We recently connected with Barbi Dorfan and have shared our conversation below.

Barbi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

at school, I was always under the impression that I was useless at art – perhaps unenthusiastic teachers or more likely uninspiring teachers and very traditional forms of art. As I got older, and had my children I left the traditional workplace and started dabbling in drawing, painting, ceramics, and eventually mosaic art. I came to realize that I enjoyed it very much. I started developing my own style (an ongoing process) and started getting commissions for my artwork.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

After a difficult pregnancy during which I was confined to bed, I did not return to my regular day job at a computer software company. I took up mosaic art as a supplement to other artistic hobbies and slowly began to be noticed. I taught workshops in mosaic, and then was fortunate enough to be awarded some large commissions. During these years I attended a few mosaic workshops taught by maestros in the industry and slowly I began to develop my current style – whimsical and colorful, yet very detailed. Because of the large scale and time consuming commissions I have been busy with, I have not been in the position to amass a lot of pieces to stock and sell. This year I am determined to do this because even though I love receiving and doing the commissions, my own pieces reflect my individual style and passion and I would love to be able to sell more of these.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect is realizing that people love my original creations. The satisfaction of creating them is big, but knowing my work is appreciated is very fulfilling and motivating.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Original art takes many many hours to create. I wish that society did not balk at prices of original art and see beyond the finished product to the amount of thought, work, and creativity behind the artwork.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.barbismosaics.com