I spent my summer holiday in Amsterdam. There I met Austrian mosaic artist Tina in her studio. Ok, I know I’m supposed to report about what’s going on in Vienna. However, Tina originally is from Vienna but moved to Amsterdam some time ago. There she wants to improve her mosaic skills but she confirms she will come back home one day…

When did you start mosaic design?

I’ve always been interested in mosaic, especially in the famous architect Gaudi and his mosaic sculptures in Barcelona. I also like the work of Austrian artist Hundertwasser. Then I had the chance to participate in a mosaic course – “Mosaic a la Gaudi”. And this course gave me a real kick. Mosaic became part of my life. Meanwhile I organise and assist mosaic courses myself.

What is behind “Mosaic a la Gaudi”?

“Mosaic a la Gaudi” uses tiles (for walls and ground) which, compared to commonly used coloured pieces of glass (smaltis), are really cheap. You’ll find tiles of all colours and patterns and thus can be really creative. With special tools you cut the tiles into the form you need – triangles, rectangulars, squares, drops, circles, whatever. These pieces are finally placed together to form the mosaic.

Why are you fascinated by mosaic?

I love the immense variety of tiles and the huge range of images you can create. You can do mosaic patterns on all kinds of material – wood, concrete, ytong; on floors, walls, cupboards, tables, vases, fountains, etc. And of course you can also add glass stones, shells, glass objects to make the object even more creative. I love mosaic for I can really forget anything around. I have good fun combining art and craft – producing art you can even use for practical purposes…