February 2025
‘Autumn Leaves’ (Margot Sandeman), oil on Irish Linen, 50 x 60cm
January 2025
- ‘Weeping Ash’ was completed on 7 January. I’ll share more images and text later. ‘Weeping Ash’ is in essence a lament to our Times and a monument to a 204 year-old beloved tree in the Glasgow Botanic Gardens which had to be felled in 2022 due to ash dieback disease. The railway arch echoed in the work’s format and the found clay pipes from which the tree is assembled also date back to early 19th century urban Glasgow.
Design sketch for ‘Weeping Ash’ and a detail of the completed work.
December 2024
- ‘Seeds of Light’ was one of 21 small artworks exhibited by 21 artists on the 21st of December in Kudirka Art Gallery in Glasgow. The 21st of December is the shortest day in the North and each artwork was lit by a candle to symbolise hope.
‘Seeds of light’ 2024, made from a seedpod from South Africa and gold smalti from Italy.
- Slowly making progress on ‘Weeping Ash’
‘Weeping Ash’ in progress.
- Working on a small painting commission from an old black and white family photo of Catherine as my reference. Catherine lived and worked on the Scottish island Berneray all her life. She collected sheep’s wool from fences and after spinning yarn with it, knitted socks to sell for a living. Her granddaughter wanted to celebrate her grandmother’s life with a small painting of her.
‘Spinning Yarn’, 18 x 24cm, oil on Irish Linen, 2025
November 2024
‘Weeping Ash’ is taking shape in my studio. I’ll write more about this work later.
‘Mosaic sketches’ in the design phase for ‘Seeds of Light’ and the material preparation phase.
October 2024
- The exhibition Budd-ology at the prestigious Riverfront Gallery in Newport was the perfect precursor for this year’s outstanding BAMM event ‘Urban Symbiosis – The Art of Living Together’. The exhibition included work from the Kenneth Budd Archive, contemporary mosaic works by BAMM Members inspired by the Budd Mosaics in Newport and Artist designs from the Fringe community project.
‘Sidewalk Heels’ and ‘Noticed’ Both 30 x 30cm are made from ceramic tile and asphalt. ‘Noticed’ also include broken street paint and metal rubble found in Glasgow. Both were included in the exhibition ‘Urban Symbiosis – The Art of Living Together’.
September 2024
- Making preparations for Glasgow City Mission’s Art Display which will take place from 30 September to 4 October in the BAM building on York Street in Glasgow.
Urban Art at Glasgow City Mission
Work in progress for the ‘Urban Symbiosis – The Art of Living Together’ exhibition in October in Newport, South Wales.
Mural design in progress for the St.Andrew Church of Scotland.
August 2024
- The St.Andrew Church of Scotland in Brussels invited me for a consultation about a potential mural in their church to celebrate their centenary. My visit there coincided with the breathtakingly beautiful biannual flower carpet on the Grand La Place in Brussels.
July 2024
- I’ve enjoyed making speedy watercolours while sailing on Scotland’s West Coast and Firth of Clyde with my family during our Summer vacation. For more images visit to my Instagram account @wilma_van_der_meyden
Kyles of Bute
Firth of Clyde
Sunset at Puiladobhraim off Seil Island
Sound of Mull
Sunset at Burnt Islands
June 2024
- ‘History’s Presence’ is made from rubble found on the streets of Glasgow. – Yellow sandstone, red sandstone, road asphalt, yellow street marking paint and stained glass. 50 x 60cm. The face is painted with masonry pigment after Rembrandt’s timeless portrait of his son ‘Titus in Monk’s habit’ from 1660.
- Another mosaic installed in the heart of Glasgow… (City Swallows)
- “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing.”
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
May 2024
🌱’Inside Out’
🌱Transforming a very sad, grimy box through the power of community and mosaic art. 🌱
🌱 This mosaic forms part of the community-driven street art initiative Outside the Box, spearheaded by Yardworks in Glasgow.
🌱 My design for this electrical box is inspired by the flower motifs of tiles in Glasgow’s nineteenth century Wally Closes. Tile art once played an important role in the everyday lives of Glaswegians and sadly many of the mosaics and tile art from Victorian times have been erased from the city.
🌱 Made with pieces of old porcelain, glass and cement adhesive. The white glass shards are cut from a cheap crockery set which my sons used during their student days.
🌱Location : Next to the Tennent’s Pub on Highburgh Road in Glasgow
April 2024
- Portrait of the acclaimed Scottish Artist Margot Sandeman who kindly allowed me to take portrait photos in her studio in Bearsden in 2008. She sadly passed away in 2009.
March 2023
- Portrait of a neighbour Christine who I admire for her determination and steel.
February 2024
- A winter mosaic project…
December 2023
- ‘Baltimore Raven’, oil on linen, 50 x 60cm. A painting for a Baltimore Raven fan who turned 30.
November 2023
- ‘Tyra’, my last memorial painting of 2023.
October 2023
- ‘Oransay Swallow’ is my contribution to the collaborative project with BAMM members at this years Forum in Youlgreave in the Peak District.
