Meet a Maker: Edition 27

Meet Mark Currie

1. What is your craft and how did you get into it?

I make pebble mosaics. In 1986, Maggy Howarth was running a local project near my local town of Lancaster. I decided to apply to join the project and got in. After the first day where she tested my skills with a leaf slate piece, Maggy offered me to work with her once the community project was completed. I have been in that workshop ever since. I had no intention of doing mosaics, but it found me.

The mosaic method we practice at Maggy Howarth Studio was pioneered by Maggy to better suit colder climates. The pre-cast technique is where we make the mosaic upside down, brushing sand around the pebbles. Once the design is complete in sand we pour a grout on the pebbles and back the piece with concrete. Once set, the mosaic is flipped, brushed to remove sand, and checked. The whole piece is done with this pre-cast technique in sections and then shipped to the final location for installation. By creating the design in pieces with strong non-shrink grout, the mosaic has better resistance to frost damage and is intended to last hundreds of years.

2. What is one interesting fact about you?

I have a funny story to share. Years ago, we went to a beach with Maggy to source more white stones we needed for a project. We went up to South Cumbria and Maggy paid to have access to source the stones we needed. We get to the beach to discover it’s snowing. Maggy was a very determined person, which I think rubbed off on me, but after two hours of trying to collect these white stones in the snow I couldn’t see a thing. I went over to Maggy and told her I’m done for the day. She said we still had an hour left of access at the beach and I told her that’s fine. I will sit in the car. Despite the crazy snow, Maggy was a very nice person to work with and definitely one of the reasons why I am still here in the studio.

3. How long have you been making?

I started in 1986 with Maggy, and I’m still in the workshop now. It’s a great place to work in a beautiful part of the country.

Gresgarth Hall, Lancashire

4. Who are your favourite makers?

I love art and all types of crafts. However, I am quite focused in the studio and do not connect with many makers outside my immediate area. I like a group called Beach Art who make mosaics on beaches as a community project with shells. I saw them online and thought the work was really well done. That level of precision and achieved skills are always nice to see.

5. What is the most challenging skill/technique you learned in your craft?

Precision and patience. You can’t rush the process, and you have to stick to the designs religiously. If you start wondering off a bit, everything goes out. You have to be precise and therefore can spend hours looking for a couple of stones that perfectly fit to keep the flow of the design. So you have to be patient.

6. What is your favourite part of your craft?

My favorite part of the process is when it’s finished and I see all the pieces fit together (or sometimes hope they all fit together). It is a great feeling when you complete the entire mosaic and you see the full project.

7. What project are you most proud of and why?

I have a lot of different favourite projects for different reasons. However, the big projects where there’s a lot of stuff going on in them are great. I really like doing the animals, birds, trees, and nature themes. It takes a lot of time and care to get the shape right. I have a whole line of eye rocks. You’ll be walking on the beach and see a pebble and think, “That could be an eye”.

Overall, I don’t have a favourite project, as I keep enjoying each project that comes into the workshop. It is nice when we have all the stones needed and don’t have to search for the right materials. I made a giant peacock for a lady in Hong Kong, which was eight meters by three and a half meters. It was very nice with a big tail made of lapis lazuli and other precious stones. But the background was a different story. I had to sort through 24 tons of stone to find the right pieces for the white background. It took me eight months to complete that piece.

Bonnington House Near Edinburgh

8. If someone who knows nothing about you and your practice could know one thing, what would it be?

We were installing a mosaic on a property with other workmen onsite doing other projects. Two men came up and asked how old the mosaic was that we were installing on the grounds. I laughed and told them three months. They were shocked and thought it was hundreds of years old. Making mosaics with stone is an ancient technique and you can see examples from ancient China. We are still practicing and adding techniques to the craft so that the mosaics last for years to come.

Learn more about Mark