This is a fun activity in Clapham, London
As seen on ITV's Katie Piper's Breakfast show; Picassiette is a term used to describe a style of mosaic art where broken ceramics are pieced together to create something new and beautiful. Recycling is intrinsic to Picassiette, as the broken pieces can no longer be used as a plate or a vase but are repurposed to make something new and interesting. This philosophy is at the heart of what we do at Art4Space as we are always looking for ways to make art and crafts sustainable, while retaining creativity and beauty.
With over 25 years' experience running mosaic workshops, we believe mosaic art can be accessible to anyone, whether you see yourself as a creative person or not. Maybe this is why you often find works of mosaic in outsider or naive art, such as the French artist Raymond Isidore and his "La Maison Picassiette". It is often thought that his mosaics were the first to be coined with the term Picassiette.
In the 1930s, Isidore began obsessively covering his entire property with decorative mosaics of salvaged crockery. Translated from French, the term picassiette means “stolen plate” or “broken plate” but also a “scrounger” or “sponger". So when Isidore was given the nickname “Picassiette” it suggests that his neighbours were not originally enthusiastic about his artworks, however these days La Maison Picassiette gets over 30, 000 visitors a year, all keen to catch a glimpse of his original creations!
In our Picassiette class, you will be given different templates to choose from including a cat, bee, beetle or flower. Our experienced and friendly Art4Space tutor will guide you every step of the way, whether you are a beginner or have mosaic experience, so that everyone will leave with a unique Picassiette mosaic to treasure. This is a great hands-on experience with all the materials provided. You are, of course, welcome to bring your own broken crockery pieces to use in your artwork, but we also have boxes full of broken plates, cups and vases for you to rummage in.
Proceeds go towards our community art projects, providing mental well-being and creative health, especially for those facing barriers.
