Anne Cardwell

Born in Northern Ireland I moved to Manchester and then to Surrey. Having trained in Design and Illustration at Kingston in the 1980's, then followed 10 years of working in design studios in central London. I produced brochures and packaging for blue chip companies such as Marks and Spencers, Sainsbury's, the BBC, the National Trust, the Foreign Office and Great Ormond Street Hospital. Where ever possible, if I was not commissioning illustrators, I used my own.

After having children I freelanced at home, but became frustrated with my dependency on the computer. I was looking around for a different medium to satisfy my creative urges when a friend invited me to go on a course with Oliver Budd. I immediately was drawn to the medium of mosaic - I adored the materials, and I liked being able to apply my designer lead principals to create a modern and playful pieces. Using old plates mixed with fresh Italian vitreous tiles has endless possibilities. After a year or so I started teaching in a local school and now I also run classes for adults once a month with fellow mosaic artist Gill Howe, who coincidentally is my neighbour. (A misdirected parcel from xinamarie in Italy brought us together!). Teaching keeps me in touch with other creatives and also justifies my insatiable desire to buy more and more different kinds of gorgeous tiles! I love seeing what the children create. Home is Saffron Walden in Essex and 'Making Mosaics' draws on Essex, Suffolk, Hertfordshire and North London for students wanting to learn this ancient and fascinating craft.

Mosaicing is a slow process but I am really excited by it's infinite possibilities...  Along with the teaching have come commissions, the most recent for a local restaurant for which both Gill and I did a large panel.My background as a designer and illustrator give me sound experience in answering a brief. Building my own website has given me a platform to show my work and every piece of work I do seems to lead me in an exciting new direction.