Teaching in 2025 - Listed in chronological order - scroll down for full details​

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​​​Workshops in Tasmania

I am teaching two workshops for Sue Leitch at Winter Creek Mosaics.  For bookings contact Sue Leitch at leitch.sue@gmail.com 0448281897

Payment in full at time of booking includes non-refundable deposit of $100. 

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Bend Fold and Undulate 

When:   26/27 April, 9.00 am – 5 pm both days

Where:  Winter Creek Mosaic Studios, 45 Henry Street Dulcot 7025 TBC

Cost:      Early bird before 21 March 2025 - $370 plus $95 materials fee (pay on the day; cc accepted)

             After 22 March $430 plus $95 materials fee (pay on the day; cc accepted)

Who:      Advanced beginners/intermediate. Max 15 students

 

Course description as for Bend Fold Undulate in Brisbane. Note that for this workshop the mosaic materials supplied are marble and smalti. 

 

Understanding Andamento 

When:    28 April 2025

Where:    Winter CreekMosaic Studios, 45 Henry Street Dulcot

Cost:       Early bird before 21 March 2025 - $210 including $10 materials fee. From 22 March 2025 $250 including $10 materials fee

Who:       Advanced beginners/intermediate. Max 10 students

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Want to take your work to the next level? This workshop gives you a theoretical and practical understanding of the visual grammar of mosaics by looking at both traditional and modern andamento (flow) and opus (laying patterns).

 

Discover how to cut and lay your tesserae to best enhance your work. There’ll be an in depth look at cutting and laying curves and circles and we’ll tackle the tricky triangle issue. The day is theoretical and consists of presentations and exercises on and with paper. No drawing skills needed.

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At the end of the day, you will be able to apply what you've learned to your own design.  Suitable for those who have been working in mosaic for a while and would like to take their work to a new level. 

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Workshops in Melbourne

 

Bend Fold and Undulate

When:   Saturday/Sunday 10/11 May 2025, 9.30 am – 5 pm both days

Where:  26 Advantage Road, Highett, Vic 3190

Cost:      Early bird before 28 March 2025 - $380 plus materials fee of $35 payable in cash on the day

              After 28 March 2025 - $420 plus materials fee of $35 payable in cash on the day

Who:       Advanced beginners/intermediate, max 10 people

Bookings: Sold out - to put yourself on the waitlist contact: mosaicblissart@gmail.com

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Course description as for Bend Fold Undulate in Brisbane.  Note that participants will be asked to bring their own mosaic materials for day two, though a limited amount will be available for purchase on the day. Printed notes are supplied, and Marian is also happy to offer post-workshop support by email.

 

Workshops in Perth

Working with Unglazed Ceramic

When:    Saturday/Sunday 7/8 June 2025

Where:    Liddelow Homestead, 7 Cooper Ave, Kenwick, 

Hours:     9.00am – 5.00pm both days

Who:        Intermediate.  People with some mosaic experience who wish to explore a new material

Class:       Limited to 12 people

Fees:        Early bird $380 up to 28 April including GST.  After 28 April $450 including GST

                Materials fee of $15 (substrate, adhesive and hangers) is payable on the day.

Note:         Unglazed ceramic to be purchased separately. See below.

Bookings:   email margaret@waterton.com.au  to register your interest. Once your booking is confirmed bank details will be provided. 

                 A $120 deposit is required to secure your place

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Unglazed ceramic is a beautiful material with a soft natural look that can imitate natural stone.  It can be easily cut with normal mosaic tools and can be used on its own or with shiny light reflective material for contrast. It is suitable for outside use and for heavy foot traffic. This workshop will show you how to work confidently with unglazed ceramic and there will be a discussion and demo of the different effects you can get with it. We will also explore the use of cement based adhesive for backgrounds.

 

I will provide a selection of simple designs available beforehand from Margaret or you are very welcome to bring your own copyright free design with you. I am also happy to talk to you about designs before the class. Substrates and adhesive are provided.

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We will be using the Cinca brand of unglazed ceramic which comes in tiles 2.3 cm sq and 4 mm deep, so can be easily combined with other 4mm thick material.  A limited selection of Cinca will be available to purchase during the workshop at a rate of $8.30 per quarter sheet. It is estimated that you will need the equivalent of one sheet for your workshop piece.  For available designs and information on the colour palette available for purchase at the workshop contact Margaret on margaret@waterton.com.au
 

If you wish to use colours other than those supplied, Cinca is available from Smalti Australia  www.smaltiaustralia.com.  You are also welcome to bring other material to mix in or to use as a contrasting background. Other unglazed ceramic of 4 mm depth is also appropriate but you will need to bring your own.

