Mosaics Inspired by Nature: Creating Contemporary Art
By Rachel Davies
Rachel recently asked me to read and review her book Mosaics Inspired by Nature. As chance had it I was able to do this whilst I was staying in a small wooded village on the edge of the Cairngorm Mountains in the north of Scotland. My week was spent enjoyably immersed in nature, walking, sketching and reading.
Mosaics Inspired by Nature offers the reader a well conceived and nicely observed, step-by-step, guide to making a contemporary mosaic inspired by the natural world around us. The book is divided into three main sections;
Part One: The Basics – covering just that, a comprehensive introduction to tools, materials, substrates etc.
Part Two: Methods and Techniques – focuses on material qualities, texture, colour and tone, cutting and laying and andamento (including the potential creative spaces in and around the tesserae). Much of this section concentrates on fundamental design methodologies to create a contemporary mosaic. Using photographs as a starting point Rachel guides the reader through a variety of practical and digital processes.
Part Three: The Projects – Rachel provides a personal insight into the approach, processes and techniques she uses when creating work inspired by Bark, Lichen and Seaweed.
The book is interspersed with illuminating Artist Spotlights, which focus on the work of seven international mosaicists whose artworks are informed by diverse responses to the natural world.
The text is clear, generously detailed and presented in Rachel’s inimitable style, as those who participate in her popular online classes will know, and illustrated throughout with excellent photographs.
I’ve really enjoyed being immersed in Mosaics Inspired by Nature. It offers a great starting place for people who feel they’d benefit from a little mosaic guidance. It’s also a book to pick up, dip into, put down, practice and go back to…
Joanna Kessel
September 2024
Inspired by Nature
28 September – 23 October 2024
10-5pm | daily
Made in Stirling, 44 King Street, Stirling, FK8 1AY, Scotland
Books can be bought from Made in Stirling and ordered online from major booksellers. Signed copies are available from: www.racheldaviesmosaics.com
Herbert Press | 2024
Filato mosaic
If you’re intrigued by the filato mosaic (hand pulled threads of glass) that Rachel uses in her work (Making Filati p.128) and would like to learn this fascinating and absorbing technique then join me and glass artist Andrea Spencer for our second Elements of Place – Formed by Fire workshop in Northern Ireland in May 2025.
Rachel attended our workshop in 2023.
I had an absolutely wonderful time at this workshop. It was an inspirational mix of field trips, developing new skills and trying out new ideas. The tutors were excellent, covering the main techniques to start with and then supporting each student to develop these in their own way. I came away feeling full of inspiration and look forward to developing the ideas further back in my own studio. I highly recommend this course!