It’s `Not just another pretty face’. That’s the series of mosaic pop art, American artist Danielle Fernandez is currently working on.
Interpreting the works of internationally known pop artists like French comic book artist, painter illustrator Walter Minus, Canadian visual artist Jeff Lyons and an American artist known for his whimsical and fun portraiture, Tom Fedro – in mosaic three-dimensional sculptures at her home studio in Maraetai– Danielle’s working space is filled with a variety of canvases- pots, old windows, lamps and picture frames.
The artist takes fragmented pieces of tiles and makes them into stunning artworks.
Jagged pieces of glass are magically transformed into eye-catching art, while huge ceramic and cement pots come live with pop art tile/glass combination.
The pots are fully weathered and can be placed indoors or outdoors.
“The bold lines in pop art lend itself well to create three-dimensional mosaic,” says Danielle.
“I have asked for permission from all the well-known artists and have got it.”
Finding a synergy between creativity, colour, texture and design, she says, “It’s like creating your own puzzle as you decide on the image. More than putting the mosaic on the walls, I wanted to put life into it (a plant).”
She says the first time she took her work of art to a fancy shop on Madison Avenue, New York, she couldn’t believe her eyes when the lady at the store put her mosaic plates in the front window. I almost cried,” she says.
It wasn’t long after that a property developer who wanted to start an art gallery on the Main Road in Richmond, Virginia interviewed a couple of artists and, as luck would have it, Danielle was selected as one of the artists who got to run her own gallery, Mainly Mosaics.
The gallery opened doors to a world of creative expression.
“It was a crazy time as people started asking me to do their dining room tables, fire place resurfacing, floors, kitchen splash backs, windows, doors and lamp posts. It was more work than we could handle,” she reminisces.
Danielle, who has authored ‘Brilliant Stained Glass Mosaics’, a book that illustrates simple mosaic techniques to create stunning designs for both home and garden decor, moved to New Zealand nine years ago. While it took her a while to settle down in a new country, she is back to pursuing her passion which is being well noticed.
Her work will be soon exhibited at the Art Matakana Gallery in September.
Danielle is keen to share her art. “I have taught hundreds of people in the States and would love to start classes and teach people how to create something beautiful for their homes with ceramic, tiles or stained glass here at my newly-built studio Mainly Mosaic Maraetai,” she says.
“I also hope to have an open gallery outside my home some day.”
Email:Danielle@mainlymosaicsmaraetai.com
