MosaicBlues: 2015 .entry-content { font-size:25px !important; }

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Yezidi 021 - All tiles laid


I completed this week end the laying of the black and white tesserae of Yezidi 021. This mosaic is part of a set of Yezidi Kids Eyes I am creating to raise awareness of the suffering of Yezidi Children persecuted in Iraq and Syria.





I am still to lay some different colours tiles for the border. I will do this in January, for I should find some really cool tiles in Europe for this ! 





Now, because I am using a different technique for these sets of eyes, I perfectly know the number of tiles I have used on this piece. And so I have a question for you :  

How many tiles did I use to create this mosaic ?


Answer Next January...



I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see some of my own mosaics on my site mosaicblues.

 






If you are interested by this project or by my work in general 

or if you would simply like to drop me a line, please 

contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com  

or by phone at (334) 798 1639. 

 


   You can also










to receive regular updates on 
these Yezidi Eyes Mosaics  
& my other projects.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Mosaic Portaits


Although I create lots of eyes mosaics, I also do full face portraits. my last two were portraits of 2 young talented musician sisters. 






Luana on the left plays the Piano, Charlotte on the right plays the Cello 

In Luana's portrait, I was inspired by the "Primavera" painting of Sandro Boticelli. 







I realized Charlotte's in a more Classical Roman style by using a "Guilloche" border, as the one used in this Dionysos Mosaic from Lybia
















































These pieces had to be delivered in France. I built both of them on a fiberglass mesh and took them with me in a wooden crate. I then completed them in my small studio above the gorgeous Baie de Somme.


St Valery sur Somme



A few times every year I create custom mosaics for my collectors. They often, but not always, are portraits. 


If you were interested in a commission, here is how things typically happen :

  • You send me a picture of the space or area where you would like the mosaic.
  • You share your idea of what you want.
  • I create and share with you a draft drawing or computer rendering of the mosaic, complete in context so you can see it in your space, and you can offer feedback.
  • Once we agree on the project, you pay a 60% deposit and I go to work.
  • I deliver and install the mosaic in your space and show you how to care for it.

For more information, please contact me at frederic.lecut@gmail.com, or by phone at (334) 798 1639

I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see some of my own mosaics on my site mosaicblues.

 






If you are interested by my work in general 

or would simply like to drop me a line, please 

contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com  

or by phone at (334) 798 1639. 

 


   You can also






 

If you liked this post, please share it with your friends, if you did not like it, feel free to share it with your enemies...






Friday, December 11, 2015

Yezidis 011 and 021


There are a few things I really do not like. Child abuse is one of them. And so child abuse on a large scale, such as what the Yezidis children is something that deeply saddens me. And I do not like what is happening to the Yezidis women who are systematically raped and sold in slavery by their captors eager to go back to their interpretation of the Arabian 7th century society.

I cannot fix greed, hatred and stupidity, but I can try to help. 

I already have created one portrait of one of these children. This portrait is at the welding shop right now to get its frame made, and I will publish it once it is complete, but you can get some idea from my November 12 post "Yezidi Eyes"

I am presently working on two more portraits. 

Here are the models : 

A little girl

Yezidi 011


And a young boy.

Yezidi 021

I am realizing these mosaics according to a new and very unique method. To my knowledge, nobody ever made mosaics this way. The mosaics are realized in black and white, using only tiny glass tiles of various shades of grey.


The result is unique and stunning, as you will see it very soon once the first piece comes back from the shop. 


For the time being here are 2 pictures taken on Dec 4. As you can see, I am working in a very different way from the usual.


Yezidi 011- December 4.

It is however, a reverse method on mesh similar as what I have done for my last Pomegranate Tree. At the time I am writing (Dec 7) I have progressed some more, but have had to stop for I am waiting for a shipment of tiles ! 


Yezidi 021, Dec 4.


These kids were able to escape the persecution. They are now hosted in camps in Turkey and Iraq, financed by the Free Yezidi Foundation.

My goal is to auction these mosaics sometimes in the spring to raise money to help the foundation. I will donate 50 % of the profit of the auction to this cause.  
I have no idea of the way to organize this, so if you like this project and would like to help or participate, please let me know at frederic.lecut@gmail.com, or call me at (334) 798 1639.

