Jacqui Douglas

"From little things Big things grow"

Friday, March 4, 2011

Where have I been and what have I been up to?

hi, I have been a little quiet on my blog for well.. er....um 3yrs!! eeek how the time flys..I can't believe that I have not looked at this blog since 2008!
Well what have I been doing since closing the Smashing Things Mosaic Workshop and Retail store in Aug 2009? I have been busy with University studies finishing a degree in Fine Arts, and I have also been helping with my beautiful Grandchildren...four now and another little blessing due in July!
I still have been making Mosaics and Painting and have done some commissions for Japan and China. The last one was delivered in January to Xiamen, China and here are a few photos of it.....It is called "Heart Strings" and was commissioned as a gift given by the Sister Cities Assn of the Sunshine Coast Australia to their Chinese Sister City Xiamen. There was a Music exchange program in 2010 and this was to commemorate this, the Mosaic is to be placed on a wall in the Children's Imperial Palace in Xiamen city China.





Mosaic Diptych – Two panels 30cm by 60cm each.
Mosaic made with- 24ct Gold tesserae, Smalti, Marble and Ceramic tile, Glass, Metal objects.

This is the Story behind the making of the "Heart Strings" Mosaic :-
The image at the bottom shows a half of a Pipa which in this instance represents the Asian Culture of Xiamen China. At the top there is the image of half of a Violin, which represents the Western culture of the Sunshine Coast Australia.
The Heart and the Heartbeat is a metaphor for the joining of these two cultures.
The rhythm in the background shows many tesserae of all sizes and types, this is also a metaphor for the variety of people from our two cultures, glued together closely like this mosaic by the same human aspirations as they move through this journey we all call life.
The heart is in two pieces which is an auspicious number in China as good things come in twos, when the panels are hung together the two cultures of China (Xiamen) and Australia (Sunshine Coast) are joined forever in friendship.

1 comment:

Madison Moore said...

Very nice, very much like the work of the artists Chen! You must be a fan!
Maybe this is your inspiration!