A Fabulous Fail

Black Madonna of Tindari and Oliveri- 2021

This is a work that has a special place in my collection, but not because it's such a great mosaic. When George and I stayed at a kind and generous relative's condo in Oliveri, Sicily in 2018, I foraged for mosaic materials on the beach, in the alleys and streets, and on the live volcano Mt. Etna. I laid them out on a board in my studio and for three years contemplated how to make a coherent mosaic out of the floor tile scraps, bits of ceramic, sea glass and stone from the beach and the icon of the Black Madonna of Tindari.

With encouragement from Bonnie Fitzgerald and Rachel Davies on a BAMM work-along I gave it a go. There was also an upcoming deadline for a NEMS travel related virtual exhibition that motivated me.

I finally cobbled this piece together. I added to the found objects orange gold and blue smalti, travertine for the beach, stained glass for the distant mountains, slag glass for the Tindari mountain, hand pulled filati and gilded apoxie sculpt for the halo, and gilded ceramic pieces for the church.

I am not thrilled with it so did not submit it anywhere except here as documentation of a fail! It shows my utter lack of skill portraying perspective (the sea! the mountain!), even in an off-the-wall sort of abstract style.

I enjoy it anyway as a memory of that wonderful vacation.