Art League Hosts Maryland Mosaic Maven

About 30 painters, sculptors, photographers and artists of all media joined the Germantown Art League Wednesday night for a special presentation on making mosaics. Local artist Donna Weeks taught the group about the history, methods and material of the craft and showed off some original artwork.

"I'm self-taught," Weeks said. "Honestly I got into [mosaics] because I hated doing stained glass. It was way too regimented and disciplined. I prefer breaking the glass."

Weeks teaches classes in mosaic, beading and a wide array of other artistic subjects in adult learning programs across Montgomery and Howard counties. She also teaches some classes directly from her studio.

"[Students] range from eight-year old kids to 92-year old people," Weeks said. "It's a wide range. I want everybody to have fun and learn something new."

Trying something new is the purpose of the group's monthly presentations and meeting, said founding group member Lynee Oakes. According to Oakes, the group's presentations offer the "a safe place to try out what they're doing if they're new at it, and be exposed to people who have done it for a long time."

While some members brought their own paintings and sketches in to the meeting, a few brought empty hands and a busy schedule.

"Trying to find the time is a struggle to working on your passion," said art league member Terry Johnson. "But it's a lot of fun."

Some artists, like photographer Jorge Bernal, say they gladly trade sleep for studio time.

"I think I average between 30 and 40 hours a week in addition to my full-time job," Bernal said. "It gives a high that keeps you going."

As Weeks started showing the group how to put together their own mosaic art, she shared tricks from her own experience for making quality art that lasts. For instance, Weeks learned from a complete accident that putting dry grout on top of wet grout helps it mold easily and stay clean.

"A lot of books will give you horrific directions that make you think 'I can't possibly do that!'" Weeks said. "But it's actually quite easy."

The Germantown Art League meets monthly at Blackrock Center for the Arts.