 
I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see some of my own mosaics on my site mosaicblues.
 




If you are interested by this project or by my work in general 
or if you would simply like to drop me a line, please 
contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com  
or by phone at (334) 798 1639. 
 

   You can also





to receive regular updates on this
Yezidi Eyes Mosaic Project, 
and my other projects.
 

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Delivery !


2 weeks ago I drove from Alabama to Pennsylvania, 16 hours, mostly under  heavy rain...






Riding with me in the car was our Miura Hanshi Mosaic, a piece I was able to build thanks to generous contributions of people who backed my Kickstarter campaign. 





The Miura Hanshi mosaic was presented to Carl Long Hanshi, head instructor of the KNBK, an organization dedicated to the transmission of several traditional Japanese Martial Arts. 



Miura Hanshi was the 19th generation grandmaster in direct line from the founder of one of these arts. The presentation occurred in front of 60 Martial Artists gathered to train together in the Arts Miura Hanshi dedicated his life to transmit to us. 


The Miura Hanshi mosaic was built following the reverse method. It is made of 3 different black granites, ceramic and glass tiles. Its dimensions are 24 x 30" (60 x 75 cm).


I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see some of my own mosaics on my site mosaicblues.

 




A few times each year, I take on commission work.
If you are interested by a custom mosaic, 
portrait or an other decorative piece,
please contact me 

or 
by phone at (334) 798 1639. 


   You can also
to receive regular updates on the world and techniques
of mosaics in general and on my other projects.



Thursday, November 12, 2015

YEZIDI Eyes


In Syria and Northern Iraq, Yezidi mens and boys are being massacred while Yezidi women and girls, some as young as 9 years old, are being sold, raped and enslaved by Islamic State terrorists who consider they are Devil worshippers.


Some of the Yezidi have been able to flee the horrors of the genocide, some are still in sexual slavery; some were killed; some committed suicide to escape their ordeal. 




The idea of these women and girls suffering is very distressing. The victims could be our wives, our sisters or our daughters.  But just lamenting the situation from my comfortable home in Alabama does not do much good. So I wondered if I could use my art to actually help.

2 month ago, I contacted a number of NGO involved in helping the refugees from Iraq and Syria. I  proposed to realize mosaic portraits of Yezidi Children. These portraits would then be auctioned to raise money. I would give 50 % of the profit to the cause. We would need lots of publicity around the event to raise public awareness of the situation of the Yezidi people.

The Free Yezidi Foundation in an international organization hosted in the Netherlands. It was started by Ms Pari Ibrahim, a remarkable Iraqi woman, and they are doing an amazing work. I have been in regular contact with their contact in the USA. 

I decided I had to do something special, something that had not been done before. I conceived a different way to build mosaics. I do not think anybody has ever worked like this before. The look of these mosaics will be unique. 

However, like for any new process, it requires experimentations and adjustments, discussion with various people. A friend helped me greatly to drastically improve my initial design process...

I realized a First prototype early in October. 

The first prototype.

Because the colours of some of the tiles I received from my supplier were slightly different from what I had ordered, I was not satisfied by the result. However, I realized that my concept was valid - the Right eye is beautiful.  I just needed to solve the problem of the tiles colours, 


I am now presently working on a Second prototype, I have increased the definition of my design.


The second prototype under construction.


I am building this mosaic following my regular reverse method. I decided to work in black and white at this time as it is a little easier to control the 
actual colours of the tiles. Hopefully I should have this second mosaic mounted by the end of November. 

I have learned a lot with these 2 first  prototypes. This type of mosaic has to be laid differently from what I usually do with bigger tesserae

If all goes well I will design several models in December and start working on them in January 2016.



 


My goal is to organize a sale by the end of Spring. I have no idea of the way we will be able to organize this, and all help will be welcome. If you like this project and would like to participate, please let me know at frederic.lecut@gmail.com, or call me at (334) 798 1639.

You can also visit the Free Yezidi Foundation site to lean more about their remarkable work, about the Yezidi themselves, their religion, their culture, the challenges ahead of them, and possibly make a small donation.

 


I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see some of my own mosaics on my site mosaicblues.
 






If you are interested by this project or by my work in general 
or if you would simply like to drop me a line, please 
contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com  
or by phone at (334) 798 1639. 
 

