Me & My Art Monday: Meet Carol Tessier

By September 29, 2014 Me & My Art

This week’s featured artist: Carol Tessier, member since 2011:

Carol TessierME:  I am a Maryland native living with my husband Tim and Emma, our 11-year old Golden Retriever, in Eastport.  I’m a retired CPA using “the other side of my brain” now to create mosaic art in my home studio, where I also give workshops as an adjunct faculty member at Anne Arundel Community College. Tim and I have cruised far and wide on our 38-foot trawler, including a 2,700 nautical mile cruise starting in Annapolis, up the Hudson, down the St. Lawrence Seaway, and around the Gaspe Peninsula to Halifax.

Mosaic Carpet I

Mosaic Carpet I

MY ART:  My interest in mosaics began on a grade school trip to Baltimore Museum of Art, where I countered ancient tesserae, which is the art of using pieces of glass and stones to create a design.  I began with “pique assiette” which is the practice of using broken dishes, but I soon graduated to more exotic materials from Italy and Morocco.  I studied with Israeli, Italian and UK masters, and have gathered a massive collection, including beautiful smooth blue flint stones from the Calais coast on the North Sea, thick deep blue mussel shells from Prince Edward Island, flint shards from the WWI battlefields, red jasper from the Canso Strait – all of which created serious ballast issues in our boat and overweight luggage at the airports!

My mirrors have been popular as a way of combining art and craft.  Galleries in our winter home of Bonita Springs, FL, and West Annapolis Artworks and Fine Framing have exhibited and sold my work.  My work is lively, colorful and very textural; it is meant to be touched!

MFA & ME:  I discovered MFA around three years ago, when I stopped into the Gallery to see an exhibit and wound up helping with a bank reconciliation!  Since then helped with grant-writing, organizing member work for Collector’s Choice, and was put in charge of the ever-changing exhibition of MFA Member Art in Windows at the former Steven’s Hardware store.  I find the members helpful and encouraging, and learned there is plenty to do to keep MFA going.  By helping with the ongoing cycle of exhibits, I have learned things about installing, judging, taking down and packing up an exhibit… all good things for an artist to know.

 

Spread the word about…YOU:   Every week, we feature an MFA member for “Me & My Art Monday.” If you would like to be featured, please submit a photo and three paragraphs: one each about YOU, YOUR ART, and MFA & YOU totaling approximately 350 words, to meandmyart@mdfedart.org.

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  • Carol Tessier says:

    Hi, Judy! Thanks for your interest. I am actively working to increase interest in our art form in Annapolis. There are so many mosaicists among us. Please contact me so we can chat more about the exciting possibilities!

    • Judy Jordan says:

      Hi Carol –
      My website is judyjordanart.com. My email is judy@judyjordanart.com. I live in Annapolis off of Generals Hwy. If you would like to see the pieces that I have at my house sometime, let me know. I would be interested in any ideas that you might have.
      My home phone is 410-571-1122.
      Judy Jordan

  • Judy Jordan says:

    Hi Carol. I’ve admired your work when seeing it at MFA and also at one of the University of MD shows. I also work with mosaic using mostly stained glass on figurative works so of course I was immediately drawn to your pieces.

    Judy Jordan