- I had the privilege of giving a short presentation at this year’s BAMM Forum ‘Pushing Boundaries’.
September 2023
- During the month of September I installed 12 Street Swallows in the International Financial Services District in Glasgow. I hope to write about them and post them on my website. Some of them are on my Instagram page @wilma_van_der_meyden
August 2023
- At the beginning of August I visited Rotterdam to work on The Garden Wall Mosaic. After almost 10 years the mosaic is in a good condition, but in urgent need of some minor repairs. Most of of the damage was at the corners and bottom part of the wall. This was most likely caused by the circular brushes on the small cleaning trucks of the city council. The two relief garden pots were also damaged and needed repairs.
July 2023
- We’ve celebrated my parent’s 80th birthdays in South Africa. The series of 6 portraits which I had painted for them is now on the gallery Painted Portraits.
June 2023
- I’m working on a series of small paintings depicting family portraits. These will go along to South Africa where we’ll celebrate my parents’ 80th birthdays. I hope to post pictures of the paintings after the event.
- I’m also working on another series of Urban Mosaics Interventions which I hope to install in Glasgow in September.
May 2023
- Glasgow Son, a portrait of my son Michael made it into the Longlist of the Scottish Portrait Awards 2023. It is the first mosaic art portrait that has been considered for selection. It is made with glazed ceramic tiles and installed on a cement substrate measuring 50 x 75cm.
April 2023
One of my mosaic projects from 2018 is included in Helen Miles‘ fantastic new book ‘Make your own mosaics – ancient techniques to contemporary art’.
Helen has passionately championed the art of mosaic making for many years with her numerous mosaic journal articles, active social media presence, global mosaic connections, extensive mosaic research, accomplished oeuvre and her many mosaic courses. Her depth of knowledge and experience are magnificently reflected in this new book aimed at beginners in mosaic making.
There is a beautiful flow of written and visual information through the book, touching on the history of mosaics, materials, techniques, tools and a series of practical projects with detailed instructions and helpful tips. At the heart of the book are three chapters on ‘Learning from the Ancients’ in which Helen shares her deep love for and wisdom gained from ancient mosaics.
Helen is a highly skilled communicator and her generous spirit and lovely sense of humour shine throughout the book. She managed to condense her vast knowledge and experience of mosaic art into a visually stunning book. It is accessible to all, very helpful for beginners in mosaic making as well as a real treat for accomplished artists.
‘Make your own mosaics’ is simply a beautiful book and a unique, generous contribution to the world of Mosaic Art.
March 2023
- My exhibition of paintings Nesting 2020 at Nicolls was a wonderful celebration of connection and reflection and I’m grateful for the huge support from family, friends and the Glasgow community. Seventeen paintings found new homes.
- The twelve Thornwood Mosaics will remain for the time being.
- My exhibition of paintings Nesting 2020 will open on Friday 17 March between 4 and 9pm at Nicolls Gallery in Thornwood.
- The exhibition at Nicolls Gallery is to continue during the following opening times:
- Thornwood Mosaics is a series of twelve mosaics nestled in selected locations around Nicolls Gallery. A printed map of all the mosaics will be available at the gallery.
- Thanks so much to Clare from Glasgow City Mission for the article on their website about my exhibition. (click here to read)
February 2023
- I’m currently working on a series of mosaic urban interventions named ‘Thornwood Mosaics’ to install in the vicinity of Nicolls Gallery in Glasgow in time for the opening of my solo show ‘Nesting 2020’. The series of paintings which I had made during Lockdown will be exhibited in the beautiful, intimate space of the gallery from 17 March to 26 March. This time coincides with the third anniversary of the start of the UK Lockdown as well as the third birthday of Nicolls. The Opening of the exhibition is on Friday 17 March and all the paintings will be for sale.
January 2023
- Urban Bloom features in the latest issue of Grout – a publication by the Brittish Association for Modern Mosaics.
- The Urban Art Class at Glasgow City Mission has resumed and folk are so happy to be back in the friendly community. For some the Christmas break has been particularly challenging.
December 2022
- A festive Art Viewing of work from the Urban Art Class at Glasgow City Mission took place midday on Tuesday 20 December in the historic Grand Ballroom at Sloans in Glasgow. A slideshow celebrating 18 artists at work as well as a selection of their art pieces were on display. The event was very well attended and the artist sold 17 artworks. In the evening Across The Board hosted a hugely successful night in the Sub Club in Glasgow to raise funds for the ongoing work at GCM.
November 2022
- The inaugural exhibition of the UK scarf for the global project Mosaic for Afghan Women will take place at Creative Stirling from 17 November until 1 December. The public launch is on Wednesday evening, the 16th at 6pm. Mosaicists from all countries are invited to draw inspiration from the colours, patterns, and textures of beautiful traditional Afghan dresses to create a long scarf to honour Afghan culture.
