CHRISTINE BRALLIER
Like most artists I have loved art since childhood. I grew up in Los Angeles, CA with my mother who loves art, who encouraged my sisters and I to be creative at all times. I took art and music classes through high school and by the time I arrived at Santa Barbara City College in 1991, I had decided I wanted to be a children’s art and music therapist. I went on to get my M.A. in psychology, graduating from Antioch University in 1996.
By 1998 I was working with children in several internships when my interest turned to massage and energy work. I attended The Santa Barbara Body Therapy Institute and in 2003 became licensed as a massage therapist.
Meanwhile, I was taking art courses including water color, figure drawing and landscape painting. In 2005, I found a mosaic kit at a craft store and fell in love with mosaics.
Since then I have been studying the art of mosaic, primarily through books and the internet, as well as completing an architectural installations class with Laurel True at The Institute of Mosaic Art in Oakland, CA.
In my mosaics I use stained glass for the beautiful range in colors, streaks and patterns and for the ability to cut both large and small shapes with ease. The smoothness of the glass is also wonderful to touch! I create mosaics for the home, business, galleries, and recently, a public park in Santa Barbara. More public projects to come... :-)
Thank you for visiting my site and feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.
Christine Brallier
Artist Statement:
I have been creating mosaics with stained glass since 2005. I love everything about it from the process of choosing the colors, deciding how to cut the glass and how to lay it out, to grouting and revealing the final image. All of it fascinates me because there are infinite possibilities!
My mosaics are most often of children, animals and nature. The beauty and naturalness of them, the playfulness and the joy of living they possess, inspires me. They are open to us and they let us in. Embodying these same qualities is how I hope to create art that is meaningful to me and, perhaps, can touch others as well.
Professional Affiliations
Society of American Mosaic Artists - www.americanmosaics.org
Goleta Valley Art Association - www.tgvaa.org
Santa Barbara Visual Arts - www.sbva.org
Artist Guild of Santa Ynez Valley - www.agsyv.org
Exhibitions
Nelson Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA, July-Aug 2008
Meisel Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA, Feb-May 2008
Goleta Library, Goleta, CA, Feb 2008
Galerie Eye, Carpinteria, CA, Nov 2007
Karpeles Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA, Jan-March 2007
Bibliography
Blog by Kraken Mosaics - Twelve Fathoms, 2008
Blog by Kim Grant Mosaics - Mania & Mischief, 2008
Blog by Stacy Alexander - Listen to My Artbeat, 2008
Mosaic Art 2007 Yearbook
Mosaic Art 2006 Yearbook
Awards
Juror's Choice Award, Fiesta! 2008
2007 William T. Colville Foundation Grant