An artist's portrait: Carole Choucair Oueijan
Cerulean Rendezvous
Ever since I met the great Sara Baldwin of New Ravenna Mosaics last spring, I continue to be exposed to deeper and finer expressions of the mosaic as art. It's been a real adventure and the more I learn the deeper into I get. New Ravenna Mosaics led me to Mosaic Art Now and through Mosaic Art Now I've been privileged to meet a number of fine art mosaicists. In what I plan to make a regular feature of this blog, I am going to start writing profiles of these gifted artists.
Carole works in smalti (a kind of glass) and natural stone and her work starts as a drawing on canvas. She then stretches her canvas on a frame and begins to select and cut her smalti into small pieces called tesserae. Carole then glues the smalti tesserae and pieces of natural stone down to the canvas. Carole works with her materials face down, so she's essentially working in reverse. During the months it takes her to complete a work, the only way she can see her finished product is with her mind's eye. Once the pieces are glued into place she covers the back of her work with concrete and lets it set. It's only then that she turns it over to see the finished piece.
The perfection and nuanced shade of her mosaics attest loudly to the strength of Carole's creativeness. I imply, examine those mosaics!
Dreamer
Dreamer element #1
Dreamer element #2
Mermaid
Mermaid detail #1
Carole does commissioned work and you can look through the rest of her portfolio on her website . The images expand when you click on them, so be sure to spend some time on that site. Her website too shows the art she still creates in media other than mosaic and it lists her numerous awards and upcoming exhibitions. Drop by and say hello.
All paintings proven ?Carole Choucair Oueijan and used with permission.
