Mosaics by Shelley Beaumont

My childhood was spent in Colorado where I was immersed in an enchanting world playing with rocks and in streams, searching out and admiring flowers, and gazing in wonder and awe at the nearby mountains and at the far away stars. This early endearment of the outdoors and the cosmos led to an interest in geology, astrology, and sacred geometry. Looking back to those early days of endless curiosity, I know now that I was drawn to the playfulness of light and the grounding of symmetry. The memories of light reflecting off water and snow, sparkling hints of mica on pink and black granite boulders, spotting shooting stars in the vast dark sky, and studying the black geometric pattern inside of giant orange tulips swirl around as inspiration for my art. I am a mosaic artist and my passion is to create art that explores and plays with light, reflection, and patterns. I study various metaphysical sciences to deepen my understanding of how energy, color, and healing can be imbued into my work. I love working with gemstones and natural minerals for their luster, beauty, dimension, and also for their energetic properties. I find art glass, with its inherent complex patterns, depth, and reflective qualities mysteriously beautiful and intriguing. I often use mirror as a tool to create light and reflection underneath glass and gemstones as part of the structure. The layers create interesting areas for they eyes to rest when exploring a piece. I particularly enjoy making decorative mirror frames as they provide the opportunity to explore reflection of one’s surface self and the deeper more interesting inner self. I begin with a rough sketch or idea and then let my intuition guide me to the colors and materials to use. I become a conduit for an energy that wants to be expressed and allow the final design and pattern to emerge organically. I love traveling both in the United States and internationally for educational opportunities and to attend gem and lapidary shows in search of materials.