Barbara Searles has been making Mosaic Art in Marin County, CA since 1996. Mentored in her teens, she learned pottery throwing and hand building from a local ceramicist, and won a Gold Key Scholastic Award for pewter smithing. Barbara received a BFA in 1983 from Moore College of Art in Philadelphia, PA; and has studied at NY School of Visual Arts.Since moving to the Bay Area, she has made and painted her own ceramic tiles, dishes and small sculptures. A few mishaps later, her craft evolved into pique assiette mosaics—transforming broken pottery and found stuff into unique objects of art that defy reproduction. The results are often whimsical, bridging the gap between art and function, as in Monkey Timer: a tile-laden lunchbox that houses both a kitchen timer and hand painted recipe tile. She takes a leap from traditional mosaic design, invoking curiosity and delight in the use of uncommon and recycled materials to make items such as mosaic cupcakes, sculpture and wall shelves. Barbara has taken advanced classes in a mosaic art, stained glass, quilting, jewelry making, and painting; and she has developed her own techniques. Her studio is the birthplace of many one-of-a-kind professionally crafted items.

Barbara's email: tempracrow45@comcast.net