Spotlight Artist: Lisa TeviaClark
Seaside Light (23 inches x 33 inches).
Lisa TeviaClark is a mosaic artist and beachcomber from Brasstown, North Carolina. In her own words, “As soon as my feet touch the sand, my eyes begin to scan.” Lisa beachcombs with the love of her life, Jim. They enjoy exploring beaches together whenever and wherever they travel.
Lisa doesn’t search only for wave-worn remnants of items discarded in the past, saying, “My treasures can be as ephemeral as a reflection, patterns in sand created by movement of the tides, mysterious sealife brought to shore, or the infinite colors and forms of shell and stone.” Lisa has been collecting her entire life, and she says her natural response to being on any shore is to collect. Now, she only brings home the shells and stones that she believes are extraordinary, along with the occasional sea glass or porcelain shard. Her favorite beaches are ones blessed with quiet, where she can “slip into a reverie of exploration and discovery.” Her bucket list find is a message in a bottle, or another faraway relic from long, long ago.
Birth of the Moon (15 inches x 15 inches).
Lisa has a very special piece of the shore that she treasures and has a story to go along with it. “It was on a beach near my home many years ago. It’s the only time I have ever found a piece of pottery. I had gone to the shore that morning with a troubled mind—questioning whether I should continue my work as a ceramic artist. I stood by the water, closed my eyes, and sent my question out to the ocean. After a time, I began to walk along the beach. There, on the sand, was a smooth porcelain shard from the rim of a plate. I picked it up. My heart felt unburdened, I resolved to move forward…. I have kept that shard, and always will. A tangible memento, an answer from the sea.”
Sea Stars (21 inches x 15 inches). Full Moon in Bloom (12 inches x 12 inches). Sea Bubbles of Life (18 inches x 60 inches).
Lisa has been an artist her whole life, experimenting with materials, observing the world, and becoming fascinated with meaning embedded in art and architecture. “When I was 15, my good friend Jim introduced me to clay. In time, clay would become the medium for most of my artwork, and Jim became my life partner.”
Studio sink and backsplash. Fired mosaic elements.
Lisa’s use of sea treasures started when she lived in Anchor Bay, California, from 1986 to 1995. At that time, she made large vessels and platters with bas-relief detail. She’d bring her work to the beach to soak in ocean water before firing them at high temperatures. She was fascinated with how the natural chemistry of the ocean would affect her work. She would also use local shells as decoration, pressing them into soft clay to create textures.
Studio glazing area. Aqueous Bouquet (21 inches x 15 inches).
“I enjoy the interplay of realistic and fantastical elements in my mosaic compositions,” Lisa says. “My work is reflective of my background and my life—inseparable. My mosaics are full of intricate detail, and each detail has significance. In a sense, they are all life stories—my life, your life, different facets of life.”
“At 17, I was aware it would take me a lifetime of immersion to learn everything I wanted to learn about the world through my work in clay. (I now see it would take me three or four lifetimes.) I understood the need to support myself through sales of my artwork, in order to engage with it full time. My business has always been in the service of supporting my artistic growth, and the sustenance of my family.”
Lisa apprenticed with an artist/potter for three years and acquired a foundation through practice and exploration. In 2004 she and Jim Clark founded Bella Vista Tile Company, making 450 of Lisa’s tile designs by hand.
When she’s not making art, Lisa walks, visits museums, swims, and bicycles, all with her partner Jim, of course. When they are home, they are almost always in the studio.
Hand-carved mosaic elements. Coral Garden (16 inches x 16 inches). Artist Lisa TeviaClark.
“I begin with wet porcelain clay. We roll slabs and then carve and impress the porcelain clay to create handmade tile and mosaic elements with intricate bas-relief detail,” Lisa explains. “In another part of the studio, I work with glazes. I develop my own glaze colors using raw materials. I use over 100 glazes. I use brushes to hand-glaze each piece, and we fire them in a kiln to 2300 degrees Fahrenheit for strength and durability. Each is a miniature work of art, becoming a meaningful element as I compose an original mosaic. Once all the elements are in place, cohesive and harmonious, we mortar each piece in place. Once the mortar has cured, Jim carefully grouts and then cleans the mosaic. Our mosaics are durable works of art. They can hang on a wall or become the focus of a permanent tile installation inside or outdoors.”
Lisa is inspired by many things. She says she lives with her eyes and ears open, and is often inspired by the beauty, fragrance, music, conversation, and ideas of life—the infinite and luminous colors of the natural world.
“I am at peace with the time it takes to travel this path,” Lisa says. “I knew from the beginning that it would be a long road. I find beauty, deeply value, and find utility in things often overlooked. In a sense I’m a seeker, in another an explorer, as well as a creator.”
Though shells play a big role in Lisa’s work, none of her mosaics actually contain real shells. She works hard to capture detail and uses techniques that mimic natural shells. Lisa has galleries of her work online and exhibits mosaics at outdoor fine art shows each year.
Learn more at www.arttilemosaics.com, on Instagram @lisateviaclark, and on Facebook @lisa.teviaclark.
This article appeared in Beachcombing Volume 40 January/February 2024.
