\nI want to welcome you to Farm City Studio, a website dedicated to the mosaic artwork of December Lauretano-Haines. That’s me, December. Some friends call me “12.” You can, too.<\/p>\n
I started creating mosaics in 2000. Actually, it goes back quite a bit further than that, but we’ll get to that later. For now, let’s just start with those tiny pebbles I collected in New Zealand.<\/p>\n
It was a fantastic trip in 1997 sponsored by some very gracious friends. \u00a0We started from home in the California Berkeley Hills. The main destination was a journey on foot across the Mackinnon Pass, and we carried everything we needed in our packs. \u00a0Along the way, I was determined to later recall the glory of all the little moments: sunrise over green hills, spectacular views of snow capped peaks, afternoon tea and biscuits at the various lodges where we stayed overnights.<\/p>\n
I wanted to carry those memories away with me, so I did. Breaking the rules of responsible eco tourists and trail users, I did a bad thing. \u00a0I left only footprints, but I took more than just pictures.<\/p>\n
I took pebbles. \u00a0 Dozens and dozens of them, possibly even a hundred or more. \u00a0All tiny, mostly about the size of peas, they were grey or brown, some smooth, some rough, all beautiful to me in their diminutive completeness. \u00a0I collected them in an empty Godiva chocolate box our group had laid waste to before the start of the trekking adventure. It was light, and empty, but I filled it. And carried it.<\/p>\n
For years, actually. \u00a0In the literal sense, I carried it during the 5 days of the hike, adding to its weight and eventually having to find a way to bind it to keep my treasures from spilling out into the bottom of my pack.<\/p>\n
I was still carrying it 3 years later when I landed in another place completely. \u00a0Back in Florida, I had carted myself and my belongings into the old and the familiar. Home with my folks, who were also gracious enough to have me.<\/p>\n
Finding Martha’s Cottage<\/strong> I began that project with little clue of where it would lead. \u00a0I had bought a few tools and materials at the store, but when I sat down to CREATE, I realized the design had to have some meaning. \u00a0I had to care about it. \u00a0Before I tried that idea on, none of the sketches I thought of were good enough. \u00a0The tesserae I picked up at the store were pretty, but alone they were…lacking. Still holding on to the life I left behind, I dug my little box of pebbles out of the closet and examined them, sifting through carefully to find ones that matched, that fit together nicely. \u00a0I chose 20 or 30 and incorporated them into a design with the tiles and beads I had selected. \u00a0The remaining pebbles went back into the box. \u00a0MAYBE I\u00a0would find a use for them later on. Maybe not…<\/p>\n I created that first mosaic as a tribute to the family\u00a0I’d been blessed to know and be part of in California. I thought the results were lovely. You can judge for yourself.<\/p>\n
\nBored and seeking to entertain myself, I wandered into a crafts store and spent hours browsing, trying to decide on a project to fill my time. \u00a0I landed squarely where I was meant to when I found myself in the section of that aisle where the few mosaic products were on display.<\/p>\n
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