- Taking part in the exhibition Creative Resilience: Scene but not Heard at Yardlife Gallery and Acid Bar Gallery in Glasgow. The exhibition brings together the work from 25 artists across a variety of disciplines to ‘celebrate the creativity of rebelliousness and experimentation connected with Urban Art, Street Art, Graffiti and Urban Intervention Art.’ I’ll be exhibiting four new mosaic interventions and a mosaic seat from 2021.
June 2022
- Celebrating Urban Bloom…a tile mosaic for Glasgow, inspired by Glasgow…Located in the public thoroughfare under a railway arch at SWG3 in the Glasgow Riverside Innovation District. The mosaic is made from Cesi frost proof tiles and sits on a rendered brick wall.
- The installation of the mosaic mural Urban Bloom was completed on the last day of May.
May 2022
- The British Association of Modern Mosaics’ Spring Issue of the magazine Grout is published and I’m delighted to have the story of my mosaic piece Between heaven and Earth included. Link to read the article
- Making progress on the mosaic Urban Bloom for an arched wall at SWG3 in Glasgow. I’m aiming to have the mosaic completed and installed at the beginning of June, in time for the international graffiti, street art and design festival Yardworks 18-19 June.
- The Urban Art Class at Glasgow City Mission is continuing on Friday mornings and I enjoy teaching the 10-12 participants with the help of two volunteers. The class is structured to allow each member to work on a unique project according to their preference and ability. The artworks range from drawing in a variety of mediums, painting on paper and canvas, ceramics and collage.
April 2022
- Work on the mosaic Urban Bloom for a wall at SWG3 started in my studio at the end of April.
- During the month I have installed several ‘mosaic interventions’ on the streets of Glasgow. Most of them in secret and anonymous, but for some I have posted images on Instagram.
- The Arboretum at the Glasgow Botanic Gardens is a beautiful ‘haven’. I am enjoying fresh Spring mornings there, drawing in my sketchbook and being immersed in all the gifts of sight, sound and smell it has to offer.
- At the beginning of April I submitted a design for a large scale wall mosaic at SWG3 in Glasgow. The idea for the design is inspired by a mosaic detail in the ceiling of the Glasgow City Chambers, the Wally Closes of Glasgow tenement buildings, the plants growing in old stone walls, white and yellow street markings and the powerful visual language of mosaic – transforming the broken into the beautiful.
March 2022
- Constellations, an international exhibition of cutting-edge contemporary mosaics runs from 21 March until 24 April in Chester Cathedral. I’m thrilled to take part in this exhibition with a site-specific sculpture called Between Heaven and Earth.
- Ethereal is part of the Constellations exhibition in Chester Cathedral. This collaborative site-specific installation exists of more than 400 bottle top mosaics, sent to Chester from around the world. I enjoyed being part of the team who installed the amazing collection of art works.
February 2022
- My workshop Collaborate with the WildArt Garden was part of the Glasgow Goes Green Festival. During the session students followed a phenomenological approach in making collage art works in paper and paint with surface textures, patterns and shapes harvested directly from the University of Glasgow’s Wildlife Garden.
- My latest memorial painting commission is completed and sent off to Singapore. The portrait is in oil on linen and measures 50 x 60cm.
- This 10 x 20cm mosaic is my contribution to the project Mosaic for Afghan Women. Mosaicists from all countries are invited to draw inspiration from the colours, patterns, and textures of beautiful traditional Afghan dresses to create a long scarf to honour Afghan culture.
- This mosaic was made during the online workshop on the rules of Roman Mosaics given by Lawrence Payne and introduced by Rachel Davies. The workshop was an initiative of the British Association of Modern Mosaics. The bird is my own design and is inspired by Pueblo Pottery designs.
January 2022
- The Urban Art Class at Glasgow City Mission has resumed on Friday mornings and I enjoy teaching the 10-15 participants with the help of two volunteers. The class is structured to allow each member to work on a unique project according to their preference and ability. The artworks range from drawing in a variety of mediums, painting on paper and canvas, ceramics and collage.
- Another memorial painting commission from a client in Singapore came in this month. Once I have received sufficient references to work from, I hope to commence the painting in February.
- The site-specific mosaic sculpture Between Heaven and Earth for the Constellations exhibition in the Chapter House of Chester Cathedral is now completed and the accompanying text and images are submitted. The exhibition is due to open on 22 March and will be up and running until 24 April 2022.
- A work session entitled Collaborate with the WildArt Garden is being planned for university students as part of the Glasgow Goes Green event in February 2022. During the session students will be making collage art works in paper and paint with surface textures, patterns and shapes harvested directly from the University of Glasgow’s Wildlife Garden.
- The portrait Installation in the Trees is long listed for the Scottish Portrait Awards and currently in their online exhibition. The inspiration for this painting on wood came while assisting artists Louise McVey and Agnes Jones with an installation in the Wildlife Garden of the University of Glasgow. Louise is a ceramic artist and singer song-writer, best known for her street art in Glasgow and beyond. She has been collaborating with Agnes, a blacksmith in Glasgow, in making art for public spaces.
