Laurie is a California native who has
lived in the Augusta area for twenty two years. She is a
self-taught artist who specializes in “pique assiette” mosaics.
The loose translation of this French term is “stolen plate” or
“picker or scrounger of plates.” This type of craft is also
referred to as “memoryware”, a sentimental craft popular during
the Victorian era.
This art form demands the soul of a relentless
collector and embodies the spirit of unbridled expression. There
is the constant hunt for recycled furniture such as retro lamps,
odd flea market chairs or tables and cast off mirrors. Then, one
must constantly scavenge for the “medium”; vintage china, mirrors,
pebbles, stones, or broken brights…a true magpie’s hoard. These
found objects are transformed into a unique work of art when each
piece is hand-cut and arranged in custom-tinted grout in a joyful
explosion of color and texture.
Laurie chooses to create mosaics that satisfy the
soul and provide comfort…a mirror to reflect, a lamp to
illuminate, a table to support. Laurie has exhibitied with the
Greater Augusta Arts Council, the Gertrude Herbert Institute of
Art and the Augusta Ballet. Her works are in private collections
in the Southeast and available at Pastel on Central.