 

You will need to bring your own tools for cutting unglazed ceramic, such as sidebiters, double geared nippers, Montolits, or wheeled nippers reserved for cutting non glass materials. A full list of what you need to bring will be sent prior to the workshop

 

What Works When

When:    Saturday/Sunday 14/15 June.

Where:   Liddelow Homestead, 7 Cooper Ave, Kenwick

Hours:    9 am -5 pm both days

Fees:     Early bird before 28 April 2025, $380 plus materials fee of $50 payable in cash on the day. After 28 April 2025

             $450 plus materials fee of $50 payable in cash on the day

Who:     Advanced beginners/intermediate

Class:     Limited to 10 people

Bookings:  Contact Margaret at margaret@waterton.com.au to register. A $120 deposit is required to secure your place.  ​

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Want to make a project such as a floor insert or kitchen backsplash? Don’t want to spend weeks cutting up things in your kitchen or hurting your back and knees by sticking things to a floor? Need to know how to get a nice flat surface for floors and tables? Planning a community project with multiple participants?

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Join me in this fast paced, hands-on practical workshop which answers these questions and more.  We explore three different methods of working in comfort away from your final substrate; direct on mesh, indirect (with both the traditional brown paper method and the modern sticky plastic) and double indirect. You will gain a thorough understanding of which method works for what and how to choose the best method for you and your project.

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You make and set four samples in class to take away:

• Direct on non-sticky mesh

• Indirect on brown paper

• Indirect on plastic

• Double indirect

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At the end of the workshop, there will be a detailed discussion and presentation on how to apply these methods to large projects.

This is a technical workshop and you produce samples rather than artworks.

You will get a choice of simple designs with minimal cutting and will mainly be using vitreous glass tile.  All materials provided, plus full course notes.

Registered participants will receive a full list of what they need to bring before the workshop date.

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Workshops in Brisbane

Where:      Catherine Conaty’s Studio, 35 Tirrabella Street, Carina Heights.

 

Tempered Glass Mosaics

When:  4 July 2025 9 am - 5 pm plus ½ day optional follow up grouting session TBA

Earlybird: $190 before 25 May.  $230 after that. Plus $35 materials fee payable at the workshop. Payment in full includes a non-refundable deposit of $75 Bookings here 

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Come and join me for this workshop on Tempered Glass Mosaic. You will use paint, papers and other materials under tempered glass (crash glass), combined with other materials to produce an exquisite, small hanging mosaic (25 cm x 25 cm) suitable for interior display. 

Appropriate mosaic materials sufficient for a small mosaic are provided, but you are very welcome to bring extra materials to make your piece unique and personal.  Presentations give you lots of inspiration. You get detailed notes and of course, your mosaic creation to take home.

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Bend Fold and Undulate - Two day workshop 

When:  5/6 July 2025, 10-5 both days

Cost:    Earlybird: $380 before 25 May.  $430 after that. Plus $35 materials fee payable at the workshop. Payment in full includes a non-refundable deposit of $120.  Bookings here

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Learn my trademark technique for making lightweight, dimensional substrates for mosaic. On day one, we cover two methods for making lightweight non-flat wall-hanging substrates suitable for interior or exterior use. You will learn to make an undulating or folded wall hanging substrate of your own design. The second substrate is hollow, such as a wall-hanging mask or torso and introduces you to the technique of sand casting. Both of these pieces are made in two stages and will need to be finished in your own time after the course.

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In the afternoon of the first day you will be given a small (approximately 20 x 25 cm) half-made folded or undulating form to to finish, including adding hanging hardware. This cures overnight ready to be worked on the next day. On day two you mosaic the substrate that you completed the day before.

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By the end of the workshop you will have made two substrates up to the end of stage 1, completed a substrate including attaching hangers and other embellishments such as fringes and had experience mosaicing on a non-flat substrate. This will give you the skills to make and mosaic your own substrates from scratch at home. All materials for making substrates are supplied, including supplies to finish off your first two substrates at home. For day two, you will need to bring your own mosaic material and tools although a small amount of material will be available for purchase.

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Glenbrook NSW

Bend Fold and Undulate

 

• When: 9/10 August 2025, 10-5 both days

• Where: My studio in Glenbrook, NSW

• Cost: $430 including all materials, morning and afternoon tea, a light lunch both days and drinks and nibbles at the end of day one. $150 non refundable deposit. Bookings HERE

• Limited to four people

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Course description as for Brisbane

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​​Travelling to Teach 

If you would like me to come and teach for you, please contact me on mshapiro@dariandesign.com.au and I will send you my booklet of available workshops. 

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