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March 2008 Featured Student Artist: Nadia Khastagir, Oakland, CA
Dahlgren table, 2007 |
Journey
"I have never considered myself a visual artist. I grew up playing piano, and in my adult years I have been a semi-professional belly dancer and recently, a salsa dancer. Professionally, I am a graphic designer — a career I fell into and a skill I learned on the job. I now am a co-owner of a graphic design studio in Oakland."
"I had been attracted to mosaics for some time, and didn't have the wherewithal to know how to begin. I had seen Laurel True's mosaic murals around town, and even seen her on TV, so one day while visiting a friend across the street from IMA, I saw this beautiful purple and orange building shining amidst the drab industrial structures around it. My favorite colors! What is this place?! I went inside and Laurel had just recently opened Institute of Mosaic Art. I was in paradise! I immediately signed up for a class, and have been hooked since."
"My first class was Intro to Mosaics taught by Nicole Bertoline, and it was the first art class I had ever taken in my life, at the age of 39. I laugh when I look at the piece I had created in that class, but it is still hanging on my wall. My technique has gotten better, my grout lines tighter."
Since that first class I have taken:
Outdoor Mosaics with Nicole Bertoline and Laurel True
Architectural Applications with Laurel True
Tempered Glass Mosaics Visiting Artist: Ellen Blakely
Garden of 1000 Flowers: Millefiori Workshop Visiting Artist: Laurel Skye
Introduction to Smalti with Laurel True
Wedding present bowl, 2008
Tempered glassİ
From Ellen Blakely's
Tempered Glass class
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Mosaics
"As for being a mosaic artist, this is definitely my calling. I still am looking for my own style, hence the variety of classes I have taken. I have been attracted to glass a lot and to the mixed media of using stained, tempered glass and tiles, and would like to explore that further. I am also working on the technique of gradating colors."
Growth
Millefiori mirror, 2007
Millefiori, stained glass, smalti, button, coins, jewelry
From Laurel Skye's Millefiori class
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"Due to my business demands, I find my biggest challenge is finding the time and energy to spend in my studio. That being said, since I spend all day on the computer, I need to have the tactile hands-on experience of making mosaics. I love getting my hands dirty, breaking and scoring tile and glass, mixing grout. I have been cautious about my "art" and still see everything as a learning experience. I continue to learn so many different methods and techniques from the different teachers, and lately I have learned that nothing is permanent — I can pop out tiles I don't like, and Ellen's class was liberating by showing how I can even change the grout color while I'm working."
Mexican-style countertop for
Megasonic Recording Studios, 2008
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"I recently finished my first architectural application — a kitchen counter at my friend's music studio. The design went in a completely different direction than I had originally planned! My next project is mosaicing around the sink. If I hadn't learned what I did from Laurel, then I probably wouldn't be doing this right. Just learning from Laurel and the other teachers' trials and errors is worth taking the classes for — what kind of adhesives to use, substrates and tiles. I wouldn't have had the time or inclination to figure out those very important details on my own!"
Direction
"Mosaics will continue to be my "hobby" — most of what I have made have become gifts. I would love to have the time to do it more, and maybe once I retire, I can develop a new career as a mosaic artist!"
IMA
"I am lucky enough to live 5 minutes away and can pop into IMA whenever I need anything. I realize how fortunate I am to live so close, so I try to take advantage of the opportunities there, and to shop in the supply store. I am also honored to be a teacher's assistant for Ellen Blakely, which means I get to spend even more time at IMA. All the classes have been so inspiring, not just because of the teachers, but because of the variety of students and what they bring to each class. And I continue to see the same students in different classes, which makes it fun and social."
 Stepping Stones - left, Sun, right, Seasons, 2006/07
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