Mosaic masterpiece causes a stir

THE 3m x 1m mosaic masterpiece that adorns the wall outside the entrance to Winston Park Primary School has become a talking point for learners, parents and the local community.

The intricately designed creation was the brainchild of Media Centre Co-ordinator, Viv Richards whose passion for mosaicing developed three years ago after her first mosaic lesson. Keen to share her love of mosaicking, Viv got some of her arts and crafts learners to help her with the initial work. Their names have been incorporated into the artwork.

What started out as a dream and a rough sketch on a piece of paper turned into the wonderful reality that is evident today. The mosaic took over three months to complete, with Viv doing a lot of the work from home and then carefully transporting the three pieces that make up the whole mosaic back to school.

The mosaic features a rainbow backdrop symbolising the Rainbow Nation with the school’s name and school emblem taking centre stage. Aspects of the school such as sports, culture – music and art, and even the school’s cat, Boxer feature in circular motifs within the overall picture. A London Plane tree which is the school’s emblem is featured surrounded by learners holding hands in school uniforms. Words from the school song and mission statement such as courage, love, happiness and integrity were specially hand-made from ceramics and form the border of the mosaic.

The school has received many phone calls, emails or passersby popping in to comment on the beautiful feature.

Pleased with the response to the initial mosaic, Viv held a staff development course for the staff where each staff member was given a tile and told to put their own creative flair to their tile, depicting their own memories or ideas about WWPS. The teachers went all out creating some fantastic pieces with their names displayed in a bubble bead on their tile. These individual tiles were then incorporated into one big “tapestry” which is displayed on the corridor wall with space on either side to add more tiles as new staff members join the team.

“The children spend hours gazing at the mosaics, and running their fingers over the tiles, trying to find their teacher’s tile. It’s amazing how creative one can be with a few pieces of coloured glass and an idea, ” said Viv.