St.Raphael Mosaic Tree

One thing I enjoy most about creating large scale projects is working with a backing and shaping it. Of course this can be done on a small scale too, but I personally feel more compelled to do so with large scale mosaics. I believe it is more visually impactful and playful.

The aim of my time together with students from this St.Raphael's Elementary Catholic School was to offer the opportunity to use their creativity beyond the school’s curriculum.

As an independent artist, I was thrilled to step into the art teacher’s shoes.

The students engaged diligently in designing the tree; from a blank piece of paper and pencil, to a full blown design of a tree with entwined branches and detailed leaves that was the final result.

As a symbol of their personal imprint, the students traced their hands and created a bead mosaic which was incorporated into the design depicting the blossoming of life.

As we moved further on, there was an overwhelming desire to work with ceramics and break the tiles to make the mosaic. There was a lot of excitement around this. So, with safety measures taken, every student wore protective eyewear and took aim at breaking tiles. 

The project lasted two months. Sections were created and completed separately to maximize our work time.

The students did wonderfully. The teachers were just as eager to learn, and I was thrilled.

An unforgettable experience, and one I’d enjoy revisiting in the near future.