John, My First Child Some of us are born with strong creative genes. Both of my boys are creative in their own ways. John got the artist genes from both sides. From and early age, we encouraged his creativity. In his teen years, he was inspired by graffiti and began doing his own exploration. One […]

I had some guests scheduled to visit the BBMH this past week.  We’d texted several times to coordinate and set it up.  Then, the message, there had been a death in the family and we would have to reschedule.  This had me reflecting once again on the Joseph Campbell quote over the door here at […]

The quote above the front door at the Bell Buckle Mosaic House from Joseph Campbell is: “We cannot cure the world of sorrow, But we can choose to live in Joy.” Twenty years ago I was carving styrofoam (working in a process taught by Sherri Warner Hunter) to create my on forms on which to […]

The mission of the Bell Buckle Mosaic House is to Build Community Through Creativity.  How do we do that?  We believe art can connect us to our common humanity and ourselves.  Creative participation can nurture a sense of togetherness.  Creative challenges can build intercultural and inter-generational connections.  We want to elevate the artist community and […]

How do you know if you can use a material in an outdoor mosaic?  Well….that depends on where you live. Here in Tennessee, the material has to withstand the freeze/thaw cycle. One such material that will is Fiesta dinnerware.  And…its comes in great colors! Many years ago (20), I would frequent the Nashville Flea Market.  […]

Can you believe we are half way through the year!?  Well, here we are in July. The garden is popping as have been the summer storms lately.  The zinnias, daylilies and bee balm are offering up new blooms daily.  After focusing my efforts on completing the mosaic facade, I’ve been able to get back to […]

Did you know!?  Bell Buckle is a designated BEE CITY!  We know how important these pollinators are to our environment.   Bees were front and center as characters in the RC-MoonPie coronation play this past Saturday at the RC-MoonPie Festival.  And!!!…after waiting over a decade…I got my first casting call to be BEE #1!  There […]

My mom once told my boys not to stand still too long or I’d mosaic them.  As a lifelong artist in one form or another, mosaics turned out to be the one that stuck. There is just something about the wide assortment of materials, color, texture, and possibilities that keep it interesting. The choices are endless. […]

Little did I know eleven years ago when I found my BIG studio in Bell Buckle, it would ultimately become my largest work.  I was drawn to the space for the possibilities a large workspace would provide and I was already fond of the community. I spent the first few years at the studio in […]