Art Therapy: From Mammograms to Mosaic Art
Florence S. – March Breast Care Hero
Mosaic is particularly appreciated for its robustness. Having passed through the trials of time, its origins date back to 3000 BC. JC. It is considered probably the most complete form of manual decorative art. Mosaic is created through the fragmentation of stones cut into cubes or parallelepipeds, where artists can make designs and gradually assemble mosaics with patience and precision: shapes, colors and compositions. In a world where speed has taken our physical and material life, mosaic creation opens a window for people where time is completely suspended because creativity is developed with thought, meditation, silence, hands and natural materials.
With a Doctorate in Science in the field of electronics in 1996, I started my career in France working in various public research laboratories to pursue research upstream. As I began looking at new career opportunities, I also started drawing, and took Russian at the famous Sorbonne University in Paris and the University of Lille 3. This enabled me to start to express my creativity as I had learned in science. In 2017, I then went with my 11-year-old on a summer vacation in Lamastre (Ardèche) where we combined hiking and the discovery of mosaics. Together, we took a mosaic workshop led by Isabelle Marlier. This summer “internship” proved to be a real passion for both of us and changed my life.
When we returned to Lille, we quickly bought all the necessary professional equipment in a well-known mosaic store in the north of Paris. We continued this passion as time was available.
But then came a huge shock to me and to my family. In July 2018, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I started routine radiotherapy and treatment. In mid-2018, I even had to stop my professional activity. This resulted in on and off hospitalizations. On the bright side, it led me to a new and unexpected opportunity to build a new business in mosaic art, mainly oriented towards religious representations and towards nature.
During one of my longer hospital stays in August 2020, I came up with the idea of setting up of a mosaic workshop at home. I opened it in early December 2020, and called it “Colors and Mosaics” and we are located in La Madeleine in the North of France. Because it takes limited space and minimal equipment, we were able to transport my workshop to my hospital room where I have been piling up new mosaics. I was able to take time to free my creativity every day with this art therapy, representing what is immaterial, and following in faith.
The mosaic workshop was the art I needed to free up my creativity from science and that has completely changed my life and my motivation. Now my workshop is a meeting place at home, open to all ages and persons who want to participate to introductory and deepening courses.
For more information on my workshop based in Lille (France) click here.
http://coulmosaique59.canalblog.com/
atelier_mosaiques_presentation_30janv21
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