CYNTHIA FISHER,  BIO and ARTIST STATEMENT

Cynthia Fisher, artist in her BIG BANG MOSAICS studio, in front of a new abstract mosaic, "The Cosmic Microwave Background", photo credit, RORY FISHER

BIO
I have been a professional artist for over thirty years with a focus on mosaics since 2000. At Big Bang Mosaics I create installations in public, residential, and corporate settings nationwide. My diverse body of work ranges from illustrative to painterly to non-representational. My abstract mosaics have received national and international awards, including the Juror's Choice Award at the Mosaic Arts International show at the Women's Museum in San Diego, Ca in 2016. I conduct school residencies and community projects, here in the US and since 2013, in Guatemala. I teach mosaic workshops in my studio and at art and craft centers. MOSAICS are my world, and I am always happy to share my passion for this medium.

ARTIST STATEMENT
When I first started making mosaics twenty five years ago, I knew I had found the art form that best suits my artistic sensibilities.
I put a lot of thought into what I create, and have never (never!) sat down and just started assembling a mosaic with no forethought. My work begins with intention: an idea, concept or theme I want to explore. The natural world and science and math are some favorites; currently I am working on an on-going series, 'Peregrinations on Being Human', an Artist's Journey.’
I begin with lists: how can I best portray the chosen theme, what materials will I use, what andamento will further deliver my intent. Unique to the mosaic art form, andamento is the visual flow produced by the placement of rows of tile pieces, or tesserae. The physicality of the medium is significant: I begin by holding my art materials. Pieces are added and subtracted, sometimes by trial and error. I am drawn to the exquisite colors of the materials, from stained glass to Italian and Mexican Smalti. I incorporate handmade pottery shards and patterned ceramics as they provide further surface detail and texture. The color palette is finite - I can’t mix my colors the way a painter does, and this limitation often forces me to be more creative as a result. 
When the thought process and preparation is complete and the mosaic pieces are in hand, I begin to work intuitively, viscerally responding to the materials and how they come together. In these moments the world falls away and I am once again enraptured by the joy of creating.