Captivated by the brilliant colors and wonderful versatility of mosaic tesserae, with their endless possibilities for dimension and texture, Helen Marie fell in love with mosaic art upon being first introduced to the medium in 2006 and has pursued greater mastery of this art form since that time, participating in various workshops, working independently from her home studio and assisting with community art projects. The following year, she began doing commissions, established Cascade Mosaics, and joined the Society for American Mosaic Artists. Her pieces have been inspired primarily by her love for family and friends, as many of her early work was created by request and/or with a particular person in mind. As she has continued to expand her knowledge of mosaics and become more practiced as an artist, she has begun to explore new directions. One source of continued inspiration is her hometown, New Orleans and she is currently planning a series of works with the themes of famous Crescent City landmarks and special locations of personal importance, its rich Creole heritage and as the birthplace of jazz music, her first love and artistic outlet.
Helen Marie’s work can be found in private collections in Atlanta, Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana and Houston, Texas. In 2013 she did her first of many international workshops and contributed to an outdoor community mural in La Fortuna, Costa Rica, designed and facilitated by Laurel True. She has shown her work in local arts festivals in Decatur, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana and has created pieces for sale at private auctions to raise money for charities such as Play for Patrick benefiting neuroblastoma children’s cancer research in Atlanta, Georgia and Armstrong Family Services in New Orleans, Louisiana. She continues to spend as much leisure time as possible doing mosaics. Other international study has included the studio of Luciana Noturni in Ravenna, Italy, Hacienda Mosaico in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Barcelona, Spain.
Statement
"There is something reassuring about creating art from broken pieces; something more beautiful, more durable and more complex than the many individual parts of which it is comprised. Sometimes in life our dreams are shattered and things fall apart, and then we have to pick up the pieces and glue our lives back together and move forward as best we can. I discovered this art form at just such a point in my life, and so perhaps part of my love for mosaics is that it seemed a perfect metaphor for what I was experiencing, and it has been a very therapeutic outlet for my emotional and spiritual healing. Mosaic art is both ancient and contemporary; it can be appreciated not only with the eyes but also with the hands and the possibilities seem endless for experimenting with the variety of options: Types of tesserae, color, texture, complexity and dimension. I am only at the beginning of my exploration as an artist and with mosaics. I have much to learn, technically and artistically, and I look forward to continuing this journey of growth in the years to come.
I was inspired to select the name "cascade" because of my love for water, our indispensable life source. The word calls to mind the constant, beautiful, natural flow of vibrancy and abundant energy, which is what I hope to bring forth in my life."
-Helen Marie