THE MOSAIC LIFE

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When someone speaks to me, I have to consciously pull myself out of that place to even form the words to answer. The mosaic space in my soul is a place of colors, shapes, touch, and Spirit. It is God I find there.“

Her ordered process for creating a piece is generally the same: 1) choose the colors you want 2) choose the size of the art work 3) choose the substrate (what to attach the mosaic to) 4) determine if the finished piece will live indoors or outdoors. “I choose my materials and prepare them with those considerations in mind. I mostly work in stained glass and tile, separately rather than together because they are different thicknesses,” says Ruff-Richter.

Ruff-Richter began doing mosaic mostly for her own creative outlet. She then began giving several pieces away, and auctioned others. In 2004, she launched the professional business Paraclete Mosaic studios but still insists, like most professional artists, that she is mostly creating for herself.

Not surprisingly, the name of her studio, Paraclete Mosaics, refers to an ancient Greek word that means advocate or counselor and is literally translated “someone who comes alongside someone else.” A fitting description of this bold women who has chosen later in life to unselfishly minister to others, following God in her life’s path.

When she does work with art clients, she insists on creative control. She believes she understands the materials best and what kind of representations can best be made with them, guided by her own understanding of her level of skill. For example, she doesn’t do micro-mosaics or mosaics that are so intricately fitted that no grout lines are used or visible. She shares that on some occasions a client has many ideas that won’t easily work together because of the colors, their intricacy, or other factors. Like a good counselor she takes suggestions, but as an expressive artist she always makes the final decisions about what will be included or excluded.

“I love to mosaic on found or donated tables, recycling them and making them beautiful again. My most intricate one is one that represents Noah’s Ark, done in stained glass, glass gems, and pebbles. That one took almost a year to do, though, as usual, I was only working on it on weekends and some evenings.”

She recently completed a mosaic table that displays her Lutheran roots -- a Martin Luther Rose, framed by the three pillars of the Reformation: Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura. The table materials included wall tile, brushed metal letters, and square glass tesserae.

“Mosaic is a fascinating hobby, and I do recommend it for anyone seeking a creative outlet. The materials are often free or cheap” Ruff-Richter says. However, she cautions that it is important to have realistic expectations when starting out, because stained glass itself is not going to be cheap. She recommends checking the web for people giving away free tile, which she says happens “all the time.”

She encourages those who find her same passion for mosaic art to expand their thinking. “You can make money selling your work, do custom installations, or teach mosaic art to others. I don’t do so as much as I could, just for time reasons. And, because it becomes something else when I have a deadline and I’m not doing it for myself. Then it becomes an obligation rather than an enjoyable hobby. But it is the same with all art.”

Upon meeting Sharon Ruff-Richter in her role serving as an involved community leader in Pasadena, you immediately see that same philosophy in her spiritual work. It is clear that she serves in this capacity from a place of joy rather than obligation. As she helps those in the San Gabriel valley whose lives are often broken and in pieces – she is creating a human mosaic that speaks validation over the stories of the hurting and yet offers beautiful insight into the world of transformative hope found in faith that she has known for a lifetime.

For more info. on Richter’s designs and custom mosaic art, including company logos; murals, crosses, and baptismal fonts for churches; and tables, wall art, and garden art for collectors, visit: www. paracletemosaics.com. For more information on the Avanti Program for developmentally disabled adults in Pasadena: https://www.lsssc.org/location/sangabriel-valley-pasadena/ For more information on Trinity Lutheran Church of Pasadena visit: https://www. trinitypasadena.org/.