The Mosaikashop Trip to Italy: Rugs and Mosaic tour 2013 with Stefano Ionescu

This  first edition themed trip to Italy in collaboration with Stefano Ionescu, rug collector and expert in the rug world it was a most memorable experience…despite it being a wirlwind  tour; in which my Canadian group met another group in Italy coming from all parts of Europe and the US.  Enjoy the pictures and the comments too.

In Milan you almost feel like a star….

 If you whirl your heal as Maria, is doing,  round the bull, your luck shall come

The famous Dolce &Gabbana dresses in real…even got to touch them too…real fake mosaic in print! cake mosaic too…why not

In Torino we went to a fabulous, rug collector’s shop, gallery, museum, personal collection…all in one…we always took a group photo…

Sartirana Textile and Antique Rug fair….my exhibition there and the rugs on show…I gave one as a gift as a thank-you for this honor…

The Canadians…me, Judith, Nathalie, Aida, Maria….5  ladies happy  to be attending something unique!

My works on show along with the original rug…coming from a collector in Vienna just to meet its mosaic self.

But the real stars were those fabulous bags meeting its star bag coming expecially from a museum in Florence…

In Monreale, Sicily if you look up you see lots of fabulous glorious mosaics….

Behind the basilica the cloisters…incrusted with jewel mosaics….

Monreale also has mosaic artisans…even a school too

But the real jewels are in Naples….

The photos are not great, it was all emotion for me and for Judith too….those mosaics are micro mosaics made of marble and some are huge…priceless!

Going long the Amalfi coast…..Termini, Sorento……

In Capri, mosaic ideas and fashion in sculpture too…some of those Pompein style houses…mmmm. The smells  from the Capri perfume shop are devine too.

The mosaics are always devine and the sculptures too….

In Anacapri we went to Axel Munthe’s home…when you enter, this classical mosaic means, live now, enjoy life now, when you can…tis not when you are all bones that you can enjoy that wine…

The man had fine taste for mosaics everywhere….

In Positano my big surprise was a mosaic design by Mimmo Paladino

These mosaics make me feel happy.

When in Rome, San Costanza is a must see. The ladies enjoyed sleeping at the convent, Sorella Daniella was always happy to see us return by 11pm.

In Florence there was this big surprise awaiting me….meet my gallerist Alberto Boralevi.

 If you are interested in visiting or purchasing mosaic rugs or exquisite antique rugs  please contact Alberto…the gallery is located just behind the Ponte Vecchio…I am still pinching myself…

Ravenna, The Mosaic School of Luciana Notturni…the best classical mosaic school in town. Sonia King was kind to let me use her photo…taken from the school window…

We were all happy as a small group…we all went our ways after an excellent guided tour….some to stroll, others to learn the real technique of doing mosaics just like the byzantines.

Maria and Aida are ready for their short morning course….with Luca and Daniella…

Luciana loves to take the classical and give them the contempory touch…

We are proud to be finishing just in time, but rushed though…as it was lunch time.

Nathalie and Judith hard at work….the ravenna method is pure byzantine style, in subject,  colour and technique…that is what this course is all about….meanwhile….

At KoKo Mosaiko it is the dynamics of traditional technique transformed into a party like mosaic feel to it all, even the ambiance there gives that feeling…

Even the pieces seem to come alive and sway and party, yahoo…even the dead are colourful! It is always a pleasure going there too, this time I even ran into 2 of my Montreal students! Priceless as always…wherever I go, I shall meet a former student of mine…

Just had to put that in..this Sicilian style ice cream was miam in the brioche…

Our last night was in Milan in this most charming hotel…yes, if you can dream it you can do it…

Next stop: I did not dream that win…but I did dream that my mosaic rugs would make me travel…I am the proud winner of the 3rd place. Gulp. This mosaic is a museum acquisition…