I have a deep affinity for old stuff - funky junk, rusty things, bits and pieces of detritus most often referred to by the uninitiated as "garbage" or "trash".  ( Ah! but therein lies the idiom! )  Often, If it speaks to my soul, I leave the tattered and threadbare unadorned... but mostly, I live to make things! -put a new spin on an old standard; uncover the 'art heart' of a found object, recycle and restyle timeworn finds.  I love to put paint to paper, walls, canvas and furniture. Color it in!  Embellish it up!  Strip it down!  Whee!  I'm drawn in particular to whimsical themes and the thrill of the unexpected.  Second-hand DOGS are likewise my passion. ( Is there is a more profoundly beautiful artistic tome than Berkeley Breathed's  "Flawed Dogs: The Year End Leftovers At the Piddleton "Last Chance" Dog Pound" ? Not in my world, my friend! )  Canine "beauty in imperfection" can be found snoozing  in every stuffed chair and sunny spot at my home studio, The Sit and Stay Atelier.  My dogs are a constant source of inspiration, artistic and otherwise.  And should there ever be a shortage of shopworn chairs needing a make-over - the dogs will happily tatter to order.  The coffee's hot -c'mon over!

Michael J Kruzich

Mosaicist

fine art/ commissions/ workshops

 "I have been a professional ballet dancer for the past 28 years.  Many aspects of my theatrical background present themselves in my mosaic subjects. They are often characterized by  movement, dramatic and subtle color/ light contrasts and a high level of detail. Personally I have an affinity for antiquity, mythology and the heroic, and my natural attractions lean toward classical realism and figurative renderings. I seek to use this ancient art form to also capture and preserve the aspects of contemporary life and nature that I find moving and to inspire and create an experience for the viewer. 

Related to commissions, I try to apply some of the same disciplines I practiced in my dance career. As a dancer I was trained to be as versatile as possible and to cultivate an ability to interpret concepts and styles from the ideas of many different choreographers. I approach a commission with the same blank- canvas idea; inevitably bringing my own style together with the needs of the particular project to create a fusion of artist/client ideas.

I was trained in Ravenna, Italy by Maestra Luciana Notturni and have since been recognized internationally for two consecutive years; winning awards at the annual “Mosaic Arts International” exhibits in 2010 and 2011 as well as work being published in a recent mosaic portraiture book.  I am also a professional level member of the Society of American Mosaic Artists, and teach ancient mosaic techniques out of my studio in San Francisco.

I work with natural stone, and Italian glass, primarily using ancient techniques developed in Italy before and during the Byzantine period. I find the qualities of these materials, combined with the classical methods, convey a sense of timeless strength, importance and elevation to whatever subject is rendered in this meticulous discipline.

Art has been my life’s work. I approach it with great passion, devotion and responsibility.  To create an enveloping experience for the viewer is my goal, and in every discipline I bring together many detailed pieces to make up a grand overall impression. In my current mosaic work I enjoy the challenge of “painting” with tesserae; fusing colors into a wondrous whole creating the illusion of seeing colors and shapes blending together like painted objects. 

Kellyʼs work draws on the inspirations of her early childhood memories and the organic forms and colors found in nature. Combining other disciplines such as sculptural elements within the glass and hand paint; her work reflects her belief in simplistic forms and asymmetry, varying in color intensity from landscape palettes to the boldness of graffiti art. As a self taught artist she has studied techniques in such mediums as painting, ceramic sculpture, metal smithing, woodworking, photography and motorcycle maintenance which she combines with to create the unique pieces.

art makes me make art makes me. i work in a variety of mediums, reflecting my take on everything from societies absurdities to its beauties. Often I work quickly on impulse and find i achieve my best results this way. In the past i have worked with ceramics, but currently focus on latex painting, drawing, silkscreening, installation, and performance art.

“The ground we walk on, the plants and creatures, the clouds above constantly dissolving into new formations — each gift of nature possessing its own radiant energy, bound together by cosmic harmony.” — Ruth Bernhard.

As a photographer of urban and rural landscapes, I’m elated when there are clouds giving texture to the sky. The elusive, ethereal, and elemental beauty of clouds has always enthralled me.

I tend to see patterns of color, shapes and shadows in both natural and man-made environments, capturing the beauty created when these two environments combine. I’m now working in my studio with kiln-formed glass— transforming these images into layered glass "paintings". Working with different types and sizes of glass (opaque, translucent and clear sheet glass, powders and frit) lets me manipulate the light, depth and texture in each image.