Trip to Italy, micro mosaics with Fulvio di Gloria and the XIV AIMC Conferance and tour in Vienna.

In Italy

In Rome, Maureen O’Kane and I had the privilege of taking a private micro mosaic class with Fulvio di Gloria, young master in micro mosaics. To the right is his studio partner Fabio Bordi, specialist in roman mosaics of all techniques. In the studio there were many priceless micro mosaics on display.

 I encourage you to visit their studio in Rome and even take a class with them.

 Via di Panico 75. Just one street away from Castel Sant’ Angelo.

 Visit their works here: fulviodigloria.com and fabiobordimosaici.com.

Stay tuned they might be coming to Monteal very soon!

We learned how to make our own smalti filati, not easy! Lunches were always official! J’adore!

 

Fabio at work

 

 

I admit this type of micro mosaics quite extreme, but I love it!  My piece is the one on the right, so you get an idea, the marble table pieces measure 1sqcm!

 

 

We took some free time to go to the Vatican Museums, to my big surprise the Museo Gregoriano Profano was open!

 

 

And here is the mosaic I had always dreamed of seeing but was unable to as the whole area was under restauration for years and years! The Unswept Floor, the most exquisite mosaic ever! NB:To be able to see this mosaic you have to go in the morning.

 

 

A mosaic I always spend a lot of time admiring….

 

From the Vatican’s Contemporary collection. The center mosaic by Mimmo Paladino I adore his works.

 

Exquisite micro mosaics to the right…mosaics of pietra dura center bottom….

 

Then I went to Florence for a day, admiring mostly the outside of the city due to my short stay…

 

Some lovely micro mosaic jewelry here.

 

The Bardini museum houses some exquisite oriental rugs. You will have to bare with the occasional rugs in the photo here…..

 

Then off to Udine, to visit Guilio Menossi and his wife Rosa. They were the kind caretakers of my mosaics following my exhibition in Clauiano. There also were two most charming ladies from Brasil. Beatriz and Rosangela. They too were going to Vienna for the conference, what a delight it was to be with them. In Clauiano the Menossi’s showed us the current contemporary mosaics exhibition on show.

 

It was quite an honor for me to visit Guilio’s studio and to take a peek at his enormous collection of smalti colors. To see him in action on his works was priceless!

 

I was flattered to see the brochure of the  winners of Turkey at his window with my rug!

 

It was an unexpected surprise visit to the mosaic school in Spilembergo. WOW! Thank-you Rosa!!!

 

Contemporary mosaics in the works.

 

Students coming from all over the world, reinventing mosaics!

 

Then there is the classic area.

 

The portraits are breathtaking! See, a good image and several versions are VERY important when doing a portrait mosaic. I keep saying this to my students, here is the proof!

 

Students works for sale.

 

Some classes are so much like classes in a real school! Even the bell rings for breaks and lunch!

 

 

The gardens are whimisical, here some of  the works according to the direction of Marco Bravura.

 

Then another unexpected visit to the smalti fabricators at Dona’! Two levels of storage for all those smalti.

 

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In Vienna, lots of mosaics too……

 

This is the conference waiting area and hall. The Palffy Palace, beautifully set!

 

The conference begins! Very interesting speakers coming from all over the world, it was an enriching and very informative experience.

 

I even got to meet some big stars like Elaine M Goodwin, charming lady! As well as Lilian Sizemore, I love her writing about mosaics. See her blog: liliansizemore.com

 

It was such a surprise to meet a familiar face Rosanna Fattorini whom I met back in 2001. And to get to meet a most talented mosaic artist Bruno Zonobio. You have to see this 15 min film he featured TESSERA after TESSERA at the conferance.

Here is the link:

 

 

The opening of the exhibition:  the theme was very contemporary and contemporary only! There was also a big debate on what is a contemporary mosaic.

 

I present you Silvia Colizzi, from the Fine Art Academy in Ravenna.  She works with children with all types of difficulties, her stories go straight to the heart. She wrote the book “Mosaics in Motion among the Living Mosaic”.

 

Just some of the works that marked me….come by Mosaikashop to see the full catalog!

 

A visit to the Hundertwasser neighborhood!

 

Edda Mally the organizer of the event did a fabulous job. Here she is with Gazenfer from Macedonia, best friends ever! Edda surprised us with her lovely traditional dress…

 

Then a good group of us attended the post conference tour. We went up high in the mountains to Roman Archeological parks.

 

This carpet mosaic is surprising!

 

In Salzburg. A selfie amongst the real Mozart chocolates!

 

This is a reproduction of an original mosaics buried in that very spot.  Thanks to the funding by our tour guide who commissioned the school of Spilimbergo for this work.

 

Until recently this mosaic had a table and bikes parked on top of it! And this is an original!

 

A visit to the church by architect Otto Wagner, completely restored. The mosaics are splendid!

 

A visit to Graz, city of design.

 

The last stop castle burg Hochosterwitz where we had our last supper. Here with Maher Dawoud, Egypt; Pamela Irving and Benjamin, Austrailia. Great fun it was!