Whew!  That was the easy part!   The design of my gondola would be  quite a challenge. Of course I wanted it to be 3D; the biggest challenge of all for me, as most my work has been 2-dimensional.  I did a lot of research about gondolas, learning about  their history and purpose.  I love the internet, we have so much information at our finger tips, so easy just to Google it!     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gondola.

I tried three different ways to make the form; from clay to wood and finally settling on a styrofoam airplane, which I carved into the shape of the gondola.  The long sleek lines of the plane  mirrored the long  sleek lines of the gondola.  A sumptuary law of Venice requires that gondolas should be painted black,  so I  chose to cover  entire form in black smalti (tile).  The settee  and lavish rug was made of red gold smalti. I applied fringe on the settee to add the feeling of romance. I also added my embellishments;  the ornament on the front of the boat is called the fèrro (meaning iron) and can be made from brass, stainless steel, or aluminium. It serves as decoration and as counterweight for the gondolier standing near the stern.  I  hand cut them out of wood and painted it silver to give you the feel of stainless steel.  I was able to find small sterling silver horses to hold the rope down, to complete the look.

My passion is to communicate moods and feeling of  life through my Mosaic Art. I want my materials and work to not only create the spirit of the mosaic,  but also to intrigue your thoughts so you, too, can be drawn into its purpose. I want you to sense and feel the romance of  Venice with this piece:   ”Black Beauty, The Gondola.”

Thank you for your support and interest in my Mosaics, enjoy the slide show of the progression of:

“Black Beauty, The Gondola”.

Patty Massaro is a current member of the Society of American Mosaic Arts. In addition to many society workshops, she has studied with Luciana Notturni and Brunetta Zavatti in Ravenna, Italy.  She was born in New York, raised in Southern California, but now resides in North Texas.  You can reach her by calling: (972) 900-4676  or emailing her at  patty@mosaicsbymassaro.com.

I am pleased to share with you my love of the timeless beauty of mosaics, my passion, and I look forward to your inquiries regarding my completed pieces that are listed for sale, or to designing and commissioning a custom creation made especially for you.

Please take a moment to look through my gallery for a sampling of my work. I look forward to your interest regarding a purchase or designing and completing your own custom mosaic. Thank you for stopping by. Please check back occasionally for updates and new pieces available for purchase.

Featured at the Heart and Soul Exhibition
February 7 to March 7, 2009

Below in the slide show, you will see the making and progression of the Texas State Fair Star. The theme for the competition was: “The Sky’s The Limit”.   I wanted to bring out the best part of the Texas State Fair, with Big Tex, kids, corny dogs, tent’s and the  ferris wheel in the middle to tie it all together with the State Flag and Star, and who can forget the flying pig for The Sky’s The Limit!  Enjoy, this piece was really fun to make.