Quietude in the Studio
Reflections on our Mosaic & Meditation Workshop
It began with an idea that wouldn’t go away. What would it be like to enter a meditative state and then intuitively create a mosaic artwork?
The idea took form when I spoke to Bangalow-based meditation teacher Gopi Magnieux, who remembered being part of an experimental painting workshop in Cambodia. “We didn’t know what the results would be,” she told me, “but it was more about the process of exploring our creativity and seeing what would emerge.”
As someone trained in the correct way to make mosaics — measured cuts, considered colour palettes, deliberate placement of tesserae — the idea of going free-form was both liberating and unsettling. I was drawn to the concept, yet quietly anxious. How would others respond to the process? And what would it feel like to relinquish control entirely?
I promoted the workshop with a sense of curiosity, unsure whether anyone would be drawn to such an experiment.
Happily, our class was soon full.
On the morning of the workshop, the mosaic materials lay waiting in tiny bowls: shards of terracotta, sea-glass blues, broken ceramic pieces, handmade fusions and slender glass rods. Usually, I approach a workshop with a carefully considered plan. This time, there was none.
We began not with tools, but with breath.
Gopi guided us gently into meditation, encouraging us to drop beneath the busy surface of thought. The meditation led us into our inner garden — a space filled with colour and light, and quiet possibility. When we finally opened our eyes, we selected our pieces from the array of bowls, drawn to the colours and textures that called to us most.
As the meditation music continued playing softly in the room, we began to create.
Some people arranged their pieces thoughtfully before committing them to glue. I worked differently —gluing each fragment as I found it, allowing the design to reveal itself along the way. My previous anxiety about making a ‘mosaic mess’ dissolved when I saw that my training wasn’t lost; it was simply quieter. Technique became a supportive undercurrent rather than the driving force. In its place was something more spacious — a dialogue between intuition and material.
Aphrodite’s Temple by Caleena
At the end of the 3-hour workshop, everyone was chatting about their pieces and reflecting on their experience. No two mosaics resembled one another; each felt deeply personal. Some were bold and colourful, others fluid and almost dreamlike. Some were symbolic, while others held memories of childhood.
What struck me most was not the finished artworks, but the shift in the room. We hadn’t just made mosaics — we had practiced letting go.
Some feedback from the guests captured the experience beautifully:
“It all felt so effortless,” said Janet. “The combination of meditation and mosaics seemed like a perfect fit to me,” said Michelle, “so thank you for taking a risk to experiment with this.”
If you would like to join a Meditation & Mosaic workshop, please reach out to Jane. I’m hoping to plan another session in the upcoming months.
And, if you would like to learn meditation, Gopi teaches Raja Yoga meditation courses in Bangalow.
Bella, the mosaic studio - where the magic happens!
