Dimension: 9.5” x 9.5”, 24cm x 24cm, hanging panel

Tesserae: Vintage jewelry, charms, stained glass, ceramic tile, dish shards, glass gems, hand-painted fish tiles, millefiori, glass rod

Janet is a self-taught artist living in Carbondale, Illinois. Her mosaic pieces are made mostly with found objects collected from antique shops, Good Will, estate sales, flea markets and from the basement and attics of friends. Janet considers anything that doesn’t breathe is an unsuspecting mosaic victim!

“The hunt is part of the journey and fun for the perfect material to be used in my work”
She tends to do what pleases her eye at the time, and sometimes “not thought out”. Most of Janet's work is very spontaneous. She has discovered that some of her work translates her mood and feelings at the time. “Mosaicking is very therapeutic,” says Janet…she states that she does mosaic for arts sake, but mainly “her” sake!

There are many ways to describe Althoff's self-taught style. But for her, it comes down to self expression. Although most of her creations are made from flawed materials, maybe that’s what the best art is, a flawed creation reflecting the imperfect beauty of the creator, making it easy for others to relate.

You never know what kind of art will be coming from Janet’s little garden shed next, however, you can be sure that it will be a fun and colorful treasure, and hopefully put a smile on your face!

Janet Althoff ~ StJohnsGypsy’s Mosaics
Flickr: StJohnsGypsy / photos
Illinois, USA