Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Ruprecht.
Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us how you got started?
I have always been a creative person ever since I was very young. I got my degree in art from the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, MN, in 2009 with an emphasis in painting. While I was employed at the Paramount Center for the Arts in St. Cloud, MN, the organization was commissioned for some public art pieces in which I served as an apprentice artist. Two of these pieces are the “Tied to the River” mosaic sculpture kitty-corner from the Paramount and “Gift of Life” glass on glass mosaic at the St. Cloud Hospital. Working on these public art pieces, I found my love for mosaics! The mosaic process made much more sense to me than painting. Working at the Paramount Center for the Arts as their Curator for their galleries, I was also a teaching artist and created mosaics on the side. I had done multiple artist residencies in the St. Cloud area in other non-profit organizations. I have worked with clients from WACOSA, Anna Marie’s Alliance, nursing homes, and area elementary and high schools. In 2018, I took a leave of absence from my work at the Paramount to partake in a 5-month long artist residency in Jamestown, ND. During this residency, I taught K-6 Elementary art classes at three schools and the middle school. I also had the opportunity to teach art classes to the residents at the local prison. This was a great time to step away from my day-to-day life, dive deep, and study my craft as a mosaic artist.
Unfortunately, in March of 2020, I lost my employment through the Paramount Center for the Arts due to the Pandemic. I found a silver lining in the situation and thought to create my love for mosaics into a business, Laura Liz Mosaic Biz. It’s a lot of work being a small business owner, but it’s the best decision I’ve made! Almost two years later, I am busier than ever and have been creating custom stained glass mosaics for private and public commissions.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This entire journey as a full-time artist has been challenging but, more than anything, very rewarding. Like with any artist, there’s always self-doubt, as if you’re not good enough. As a small business owner, the struggle is juggling the many different hats one has to wear to help keep you afloat. You are your marketer, accountant, human resource manager, and above all else, the producer of your product. What I do for my art business isn’t always a piece of cake, and I make many mistakes, but I learn so much from these experiences.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a stained glass mosaic artist. My mosaics are created using sheets of stained glass that are broken, cut, and shaped by hand into smaller pieces that are then arranged, one by one, into a representational image, much like creating your jigsaw puzzle or applique for a quilt. Essentially, I break glass a lot of glass! Unlike most stained glass artists who have to solder each glass piece together, I adhere each glass piece to a backer board, and then, at the very end, grout is applied between the glass. I have been doing this process for about eight years and continue to learn about the best adhesives and materials for mosaics that are for both outdoor and indoor use. I like to compare the aesthetic of mosaics to the cycle of life. We are all broken, with bits and pieces of our stories that we try to assemble back together again, trying to make sense of all of it. Glass is beautiful but can be sharp. It can be rigid but also fragile. When I design my patterns, I gravitate toward creatures with natural mosaic patterns, such as birds’ feathers, butterfly wings’ cells, scales on fish, veins on leaves, etc. The circles that are used on my pieces are a way to express the infinite vibration of the messages of life that I encounter. Symbolism through nature is how I express an autobiographical story of these experiences. There is a constant decision-making process that is required when creating with glass. Nothing is certain, and some limitations occur in the process. I enjoy the ever-evolving discovery of creating each unique piece. I have recently completed a diptych of two large-scale mosaics for Art in Motion in Holdingford, MN. They depict a symmetrical design of the different species of pollinators that are native to central Minnesota. I am very proud and fortunate to complete these mosaics of this size on my own and hope to create many more throughout Minnesota and beyond.
What are your plans for the future?
My biggest dream is to one day to be able to have my own commercial space to host classes and intensive workshops for those interested in learning the mosaic process. My studio is in the extra space in my garage and has been somewhat difficult to work in because of the size and inability to control the temperature in extreme heat and cold. I am making it work and am fortunate to have a space at least!
This Summer, I am working on a project for the city of St. Cloud to beautify the water lift station in the Lake George area. I am creating a mosaic about being in between two worlds above and below water. It will depict blue herons and the wildlife that surrounds the wetlands. This Winter, I hope to create a body of mosaics that will educate the public about the importance of birds and the environment in our Minnesota habitat.
This Fall into the next year, I will be partnering with local breweries to offer Mosaic and Sip classes; take a class from me, and you’ll have a blast! Also, I love hearing people’s ideas of what they want me to create for them, whether it’s a pet portrait, a house number sign, or it might be a gift to someone dear to them. Whatever you’re idea is, let’s make it into a mosaic! And as always, just dreaming big in general!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lauralizmosaicbiz.com
- Instagram: @lauralizmosaicbiz
- Facebook: @lauralizmosaicbiz
