I was at Snow Farm again this weekend, teaching a 3 day class. While no two groups are ever the same, I am struck by how distinctly different this group was from my last group 2 weeks ago. This weekend, the studio was filled with a palpable sense of curiosity, experimentation and willingness to take chances. There were five amazing women in the class, each with varying levels of experience. They supported and helped each other in a way that was inspiring and made me feel very proud. One student, who has taken several classes with me, even helped me do some of the demos. The learning, I believe, went way beyond the stunning finished works, but was evident in the way each person embraced the process- asking questions, pushing through moments of uncertainty, and even deciding to change direction completely.  I was reminded of my own beginnings with mosaics and the excitement I felt about the process of playing with the arrangement of shapes and allowing myself to react to it. I am so grateful for the experience and for the chance to work with and learn from such exceptional women. 

Here are the finished works!

And here are a few pictures of the work in progress.

The magic of teaching and learning really came alive for me this weekend. 

I will be teaching two more classes at Snow Farm this year, August 2-8 and October 24-25.

Student work, made by Kate M. 

I just got home from teaching a weeklong class at Snow Farm. What an incredible week! Even though it’s only 25 minutes from my house, I decided to live there for the week to make it as much of an immersion experience as possible. So basically, I got to spend my week in the most beautiful place in the world, with other artists and students, doing what I love most, and not having to worry about cooking or washing dishes!

The group was organized through Road Scholar, so it was ages 55+. There were 8 students in my class, with various levels of experience.. About half of them were brand new to mosaics and  the other half had some experience, including one woman who has taken my weeklong class at Snow Farm for the past 3 years in a row. Everyone was from out of state, including 2 women from the west coast and one from the south. 

They  all made beautiful work, and demonstrated one of my favorite things about mosaics: everybody has a different style and approach to this medium, and the work is always so varied and exciting! I learned new things from the work they did, particularly through problem solving some of their ideas about using unorthodox found objects, like beaded chain to make a flower, and adding raised components. One guy even found a rock outside and turned that into a base for a mosaic! 

I taught them both the direct and indirect methods. Most of them preferred working in the indirect method (building a mosaic temporarily on contact paper, flipping it over, and then attaching it all at once to the final substrate from the back side). Four students made stepping stones. My proud teacher moments came when I saw my students helping each other, and overheard them explaining the process to others, which told me that they really understood and took pride in what they were learning.  

We finished the week with a Gala and Auction, where they got to display their creations. Some people donated a piece to the auction to raise money for improvements to Snow Farm.  The class collaborated to make a stepping stone to donate to the auction. It turned out beautifully!

I left with a feeling of tired contentment. 

And I’ll be back in just a few days to teach the Memorial Weekend Intensive (Saturday thru Monday). My class still has a few spaces, so this is your chance to get in on the Smashing Good Times. 

Spring is here!

It is so exciting to see flowers blooming and trees getting their leaves. There is a community garden across the street from my studio and I love seeing all of the gardeners working away, making their plots beautiful and full of life. My own garden is coming to life as well. 

Over the past few years, I have gotten many requests from students who wanted to take a class on making Mosaic Stepping Stones. In response, I perfected a method that I have been teaching for the past year, to groups of adults and kids- in my studio, at Knack in Easthampton and for private groups.

The unique thing about this project is that it can truly be completed in one day. Most mosaics require at least 2 sessions to complete because adhesive needs time to dry before grouting. But, in this case, the cement acts as the adhesive and the grout and is applied in one step. The mosaics are created in the indirect method  and placed into a mold where they are cast in cement. It’s a fun and rewarding process, and the stepping stones can withstand the elements, so you never need to worry about remembering to take them inside or cover them up. 

I have already been having a lot of fun working with students this spring helping them to make their own stepping stones for their gardens. There are 3 more opportunities to sign up and take the class at my studio in Florence. Need a last minute Mother’s Day gift? There are a couple of spots available in my class this coming Tuesday evening from 5:30-9.

Here are 2 photos of the work recently done by my (adult) students at Knack in Easthampton. I love to see the variety of styles and designs that each person comes up with. 

Here are a few more examples of stepping stones I have made.

Back in February, during the school vacation, I had the opportunity to teach the stepping stones class to a group of kids, ages 6 and up at The Art Garden in Shelburne Falls. It was really fun to work with this age group. Here is what they made.

Also, about a month ago, I had the awesome experience of leading a professional development day for the teachers of the Gan Keshet preschool at the synagogue in Northampton. They hired me to teach a method that would be a skill building experience for the teachers, who could then translate the project into something they could do with 3 and 4 year olds. The teachers made beautiful stepping stones (pictured below), which they donated to the school to be installed in the playground, and they went on to do an adaptation of this project with the kids!

To sign up for my workshops at my studio in Florence, visit my website:

Or, if you have a group of 4-6 people (friends, colleagues, family) who are interested, I also love to set up special classes for private groups. Send me an email to find out more!