Mosaics found me at the age of 15. Ever since then I have been drawn back to the medium again and again. After finishing a double degree in classical archaeology and photography at San Francisco State University (1995-2000), I signed up with the Peace Corps. In the months before leaving I started teaching workshops and did two public projects in my hometown of Coronado, CA.
I was in the Peace Corps from 2002 to 2004. This was a time of intense learning and growth for me. I was lucky to serve a community in the West African country of Ghana. Officially I was a health education volunteer, but I also found time to work in the arts as well as learn a new language and how to cook Ghanaian food.
Since 2004, I have been working as a professional mosaic artist and teacher. I have facilitated many large scale mosaic mural collaborations with students and community members, in California, Africa and India. I have created dozens of wall hangings, signs, home installations and several pieces of public art. I also make stained glass windows and ceramics, including Talavera style hand glazed tiles and pottery. My favorite side hustle is to create hand beaded jewelry using seed beads and intricate weaving techniques. Other media I am conversant in include sculpture, photography, as well as painting & drawing. I am influenced by both ancient and modern artists in every medium. I enjoy collaborating with other artists as well as my clients. Each piece I create teaches me something new and opens my eyes a little bit wider.
I am a seasoned traveler. I spent a semester in Greece studying classical archaeology. I stayed in Kunming, China for two months helping a friend design a line of jewelry made from recycled chopsticks. I have spent a total of four years in Ghana since 2002. I stayed for several months in Burkina Faso, learning about the art, culture and music of West Africa. I went on an epic 2000 mile cycling journey with my dearest love from Northern Ghana to Western Senegal in the spring of 2006. I spent six weeks in Tema, Ghana, leading a large scale community mosaic mural. I spent the fall of 2012 in Mumbai, India, facilitating a large mosaic mural project at an international school. I am always looking out for the next opportunity to combine my love for art and for travel.
I love to cook and experiment in the kitchen. I am constantly on the lookout for the most delicious vegetarian dishes across the globe. I value healthy choices as well as stunning flavor.
I have a master’s degree in Expressive Arts Therapy and I am very much interested in incorporating the art, rituals and play of cooking and eating into the field.
I have been sharing my life with my beloved, Ryan, for 17 years. We are parents to two magical little kitties named Tuuli and Wolfi. My happy places are doing yoga, hiking, dinner parties and camping.
KIRSTIN GREEN 