“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love.” - RUMI
Meet Julie Ikler, drawn to mixed media mosaics, often utilizing the style of Pique Assiette, or “broken plates.” She uses “found objects that might otherwise end up in the landfill, satisfying a desire to reuse and repurpose,” and are for indoor decor.
Julie Ikler began saving broken dishes, especially ones that were special to her and her family, many years ago. Other than liking the colors and feeling she wasn’t ready to let them go, she had no idea why she was keeping broken things.
About a decade ago, Ikler came across a listing in the Lifelong Learning catalog from Boulder Valley School District. “Something clicked for me right then, as it was presenting itself as a way to repurpose the ceramic shards I had been saving,” shares Ikler.
Ikler also shares that Susan Wechsler was the class instructor and has a profound influence on Ikler’s style and method of creating mosaics. Ikler says, “There are countless mosaic artists, both historical and present day, who continue to inspire me and open up new and old ways to explore the craft.”
Once word got out that Ikler was repurposing broken dishes, she suddenly found herself with no shortage of materials, stating, “Be careful what you wish for!” She created a studio in a glass-covered patio attached to her home.
“There is plenty of natural light all day long, a tall ceiling, and an abundance of plants. Many of my mosaics are hanging on the surrounding walls. The inside temperature is directly affected by the outside temperature; certain times of day or times of the year are ideal for studio time, as the studio is unheated and depends on solar.”
Every piece Ikler creates requires a “certain energy in the room at different times during the process.” Ikler often listens to music, audiobooks, or a podcast while she creates. She also says, “If I am making a piece for a particular person, I bring that person to mind during the process.”
Ikler hopes “to continue creating mosaics and teaching others the craft for many more years. There are so many styles, methods, and materials to explore that the possibilities are endless. I enjoy having a guest in my studio from time to time to share my space and pass on what I have learned.”
Ikler confesses, “When I made my first mosaic in my home studio, I felt that I had finally found a piece of my life that had been waiting to be found for a very long time. Each piece, since the first one, fulfills a need to create that is not met in any other way. Working with broken bits to create something new is transformative.”
Ikler also says her brain engages in ways that nothing else turns on. “Once, I had an ‘Ah Ha!’ moment when I realized I had found another practical application for geometry.” Her art, as well as her passion, doesn’t go unnoticed.
One of Ikler’s guests claimed that creating a mosaic in Ikler’s studio was the high point of her summer. But Ikler also felt her guest “slip into the zone while working, and watching her create was a beautiful thing.”
Ikler has taught many people, including her older sister Susan, to make mosaics. The two sisters would often work together at the same table. “We would confer with each other as we created to offer suggestions or give feedback. She would set an intention for each piece and dedicate it to a particular person in her life.”
Ikler enjoys sharing her gift with her sister. She says it set a flow in motion when her sister started sharing her gift with others. “It was the gift that kept on giving. Since she has passed away, I continue to use the materials she collected in my mosaics, often with the intention of gratitude.”
Ikler expresses her gratitude for all the gifts her sister shared and for the people in her life that supported Ikler when her sister was “leaving this world behind.”
Ikler studied art at the American Academy of Art in Chicago and studied weaving and textile dyeing at the College of Marin. Other objects Ikler uses in creating mosaic art include ceramic shards, glass, tile, jewelry, and “whatever fits the piece.”
“Mosaic art satisfies a desire of making something beautiful out of something broken. A metaphor that we can apply to ourselves and our lives.” Ikler finds inspiration in botanical images and the natural world.
Julie Ikler’s home studio is located in Black Hawk. To learn more you can visit https://www.pinterest.com/iampibby/julie-ikler-mosaics/ or you can give her a call at 303-815-4643.
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