   You can also







to receive regular updates on this
Yezidi Eyes Mosaic Project, 
and my other projects,

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Baobab of Life

The tree of life is a common motif in various world religions, mythologies, and philosophies. It alludes to the interconnection of all life on our planet. The term tree of life may also be used as a synonym for sacred tree. 



I have made many mosaic trees of life, and you can see some of them on a dedicated page of my mosaicblues web site. 




I am presently working on 2 more of them. 

  • "Le Grenadier" is a bigger version of my Pomegranate Tree presently displayed in my studio in France. It is almost exclusively made of glass tiles. 




  • "Baobab of Life" is a worked commissioned by a collector and friend of mine from Dothan. 


The Baobab of Life.

It includes my three usual materials : Stone, Glass and Ceramics. 

Details of the Roots

Both pieces should be available in December.

And Grenadier would make an amazing Christmas Present...



I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see my own mosaics on my site at mosaicblues.
 




If you are interested by this piece or my work in general 
or if you would simply like to drop me a line, please 
contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com  
or by phone at (334) 798 1639. 
 
   You can also
(and I recommend it !)



Sunday, November 1, 2015

Wiregrass Mosaic Project - Troy University - Part II


During our 2 October sessions we produced enough tiles to cover our  rectangular table and benches. 




During our next November 12 session we will try to produce enough pieces to cover the round tables. 

We should get help from Students from 2 Dothan High Schools to realize this stage of the project.



Because there will be much more small pieces to produce for these round tables, I decided to simplify the original designs to let people be more creative. 

Some pattern will simply be empty shape, the only important thing being to not build anything outside of the limits of the pattern...

Good ! 


The accuracy or the individual beauty of the piece itself is not extremely important. What is very important is to NOT glue any material outside of the limits of the individual pattern, which would oblige me to cut out the excessive material when I glue the pieces onto the table itself. 

Not so Good !

Early in 2016 we will build the pieces we need to cover the circular benches. Our plan is to have completed the project in the Spring



This is a first project, I would like to extend it more widely in the future and reach out to many participants of our Wiregrass community. 



The Principle we are following here is that each participants create one individual part of the project. each person contributes a stone to the Church, and it is the quilting together of all these individual pieces that brings a beautiful and harmonious result.

We will need help from many people with various areas of expertise. If you would like learn more about this Project, and perhaps contribute to it, please contact :

  • Donna Miller by email at dmiller@troy.edu or by phone at (334) 983 6556 ext 1321, or

 

I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see my own mosaics on my site at mosaicblues.
 




If you are interested by my work or would like to drop me a line please contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com or by phone at (334) 798 1639. 



 You can also
(and I recommend it !)





If you liked this post, please forward it to a friend. 
If you did not like it, feel free to forward it 

to your enemies.








Friday, October 16, 2015

Wiregrass Mosaic Project - Troy University


On Sunday October 10, and Thursday October 15, I led 4 free mosaic workshops at Troy University Campus in Dothan. October is a gorgeous month in Alabama, and we were working under a tent graciously installed there for the occasion by the University Staff.





Our goal with this project  is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of community mosaic projects by quilting together a great number of small individual mosaics.

Altogether, about 40 people came to enjoy the cutting and laying of tesserae on a mesh.








We had one 3 hours session on October 10, and three 2 hours sessions on October 15.




There were only 2 patterns proposed for these 2 first sessions.  A Traditional Roman geometric one : 






And a Malta / St Andrew's Cross




We actually spent 9 hours tiling and produced 56 individual brightly coloured 6 x 6" mosaics.


The individual pieces at the Library.


The next stage of the project will be the installation of these pieces on the rectangular table and benches in the park.





After that, we will have more sessions to realize the mosaics needed to cover the Round tables and benches. 




We need your help for the next stages !

If you would like to help and participate, or learn more about this Project, please contact :

  • Donna Miller by email at dmiller@troy.edu or by phone at (334) 983 6556 ext 1321, or

 

I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see my own mosaics on my site at mosaicblues.
 





If you are interested by my work or would like to drop me a line please contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com or by phone at (334) 798 1639. 



 You can also
(and I recommend it !)





If you liked this post, please forward it to a friend. 
If you did not like it, feel free to forward it 
to your ennemies.