I'm Susan Altman, a longtime resident of Medford, Massachusetts, and a passionate mosaic artist. Thanks for checking out my website!
I have always loved making things and have made many kinds of art and crafts--wheel-thrown ceramics, watercolors, pastels, jewelry, beads, quilts.... More recently I've focused on mosaics, which are so varied! A mosaic can be fine art, garden ornaments, functional objects for the home, or jewelry, Also, mosaics can be made weather-resistant and are great for community projects.
Because I'm committed to doing what I can to help the Earth survive our rapidly warming planet, I incorporate into my art lots of stuff that many people toss in the trash. I want to keep my impact on the Earth as small as I reasonably can. So I reclaim and reuse materials whenever possible--old frames, broken pottery, yard sale furniture, leftover wood from construction projects, stones, shells, keys, even plastic bottlecaps and ink toner cartridges.
I also teach mosaics, both at my Somerville studio and at various local venues. Unlike many types of art, mosaics are very approachable for beginners, requiring nothing more than some tiles, glue, and willingness to experiment.