This is an article written by Rhonda Langham who came on the Sicily Mosaic Workshop October 8 – October 18 2009
This past summer I decided to devote more time to improving my mosaic skills. I looked through all my books, took a deep breath, and contacted Martin Cheek to see what he might suggest. Little did I know then that I’d be heading to Cefalu, Sicily two months later for an 11-day mosaic course. But that is exactly what happened, and it was one of my best trips ever!
Although I was aware that Sicily is the site of some of the world’s most beautiful mosaics, I really was most interested in what the course itself had to offer. As a novice, would the course be too difficult for me? Would I learn how to use new mediums? Would the course provide me with enough time in the classroom to accomplish my goals? Would the accommodations be comfortable? Since I had never met Martin or the other students, would there be synergy? Would I find enough in common with my fellow mosaicists for 11 days together?
Martin was fantastic about sending prompt emails which answered my every concern. (I couldn’t believe that most of his emails were being sent at 5:00 am! Does the guy ever sleep?) Because Martin responded within hours of receiving my emails, I took this as a sign that I was really working with a professional who took his classes seriously. In one of Martin’s emails he reassured me that mosaicists of all levels would be on the course; that was important to me as I had never worked with smalti before. Also, I wanted to ensure that I would receive instruction appropriate for a beginner. Martin confirmed that although there were 12 people on the course, every student would receive individualized attention daily, no matter what their level.
And who, exactly, were the other students on the course? Well, surprises of surprises, one woman I knew from an Earthwatch project in South Africa from the year before. What are the chances of that happening?!? Two thirds of the other participants were returnees, which assuaged any doubts I might have had about Martin’s teaching skills. Except for 4 of us, the others had taken courses with Martin at Broadstairs or Sicily, and two of the students had also taken courses from Martin in Venice, Ravenna, Venice, Aquileia, Broadstairs, Greece, and Sicily. Does that speak volumes, or what? I quickly named our group, “Martin’s Cheeky Monkeys” as everyone was so lively.
We had women of all ages and several nationalities, too: Brits, Aussies, Latin Americans and North Americans. Plus, two participants brought guests with them: one brought her mum and another person brought her husband. Both of them fit into the group like they’d known us all along. With the 12 participants, the 2 non-participants plus Martin and his very handsome – and single – sidekick, Andrew, we had a gang of 16. (Yeh, the waiters had to take a vacation after we left.)
Martin had arranged for all of us to meet up at the piazza the first evening for drinks before dinner. This was a great way to get to know each other. I was impressed by how enthusiastic everyone was to be on the course and in such a stunning city. And, I could see that everyone responded well to Martin’s wonderful sense of humor. It was going to be a great workshop!
Our classes were held in the conference room of Cefalu’s small but lovely museum, the Mandralisca. It was a bright, airy room with plenty of space for each of us to have our own workspace. The first day of the course was devoted to organizing materials (smalti, roti, millefiori, and Martin’s glass fusions), learning how these materials are made, and discussing logistics.
Martin then had each student talk about her project: why she had chosen that motif, what did it remind her of, and what were her feelings about the project. (Martin had sent us briefs months before the course began so that we’d be prepared to start working immediately.) And, then it was off to work on our projects while Martin and Andrew walked around to talk to us individually. I was impressed at their listening skills and how they encouraging they were. (At one stage on the course, I almost threw my project away. Martin kept saying to me, “Hang in there; you’ve got to trust the process.” And he was right! I’m so glad I listened to him as I now have a toucan I’m proud of.)
Subsequent classes followed a similar routine: each morning Martin would give us a short lecture on a specific mosaic technique before we started working on our own pieces. The lectures included aspects of mosaic design; how to cut tiles to create andamenti; to grout or not to grout; and the indirect method of mosaic making. Martin would sometimes gather us around a particular person’s work to help us learn from each other. This was one of the best aspects of the course as I found I learnt almost as much from the other students as I did from the instructors.
The afternoons were free for us to do our own thing. Most students continued working on their projects without instruction. Some of us did take time off to swim in the beautiful Mediterranean or walk around the lovely old city.
