“Why do I express myself in mosaic?” This is a question I often ask myself as I wade through some of the more elaborate works I set out to create. Watching painters and print media practitioners, I often feel slightly jealous at the ease of their production in comparison to mine. But then, I am the one who chose this medium, and I have come to realise that whilst I may not be patient, I have loads of perseverance.

Juror’s Choice, Mosaic Arts International 2009, "Telescopus"
Mosaic for me is/was a natural progression. Developed from a past spent working in the tiling industry, it was a logical choice. Often I would suggest a feature to clients and end up making it myself. Years on, I found myself increasingly dissatisfied with the architectural options available and decided to make mosaics full ti
me. Working in isolation, I kept developing my skills. I began training others and delivering public art projects. It wasn’t until I discovered there was to be an International Symposium on Mosaic (AIMC) in Melbourne (2004), that I really became aware of how strong the mosaic movement was globally and that I wanted to be a part of it.
Attending that conference was an epiphany. Meeting people like George Fishman, Helen Bodycomb, and David Jack gave me a desire to keep going and challenge myself in new areas. Seeing smalti for the first time, meeting people from all over the world, and admiring the amazingly different works at the exhibitions all added up to a sense of purpose and the realization of my dream. Several years later, it’s off to America for Miami SAMA (2008), where I met hundreds of fantastic, creative, inspiring people.
Mosaic is only a medium that allows me to achieve what I really seek: communication with like-minded people.
—Dominic Johns