|
September 2008 Featured Student Artist:
Kelley Knickerbocker
33° F, November 2007, 18" x 16";
|
Journey
I've always done some form of functional art on the side while pursuing other work to fund my secondary passion of making my house payments. Calligraphy, painted canvas floor cloths, hand quilting, and leaded glass each turned out to be one of a series of dots leading to my neon "Eureka!" moment of mosaic epiphany in the summer of '05 in Mosaic Summer Camp for Adults at Institute of Mosaic Art with Laurel True.
Mosaics
It was the functionality and durability of mosaics that enticed me (and still does!); the fact that this art form can be a permanent tactile aspect of architecture. Next came Architectural Applications and the Business of Mosaics, where I honed my technical skills and business understanding as well as my determination to make mosaics my livelihood.
Impertinence, May 2007, 31" x 14" |
Moosescape, August 2008, 15 square feet
|
Growth
I was hooked: on mosaics, on Jack Johnson, and on all the Putamayo CD's! In the fall of '05 I gave a year notice at my university administrative job of 22 years, and during that last year of steady paychecks I took the Mural Making Intensive and several other IMA courses, outfitted my studio, and mosaicked everything in sight to begin building a portfolio. At the end of that year I hung out my shingle as Rivenworks Mosaics in my hometown of Seattle, specializing in custom architectural mosaics in glass, stone, and tile, and I haven't looked back.
Direction
After more courses:
Three-Day Intensive with Sonia King,
Precision Setting Techniques with Laurel True,
Introduction to Smalti with Laurel True,
Concrete Institute with Sherri Warner Hunter;
I branched out into fine art mosaics as well (glass on glass, glass on mirror), and to my surprise and delight I have had pieces accepted into several juried shows.
New knowledge - and new challenge - stretches me, keeps everything crackalackin', takes my personal work in new directions and gives me yet more I can offer my clients.
IMA
I now teach glass mosaics in Seattle, and have a blast infusing my classes with the same wonderful, encouraging vibe that I've always enjoyed at IMA. I love coming back to IMA at least a few times each year for the great energy buzz, to pick up a new or advanced technique, or study with a new instructor (I'll be in Facilitating Community Mosaic Projects workshop with Josef Norris in September).
Swirl Fireplace, March 2006, 15 square feet
|
Exhibitions
Oil Meets World, March 2008, 6" x 12"
|
2008
Oct. 1 - Nov. 30
Solo Exhibition, Mosaic A Community Coffee House, Seattle WA
Rotating Solo Exhibition, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington
Mini Salon (size limit 12" x 12"), Society of American Mosaic Artists annual conference, Miami FL
Mosaic Arts International
International juried group exhibition, Bakehouse Arts Complex, Miami, FL
Global Priorities
International juried group exhibition, The Atelier, Miami FL
2007
An Ancient Language-A Modern Translation
Juried invitational group exhibition, Granville Center for the Arts, Garland, TX
Rotating Solo Exhibition, Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington
Kelley on the Web
Check out more work by Kelley on her website at:
http://www.rivenworksmosaics.com/
|
 |
|