At the end of the course, we had a special exhibition of our work. Martin talked about each person’s piece and what he felt they had learnt from the course. Since this was the first time anyone had ever critiqued my work in front of an audience, I was really nervous. However, in his gentle way, Martin found wonderful things to say about each person’s work!
The critique at the end of the course: well done everybody!
Now, I haven’t told you about all aspects of the course. You can find answers to most questions about logistics on Martin’s website. What I will say is that we stayed in various apartments scattered around the old city, but no one was more than a five minute walk from the other students or from the classroom. My particular apartment was adorable: I was right on the sea and every morning I’d sit out on my balcony with a cup of tea and watch the waves. Sigh!
Then it was off to the piazza with Martin’s other Cheeky Monkeys for coffee and croissants. I’m not sure there’s a more beautiful place to start one’s day. In the evenings we’d gather either on the piazza or at a student’s apartment for drinks before heading to one of Cefalu’s many restaurants. (Martin had suggested having our aperitifs at each other’s flats as a way of keeping costs down and it was also a great way of seeing each other's apartments.)
Dinners were gorgeous: we’d have a two- or three-course dinner with copious amounts of wine and lively conversation. If the weather was good, we’d then head to the piazza for after-dinner drinks or to Martin’s flat for games of bananagrams (his famous word game). Because our breakfasts and dinners were included in the course price, no one had to worry about scrambling for money to pay for their meals. Lunch was NOT included - but most days we made do with the excellent produce bought from the veggie / fruit man who came by each day with his van. My favorites were the persimmons and fresh figs – yum. And what a treat to hear him calling out as he went from street to street!
Twice Martin invited the group to his apartment for lunch. It was such fun sitting around the table eating gorgeous salads and seafood in such a convivial setting. Thanks to everyone who pitched in!!
And then there were the visits to the see the mosaics of the area… I’ve seen mosaics in many parts of the world: Israel, Syria, Turkey, Switzerland, Italy…so I honestly thought that the mosaics in Sicily would be on par with them. I certainly wasn’t prepared to be blown away by the grandeur of the Roman mosaics by the African School at the Villa Romana del Casala at the Piazza Armerina. Wow! Not only was the quality of the work impressive, but the content was unique. These mosaics were made in the 4th century and have scenes of hunting, wars, African animals, and….ladies in bikinis! (And all this time I thought bikinis had been invented in the 60’s; just shows you what I know!)
And what about the lovely Norman/Byzantine mosaics at the Duomo Monreale? Another world-class treasure whose beauty I was unprepared for. Nor was I ready to be stunned by the richness and tranquility of the Byzantine mosaics at the Capella Palatina in the Pallazzo Normanni. Martin explained that these mosaics had been cleaned and restored over the last few years. The artistry of these works is simply breathtaking and the richness of the colors cannot be captured in a photo. But I’ll try…
Before visiting a site, Martin would explain the history of the mosaics we were about to see. Once inside, he would also point out technical aspects of the works. I found this really instructive and as we made our way through the various sites, I began to look at the mosaics with new eyes. When you have masterpieces in front of you, the questions just come: how did they foreshorten the bodies to make the proportions work? How did the artists transition the andamenti from one motif to another? Which opus did they use around the figures? Did the artists always use opus vermiculatum, and how many lines of it were used? Why was it used more often in some parts of the figure than in others? The answers to these questions were right in front of us…but if we couldn’t figure them out, Martin and Andrew were happy to explain.
Some of the students had seen these mosaics on the course in previous years, but everyone agreed that one never tires of seeing them again. I think all of us felt refreshed in spirit and humbled by the experience.
So, what will I take away from this course? New mosaic techniques, new friendships, a reverence for the masters who have left us such treasures, and a quest to create beautiful mosaics. I’m certain that all of us left feeling enriched by this trip. Thank you, Martin and Andrew, for a fabulous experience!
Flint House, 21 Harbour Street, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1ET, UK.
Phone: +44 (0)1843 861958
Mobile: +44 (0)7949 884620
martin@martincheekmosaics.com
www.flinthouseart.com
