There’s something magical when light and glass come together. The refraction and reflection illuminates the spirit and brightens any space. In March, Instructor Luz Mack and Assistant Instructor Jose Morales taught a glass on glass workshop with a votive as the base.

In February, Piece by Piece artists turned their focus to andamento, the visual flow and direction in a mosaic artwork. This technique helps to create patterns and direction, making a more cohesive piece.

To kick off the new year, instructor Ellen Dinerman led a workshop on making clay reliefs, experimenting in particular with texture and glazes. “Participants really enjoyed the clay relief project. The studio was so quiet with everyone working away; learning to carve clay and making various textures,” said instructor Ellen.

At the end of every year, all participants, staff, instructors, and volunteers gather to envision the new year, choosing the skills artists want to hone and projects they want to create. Mosaic shoes was one of the most requested workshops.

As we reflect on the July workshop, let us be reminded that art is not solely about the end result but also the journey – a journey that Julie Williams masterfully guided us through, helping us break free from self-imposed limitations and inspiring us to create fearlessly, piece by piece.

In June, Piece by Piece participants studied micromosaics, a style of mosaic using small rods of glass to create tiny figurative images. While traditional Italian micromosaics are extremely intricate, in this workshop, instructor Ellen Dinerman guided artists to create more simple designs. By starting simple, artists were able to focus on the process for their first pieces.