Dotti Stone, Mosaic Artist

Each of the next few days there will be a post about a different artist who is a part of The Cornerstone Gallery.

The room for this new gallery space is adjacent to mosaic artist, Dotti Stone's studio. She and potter Sally Carter decided to share the space and invited Gene Carter, Bonnie Kinnaird and Sergei Troubetzkoy to join them.

In the Looking Glass

Dotti started out as a professional photographer in the Washington DC area and owned and operated two studios there. In the late 70s/early 80s she sold Stone Photography to a staffer, and became a free lance photographer and started a stained glass business. Several years in Baton Rouge followed then a return to the DC area where she managed Dupont Photographers, which she bought in 1992 and in 2005 sold to a staffer. By 2004 she had already been introduced to mosaics, but it wasn't until 2007 that she avidly pursued it and that was after relocating to Wirtz VA. Teaching mosaics led to Bedford and in 2010 another relocation brought her next door to Bower Center for the Arts where she had already begun to establish herself and maintain a studio. 

In addition to exhibiting locally and nationally, and now in Bower Center's new Cornerstone Gallery, she is a member of TECAC, The Electric Company Artists' Co-op, 207 E Depot in Bedford.

She teaches youth and adult mosaics classes at Bower Center and on occasion for Roanoke Parks and Recreation at Brambleton Center. Teaching others this ancient art is another passion, so people can create mosaics for personal use, to introduce them to different techniques, to help them develop an appreciation for mosaics and to inspire others with what they make.

Crimson Rhythms
Mosaiced travel guitar

The materials incorporated into mosaics is varied ... from traditional marble, stone, porcelain and glass, to glass nuggets, gems and minerals, pebbles, beads, millefiori, stained glass, ceramic tiles, many found objects ... and the list goes on. 

Remnant: Reversible Blue
(made with Orsoni smalti)

Mosaics are challenging, whether on a flat surface or 3-D shapes. More recently a Remnant series has been evolving, of which "Remnant: Reversible Blue" is a part. The shapes in this series are typical of scraps of fabric that might be from a garment that keeps a memory of the past alive.

The timeless beauty and versatility of ancient mosaics and the ease with which it integrates into modern society is what attracted Dotti to this medium. They may be fine art works, decorative functional items, or public art. Creating mosaics and inspiring others to enjoy, appreciate and learn about this versatile art through exhibiting and teaching is her passion.