I create original, unique and often quirky mosaic art works!

Hi my name is Deb Dodd and I live near Benalla in North East Victoria, Australia. I grew up in regional NSW where I met my husband Jamie. We were married in 1992 and raised 2 amazing sons who have now flown the nest.

As a teenager, I had an interest in visual art but was exposed to limited opportunities and experiences and struggled to find a medium that suited me. I was accepted into the Melbourne College of Decoration in 1986 but didn’t make it through the first year; it wasn’t for me and I lacked confidence in my ability, struggled to connect  and didn’t seek out what I needed.

I worked in Admin, Community Services and in a support role in schools; I didn’t pursue any artistic hobbies that I can remember. I discovered mosaics when i was about 35 years old! I was pretty well hooked straight away but treated it more as a hobby for a few years until I was able to incorporate mosaics into my work with school students.  In early 2015, I took the plunge and with support from my husband, decided to concentrate on mosaics fulltime. By the end of that year I was back in part time paid employment in another school, but I was still able to share my love for mosaics and its use as an art therapy when working with students.

My mosaic skills have developed over time through trial and error and lots of practice! Having a basic artistic ability has been helpful but thankfully, being a brilliant painter, drawer or designer is not a requirement for the type of mosaics which I create.

My passion is to incorporate salvaged materials into my designs when I can. I love the variety of textures and colours that crockery and other salvaged items provide and it allows me to create one-of-a -kind pieces which are never replicated. I love the nostalgia that a piece of crockery can evoke and also the surprise it can generate when it is transformed into a piece of art. Some of my art pieces are functional too – a whole new use for that chipped or broken teacup!

The majority of my works are created using the direct method of mosaics where the tessera is attached directly to the final base. I prefer to use simple hand tools and techniques with very little manipulation – how a piece breaks/cuts is often how it stays. My tools include mosaic glass cutters, tile nippers, a hammer and a ceramic file.

At this stage I am not tempted by automatic tile cutting machines or diamond bladed electric cutters for china! Not saying that won’t change down the track, but at this stage in my artistic journey, I am enjoying the imprecision and unpredictability of the process in the works that I create.

I am in the process of moving into a studio at North East Artisans (NEA) 122 Bridge Street Benalla, Vic where I have several pieces on display and for sale. I plan to start running regular studio mosaic sessions for beginners and those with projects on the go!

If you are in Benalla, pop in and say hello! I’m not sure of the hours I will be in the studio as yet, but I expect it to be several days per week.

Thanks for reading!

Best Wishes

Deb