Ian Laurie
I began making mosaics around 2010 while studying for my doctorate in education at the University of Southampton. What started as fun blossomed into a desire to explore and understand the possibilities offered by the medium. I’m largely self-taught, preferring to explore mosaics through creation and imagination. Yet I’ve had to understand the materials, to know what adhesive or substrate to use and how to cut shapes from stained glass or ceramics. For me, each piece must be the right shape for the picture.
I work from my home studio in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire. On the outer studio wall sits a mosaic of my logo, which you can see to the left. The words are written in three different styles to show how mosaics can be used to create varied text styles.
In creating mosaic art, I begin with an idea which I sketch out and then decide how I’m going to create it. I like my work to shine with colours, representing the world through bright images, incorporating myths, nature and everyday life. Early in 2023, I made the decision to focus mainly on internal wall hanging pieces, although I have in the past created external and internal walls, floors and patios.
My style is to cut materials, whether stained glass or ceramic, to suit the different forms within the larger mosaic. I’ll often cut small slivers and lay these to blend with other colours to create a more nuanced finish. Coloured grouts help to enhance the completed piece and I can easily include three, four or even five different coloured grouts. From clocks to bespoke mirrors and pictures, I see the world as a mosaic opportunity!
Email: mosaic.ford@virginmedia.com
Mosaics from The Ford 