazine. As ever, a huge thank you to all the contributors involved in putting it together. My fellow writers and I have really enjoyed interviewing some wonderful artists for this issue.
The topics of innovation and experimentation come up in conversations with several of the artists featured. Mieke Ceusters is very excited to have found her thing with her contemporary twist on Roman mosaics; Cleo Mussi says she kept experimenting until she found the materials that spoke to her and found her style; and Kelley Knickerbocker talks to Anabella Wewer about her patterns and processes, which sometimes take months or years to develop, and involve a lot of experimentation and iteration. Blacksmith Katie Surridge is new to mosaic and she tells me how she enjoys experimenting by infusing these ancient techniques with a contemporary outlook, plus Marian Shapiro talks about evolving existing techniques, using trial and error until she found what works for her.
For our long read on glass, Catherine Rose interviews historian glass art historian Justine Hopkins, taking us on a fascinating journey of glass innovation over the last century. Catherine also asks Justine who she believes to be the contemporary glass artists pushing boundaries today.
Once again, you’ll find some great technical tips direct from the artists. Plus, Lawrence Payne shares a tutorial on the rules and principles of Roman mosaics – it’s a keeper! And Oliver Budd give his advice for teaching mosaics, which he’s gleaned from years of experience.
A big shout out to Rob Manning for the excellent graphic design once again. And thank you very much to our advertisers in Issue 7 – the ads highlight a great range of services and products. We’re delighted to welcome some new advertisers in this issue and there are some special discounts just for you.
Finally, a huge thank you to you, our readers. Please do spread the word about it to your artist friends if you like what you read.
Enjoy it!
Rhona Duffy
Editor