MOSAIC OF LIFE Kate Thompson
W
hen we came up with the idea of making a mosaic in our postage stamp sized courtyard garden in Southsea, we had little idea of the joy and full-on stand-up rows that would ensue. Sitting back this week enjoying the sunshine and listening to the tinkling of the water from the fountain, I can fully appreciate the colourful backdrop we have created around our pond. There are shells, old tiles, smashed crockery, funny faces and even delightful blue and white casserole lids are stuck on the wall. At the water line there are mirror shards that glitter and
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reflect the water below. Collecting the stuff that would be part of our mosaic was great fun and involved much mooching in charity shops to find just the right piece. Before long we had a couple of trunk loads of bits and pieces. My sister stumbled across a fantastic haul of tiles while out on a walk in the depths of Dorset and manfully staggered back to her car with bags filled with the ceramic booty. Meanwhile I had been studying Kaffe Fassett’s visual treat of a book, with ideas for mosaic projects large and small. I found myself particularly drawn to the images of his back