Inspiration and Visions with Laura Rendlen
Saturday, November 1, 2025, 3:30 pm
How often do we find ourselves with the perfect opportunity to create—only to stare at a blank page, wondering, “What do I want to make?” This presentation explores how to find that crucial starting point in the creative process. Drawing on over 25 years of experience as both an artist and educator, Laura will use examples from her own work to share strategies for generating ideas and developing a personal artistic vision.
The presentation is organized into three core categories designed to spark inspiration and help artists begin their creative journey:
- Conceptual Themes – Broad ideas such as winter, wind, or water can serve as powerful entry points into a project. These universal concepts offer flexibility and emotional resonance.
- Sense of Place – This is not about replicating a photograph, but about evoking the essence of a location—whether real or imagined. The goal is to transport the viewer and capture a moment, atmosphere, or memory.
- Material-Driven Inspiration – One of the unique aspects of mosaic work is that the materials themselves can inspire the piece. A specific stone may evoke the desert; a piece of glass might resemble ice or bark, prompting the direction of a work before a subject is even chosen.
While my Laura’s work is largely representational, the principles discussed are equally applicable to abstract art. Following the presentation, she will open the floor for a Q&A session.
Laura Rendlen’s aesthetic and style for mosaic art are representational. She creates environments that capture the essence of a place. Through vivid color and soft expression, she conveys the intangibles in nature, particularly wind, light, and movement. Laura teaches her style with Master Workshops in contemporary mosaics nationally and internationally.
Laura has been published in several books, blogs, and magazines, including Mosaic Fine Art Portraits and Mosaic Art Now magazine. She has also been included six times in the Mosaic Arts International exhibitions, and in 2012, she received the prestigious MAI Jurors’ Choice award.
