Jane Santos, Mosaic Artist
My mosaics are inspired by my surroundings and the wider environment where I live on the
Kapiti Coast. I started mosaicking when I was living in the UK after being inspired by the artists
working in the Mosaic Workshop in London. After many years of working part-time on my art
whilst pursuing a career in education, I took early retirement in 2002 to work full time on my art
and opened a Gallery at my home in Kapiti. Since then I have worked on various projects and
commissions.
I use porcelain, ceramic both glazed and unglazed and glass tiles which are hand cut using
wheeled cutters and then glued directly onto the base board. My tiles are sourced from the UK,
Europe, Australia and the USA.
I like to work in series with multiple panels of differing sizes, the themes of which I return to over
the years. These themes encompass the flora and fauna of New Zealand, the older houses and
buildings of Wellington and the diverse people who live in our country. Although these panels
are designed for indoor display I do also complete outdoor panels and hangers which are
worked by the indirect method and do not use wood.
Although I was taught the traditional techniques of mosaics, I have, through experience
developed my own way of working and cutting. I have developed a method of two layers, which
is particularly effective with the houses of Wellington series where I have created added depth
to the overall view.
A selection of the range of my work can be seen on my website: www.janesantosmosaics.com