MOSAIC ARTIST - VICKI JACKETT
Vicki with her works Backyard Blues and Snow Gums at Braemar Gallery Springwood.
Precision, Practice & a Growing Artistic Voice.
Not all artists begin with a clear vision or a strong sense of identity. Some begin with curiosity, with materials, and with a simple desire to make. Over more than a decade of steady practice, Vicki Jackett has developed a mosaic language grounded in observation, precision, and persistence. Her work reflects a deep engagement with material and form, and a quiet but unmistakable evolution from craft into fine art.
“Sometimes I can’t mosaic because I can’t work out how to resolve it…once I know there’s a way to progress, the flow opens up.”
A Long Relationship with Mosaic
Academy Member Vicki Jackett began her mosaic journey in a small community class where her first piece, a stained glass dragonfly, introduced her to the medium in a simple way. What began as a shared activity with a friend quickly grew into something more enduring.
Water Lily Tabletop
Created in the indirect method.
Academy Member Vicki Jackett began her mosaic journey in a small community class where her first piece, a stained glass dragonfly, introduced her to the medium in a simple way. What began as a shared activity with a friend quickly grew into something more enduring.
In her very first class in 2013, Caitlin recalls offering gentle feedback, aware that Vicki was new to the medium. Vicki’s response was immediate and telling:
“Sorry Caitlin… but I’m going to need more than that.”
It was a clear sign of the commitment and determination that would come to define her practice.
Over more than a decade, her work has evolved steadily, moving from early decorative pieces into increasingly refined and resolved mosaic artworks.
“My first mosaic was a dragonfly, but that was just the beginning.”
Vicki’s first Mosaic a Dragonfly in Stained Glass
Led by Materials & Observation
Vicki describes herself as a visual and materials-driven maker. Rather than working from abstract concepts or emotional narratives, she responds to what she sees. A photograph, a natural form, or a surface texture becomes the starting point. From there, the process unfolds through material choices and technical decision-making.
Her approach reflects a strong sensitivity to colour, texture, and surface. Materials are not secondary to the work. They are central to how it is conceived and resolved.
“The materials show me how the piece can come together.”
From Flat Work to Finessed Form
Over time, Vicki’s work has shifted significantly. Early pieces were flat and constructed in stained glass, focusing on shape and placement. Through years of practice and guided learning, she has developed a more sophisticated understanding of form, light, and surface.
She now works with depth, curvature, and faceting, particularly through the use of smalti. This transition marks a clear movement from decorative application toward a more nuanced and expressive mosaic language.
“Now I struggle to do completely flat. I like depth, curvature, and the faceting of smalti.”
Path to the Hills, Smalti, 2025
Completed in Mireille Swinnen’s Painterly Mosaic Workshop
Making Space for Practice
A turning point in Vicki’s practice came when she dedicated a room in her home entirely to mosaic. Surrounded by materials, colour, and texture, her process became more accessible and more consistent.
Having everything at hand allows ideas to develop more fluidly, removing the barriers that once interrupted her flow. The space itself has become part of the practice.
“I’m dedicating this room. It’s my mosaic and craft room.. when the materials are around me, they inspire me.”
Vicki’s beautifully organised home studio.
Patience, Precision, and Problem Solving
Vicki’s work is defined by careful attention to detail and a willingness to take time. Her pieces often develop slowly, shaped by ongoing problem-solving and refinement.
Her large three-dimensional bird titled Backyard Blues completed over seven years, reflects this persistence. Other works, such as her gum flower studies, reveal both technical ingenuity and a growing sensitivity to form and detail.
For Vicki, making is not always immediate. It is a process of working things out, testing solutions, and gradually finding resolution.
Backyard Blues (Neville the Wren), 2024
Stained Glass and Smalti Mosaic. The substrate was created in a Wendy Edwards workshop in 2017.. the mosaic took a bit longer..
“That bird took me seven years.”
Gum Flower Red by Vicki Jackett 2025
Stained Glass, Filati and beads.
Gum Flower Yellow by Vicki Jackett 2026
Stained Glass, Filati and beads.
WHEN MOSAIC BECOMES FINE ART
Participating in exhibition settings, particularly in the Grounded Exhibition Braemar Gallery, marked an important shift in how Vicki sees her work. Engaging with the public and receiving direct feedback allowed her to recognise the strength and impact of what she creates.
While she remains grounded and modest about labels, there is a growing confidence in her practice and its place within contemporary mosaic.
“The Grounded exhibition at Braemar Gallery made me feel that yes, I can actually create art.”
Snow Gums (Detail)
You can see Vicki’s love of mixed media integrating timber, smalti, smoky quartz, garnet and mookaite.
