Maylee Christie's Mosaic Sculpture "Orchid" Sells for £44,000 at Sotheby's

Orchid, 2011  430 cm x 290 cms

Stained glass, smalti, rubies, gold, silver and "hundreds of other materials"

We are excited to announce that Peruvian-born artist Maylee Christie's "Orchid" recently sold for £44,000 (approx. $70,000 US) at Sotheby's Auction House in London.

Christie studied Graphic Design at La Plata's Academy of fine Arts in Argentina and became a successful illustrator and writer of children's books while living in Madrid, Spain.  After she moved to the UK in 1999, Christie studied at the Mosaics Art School in Ravenna, Italy and, subsequently, the Orsoni Foundry in Venice.  Christie went on to study Sculpture at Winchester School of Art and glass casting at the Liquid Glass Center.

Detail

Christie's work was featured in Mosaic Art NOW's 2010 Exhibition in Print.  She was a favorite of MAN founder Bill Buckingham.  "You know, Bill believed in the orchid from the start", says the artist, "even when I didn't dare to send it for the 2011 Exhibition in Print because it wasn't finished on time. I'm so grateful for his encouragement."

What follows is a reprint of a 2010 MAN blog post with comments from Buckingham:

"Ramblings" Maylee Christie, 2009 90cm x 90cm

Smalti, semi precious stones, gold, fused glass, shells, millefiori, ammonites, beads.

Maylee Christie was a featured artist in Mosaic Art Now's 2009 Gallery ("Premonitions" pg 40). When she sent us photos of her latest mosaic, "Ramblings", we were once again taken by the detailed beauty of her work. Editor Bill Buckingham says, "Her mosaic is like an exquisitely intricate textile. It's not about the whole piece, it's about the details that make up the whole. You discover a singular 'something' each time you look at it. And yet, there is a complete 'wholeness' to it in the feelings it evokes."

"Her work is very tight; no interstices here. You can see the influence of her work with Marco Bravura. Her colors are gorgeous and the palette works.

"I can't imagine how someone thinks in detail like this. It's not how I see the world at all. Ramblings gives me a new vantage point on the world that makes my life all the richer for it. For me, that is one of the great joys of art."

Do we need to remind you to "click to enlarge?"

Our most heartfelt and enthusiastic congratulations to Ms. Christie.  Brava!

Enjoy –  Nancie

VISIT Maylee Christie's website
SEE  Marco Bravura's work