LEVEL 7 : FEATURES, FACES, FIGURES

The eyes are often the first point of connection between a subject and viewer. In this unit, students create a mosaic study focused on a pair of expressive eyes, exploring how gaze, viewpoint, colour, and subtle facial cues can communicate emotion, personality, and psychological presence. Working from contemporary reference material, students are encouraged to consider how mosaic can capture the unique spirit of an individual.

A face does not need to be fully visible to communicate meaning. Focusing on mouths, noses, cheeks, and cropped facial details, students investigate how fragments can capture movement, personality, vulnerability, joy, tension, and human connection.

In this major project, students create a contemporary mosaic portrait of their choosing. Emphasis is placed on moving beyond simple likeness to capture the unique presence, identity, and spirit of the subject through colour, andamento, composition, and material choice.

Hands can communicate emotion as powerfully as a face. Through studies of gesture, touch, and posture, students explore themes such as connection, contemplation, strength, worry, and unity, creating mosaics that tell stories without words.

This four-part theoretical series offers a  historical signposts, tracing the evolution of portraiture from the Renaissance to contemporary practice and providing a rich conceptual foundation for developing expressive portrait mosaics.

UNIT 1 Renaissance: Discover how Renaissance artists transformed portraiture from the highly coded images of the Byzantine period to embrace a humanist ideal.

UNIT 2 Baroque to Realism: Explore how artists moved beyond physical resemblance to reveal emotion, psychology and character through light, gesture, composition and paint handling.

UNIT 3 Modernism: Follow the radical shifts of Modernism as artists challenged realism through colour, distortion, abstraction and multiple viewpoints, redefining what a portrait could be.

UNIT 4 Contemporary Portraiture, 1970 – Today: Examine how contemporary artists use portraiture to explore identity, memory, culture and personal narrative, where the portrait becomes as much about ideas as appearance.

Voices of Mosaic, a series of conversations with the world’s leading mosaic artists. Together, we’ll explore the ideas, inspirations and creative journeys that shape their work, and celebrate the remarkable diversity of contemporary mosaic.
For Level 7C I have selected artists whose work perfectly complements our area of study.

I have to admit I’ve had a long-standing mosaic crush on Michael Kruzich. When my work was displayed opposite his at Mosaic Arts International in San Diego in 2016, I may have done a small happy dance! Sadly, Michael was unwell and confined to his hotel room during the exhibition, so we didn’t get to meet in person. Even then, though, I felt there was something of a kindred spirit in the way we both approached mosaic.

Michael is an award-winning American mosaic artist who trained at the renowned Mosaic Art School in Ravenna, Italy, under Maestra Luciana Notturni and her colleagues. Working primarily with natural stone and Italian glass, he draws on the rich traditions of Roman and Byzantine mosaic while exploring contemporary themes through portraiture, mythology and the heroic.

Before discovering mosaic, Michael enjoyed a professional career in dance and theatre, influences that continue to shape his work through their sense of movement, dramatic lighting and powerful composition. His mosaics have been exhibited internationally, including at the De Young Museum in San Francisco, the Ravenna Mosaico Biennale and Mosaic Arts International.

What I admire most about Michael’s work is the extraordinary technical mastery that underpins every piece, combined with a fearless willingness to make those traditions his own. His mosaics are dramatic, intimate, powerful and unmistakably his.

In our second Unit we will hear from Mieke Ceusters. I first met Mieke in 2018 at the Contemporary Mosaic Art Symposium in Sardinia, where we spent two weeks working alongside artists from around the world under the direction of Maestro Giulio Menossi. It was there that I first came to appreciate Mieke’s extraordinary technical knowledge, generosity, great sense of humour and deep passion for mosaic.

Based in Belgium, Mieke is a mosaic artist, teacher and researcher whose work draws inspiration from the Roman mosaic tradition, interpreted through a distinctly contemporary voice. Working primarily with hand-cut natural stone and marble, she is renowned for her exceptional craftsmanship, mastery of classical andamento and thoughtful exploration of ancient mosaic design.

Alongside her own practice, Mieke teaches throughout Belgium and internationally, sharing both the techniques and historical foundations of Roman mosaic. Her research has taken her to ancient mosaic sites across Europe, and in 2025 she was honoured with a solo exhibition at the Ravenna Biennale of Contemporary Mosaic.

What I admire most about Mieke is the way she bridges past and present. She reminds us that studying ancient mosaics isn’t about recreating history, but about understanding a visual language that continues to inspire contemporary artists today.

In this Unit of study we will meet Virginia Zanotti. I first met Virginia in Adana, Türkiye, where we were both invited to participate in an international mosaic symposium with Maestro Giulio Menossi. Virginia was quite simply the life of the group. She was our comedian, translator, teacher and innovator, generously sharing her knowledge and skills with everyone around her. We quickly became firm friends.

Born in Cesena, Italy, Virginia originally trained as a fashion designer before discovering mosaic almost by chance in 2004. Since then, mosaic has become both her profession and primary means of artistic expression. Alongside her own contemporary practice, she has worked on major international projects, collaborated with leading mosaic companies in Ravenna, and exhibited and taught around the world. More recently, she has brought her background in fashion full circle, creating mosaic-inspired textile and surface designs.

What I admire most about Virginia is her boundless creative energy and generosity. She is constantly experimenting, questioning and pushing the possibilities of mosaic, while encouraging others to discover their own artistic voice through her internationally acclaimed Unconventional Mosaic Workshop.

For this Unit of study I interviewed artist Gila Rayberg. I first met Gila in 2018 at the Contemporary Mosaic Art Symposium in Sardinia, where we spent two weeks working side by side alongside an inspiring group of international artists. It was a memorable experience, and I’ve admired her work ever since.

Based in Pensacola, Florida, Gila is an award-winning contemporary mosaic artist whose expressive portrait mosaics are recognised for their warmth, humanity and sensitive use of colour. Working with smalti, stone, reclaimed ceramics and found objects, she creates portraits that are both deeply personal and universally relatable.

Before discovering mosaic, Gila enjoyed a successful career as a professional musician and educator, living and teaching throughout Southeast Asia. Those experiences continue to shape the empathy and storytelling that are so evident in her work.

What I admire most about Gila’s mosaics is her ability to reveal the humanity of her subjects. Her portraits capture personality, vulnerability and quiet moments of reflection, inviting us to slow down and connect with the people she depicts.

COURSE & LESSON STRUCTURE

4 x 3 Hour Live Online Lessons

4 x Check in sessions for feedback and discussion between lessons

Each lesson contains the following focus areas.

1: FEEDBACK
We start with a feedback session on the work that has been completed from the previous unit. In Unit 1 this will be reviewing the Byzantine Studies from the previous term.

2. VOICES OF MOSAIC
For each unit we will feature a contemporary artist working with in portraiture. We will hear about their journey and reflections of selected examples of their work.

3: HISTORY
In Part C our theoretical study covers signposts in the development of portraiture from the Renaissance to now.

4: ANATOMY
Understanding the anatomy of the face is essential.  This becomes particularly important when aiming to convey facial expression and emotion which is created by the movement of muscles in the face and hands.

5: ANDAMENTO
Students source their own images for Part C of this course. We will learn contemporary approaches to andamento and focus on the transition zones in the face. 

6: COLOUR
In Part C the colour theory broadens to include the manipulation of colour for expression and emotion. 

7: MOSAIC
The mosaic study is completed for homework and progress uploaded on the class Padlet for feedback.

8: CHECK IN
Caitlin and Michelena offer an informal check in session between classes for feedback and live online discussion beyond the padlet.