Mosaic Artist Miriam Sushman is VIVA’s Guest Artist for August!
Mosaics are a slow form of artwork and the process is joyful and sometimes frustrating. I never really know how a piece is going to turn out but once completed I am most often thrilled with the results.
Artist Biography:
Before becoming a mosaic artist, Miriam Sushman worked as a photojournalist in the USA and Israel. Her passion for mosaics was ignited after discovering a book on mosaics in the Milwaukee Public Library. She learned to work with a variety of mosaic methods and materials. Sushman has led community projects and has taught both children and adults from her home studio and elsewhere.
She loves mosaics because there are so many possibilities of combining different materials and so many different methods of mosaic creation. She enjoys combing through thrift stores during family vacations or finding an object on her daily walks. Initially Sushman created mosaics from china, beads and childhood treasures. She then delved into stained glass and was inspired to create a series of mosaic installations with a nature theme. She continued this theme to create works recently shown in a number of group and juried gallery shows.
Recently Sushman has immersed herself in creating tempered glass mosaics for this guest artist show. This process is full of unexpected results and after a year and a half of exploration Sushman is now understanding what she wants from the mosaic and how to achieve those results. Creating mosaics is a meditative process and the solutions to any problems she encounters in the making are always resolved by the process itself.
Sushman lives with her family in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood. When she is not creating art she enjoys cooking, gardening and performing improvisational comedy at the Interchange Theatre.
Miriam Sushman
Artist Statement:
Miriam Sushman creates mosaics from stained glass, china, beads and found objects. She is inspired by the seasons, her house plants, flowers and vegetable garden, and the Milwaukee park that borders her home. Sushman’s skills as a graphic designer with a background in drawing lend strength to the structure of her work. The mosaic, which begins with a drawing, is created in a spontaneous manner. It is a meditative process and the solutions to any problems she encounters in the making are always resolved by the process itself.
Miriam answers some questions!
What’s the most indispensable item in your studio? My lamps are the most indispensable item in my studio. I have four of them in addition to an overhead light. Although my studio receives good window light there are just too many gray days when I need as much light as possible. It really makes a difference when I am choosing stained glass or a grout color.
How do you know when a piece of work is finished? A mosaic is finished when all the stained glass tesserae (mosaic pieces) have been laid down, whether they are on contact paper or tesserae that are directly adhered to a surface. When I am happy with the combination of darks, lights and midtones then I know that I am ready to install the work. The final step is grouting and then the mosaic is complete.
What does your studio look like? My studio is about 13 ft. X 10 ft. and much of that space is occupied by two tables that meet in the corner and are aligned along two windows. Underneath the table are many grouts, some of which are hand tinted. A metal cart next to the smaller table where I cut stained glass holds adhesives, hanging hardware and brushes. Since I don’t have much floor space, I make use of the tall ceilings to support metal shelving that holds broken and whole dishes, stained glass tesserae, art books and paints. A clear shoe rack on the wall holds all kinds of goodies such as trasparenti (clear colored Italian glass), ribbons, beads, metal findings and vintage jewelry. Next to the shoe holder are two bulletin boards that hold personal photographs and postcards of mosaic artwork that inspire me. On a sunny day the studio is flooded with sunlight. The studio does not hold all my material so a larger amount of stained glass and ceramic tiles are stored the attic.