Meet Me in Perissa

18mm by 13mm - Mosaic gold in sterling silver

$150 USD

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A week ago I finished up my inaugural Santorini mosaic workshop! Hosting a workshop in Santorini has been a dream of mine for at least 8 years. However, given that I'd never hosted a destination workshop before, I had a lot of anxiety leading up to it. I also realized partway through that I haven't actually hosted a workshop since 2015. I've taught plenty, but have only had to show up and teach. This time I was host and teacher, so that kept me on my toes. Luckily I've taught for some amazing hosts from whom I pilfered lots of tips and inspiration as to how I wanted to host these workshops. I may have also channelled my mother's incredible hosting abilities, especially with regard to food. 

Kostas and I worked hard to make the workspace as welcoming as we could, buying plants, adding cushions, and a fresh coat of paint. We hauled heaps of mosaic materials from Australia to give students a big selection of materials. I created a menu varied and interesting snacks each day, an opening presentation, and a welcome packet of materials so that everyone could take advantage of all that Santorini has to offer.

As Santorini has so many things to do, I kept the workshop days short (and aligned with common tour start times) so everyone had lots of time for exploring, plus the energy to do so. Despite some travel delays for some people, everyone made it mostly unscathed and arrived eager to get to work. Precision Mosaic Jewelry is not the easiest mosaic technique, but these four women made incredible work. They also somehow manage to create pieces that coordinated beautifully as a group, which was a bit mind blowing. Our celebration dinner at the end was a delight, and I finished the week feeling like I'd not only taught students, but made new friends. 

Despite starting the week with anxiety, I'm now delighted to say that everyone—including myself—had a great experience. I'm already looking forward to the one in September.

Photo courtesy of Chas Bastien

First projects

The Roof Garden Workspace

Second Projects

Farewell Dinner

If you are interested in meeting me in Perissa for a workshop, please let me know, and I'll add you to the list of the first people who will be notified when I have dates or visit my website to find out what's currently being offered.