Kim Reilly and Madeleine Quinlan simply love glass mosaics. Here is an example from their latest collection.
From the artists...
Kim Reilly
I first become interested in glass in my mid 20’s in Melbourne when I took a leadlighting class. I loved the colour and texture of the glass and used this to create pictures that tell their own story.
We relocated back to NSW in 1997, and as my children were getting older I pursued my love of glass again and refreshed my skills with another leadlighting Course. I eventually become part owner of this business, and progressed to full business owner, and relocated my business to Muswellbrook – ‘Valley Leadlights’. I worked full-time doing administration in our other (electrical) business with my husband, and part-time with my glass business, both located in the same workshop.
In 2005, I become sick and required open-heart surgery. This caused me to pack up the glass, and I didn’t return to it for 12 years. In 2016, after being diagnosed with breast cancer and after multiple surgeries my husband and I decided to retire early, and we moved to Soldiers Point.
In 2018, I joined the Nelson Bay Community Art Centre. I pulled my glass out of storage and reignited my love of glass by starting mosaics. I still love creating, designing and working with glass to tell a story, however I find I don’t have the ‘traditional’ mosaic look as my pieces have more of a ‘leadlight’ spin to them. This is the way I love to create, and I thoroughly enjoy creating my mosaic pieces.
We relocated back to NSW in 1997, and as my children were getting older I pursued my love of glass again and refreshed my skills with another leadlighting Course. I eventually become part owner of this business, and progressed to full business owner, and relocated my business to Muswellbrook – ‘Valley Leadlights’. I worked full-time doing administration in our other (electrical) business with my husband, and part-time with my glass business, both located in the same workshop.
In 2005, I become sick and required open-heart surgery. This caused me to pack up the glass, and I didn’t return to it for 12 years. In 2016, after being diagnosed with breast cancer and after multiple surgeries my husband and I decided to retire early, and we moved to Soldiers Point.
In 2018, I joined the Nelson Bay Community Art Centre. I pulled my glass out of storage and reignited my love of glass by starting mosaics. I still love creating, designing and working with glass to tell a story, however I find I don’t have the ‘traditional’ mosaic look as my pieces have more of a ‘leadlight’ spin to them. This is the way I love to create, and I thoroughly enjoy creating my mosaic pieces.
Madeleine Quinlan
Some of my earliest memories are of gathering sticks, stones, leaves etc to make a picture. I took art classes along the way which I thoroughly enjoyed but didn’t revisit mosaics until 2002. This was the year I went to Ravenna in Italy to “Art del Mosaico” to do a course in the medium and I was hooked instantly. My friends and family joked about not leaving anything lying around, as it would probably end up covered in tesserae! My son even warned me about his new mower... Backsplashes, bench tops, vanities, tabletops and retaining walls were all fair game though.
Since retiring and moving to Soldiers Point I have found fulfillment in the Art and Craft centres in Port Stephens and joining one of the mosaic groups in the area.
Since retiring and moving to Soldiers Point I have found fulfillment in the Art and Craft centres in Port Stephens and joining one of the mosaic groups in the area.
