Anja Hertle mosaic artist
I have been a maker of colourful stuff since birth. After a childhood in Germany, a background in design and working in acrylics, my love for mosaics was awakened and I have been hooked on this expressive medium for over twenty years.
Working with pieces of other people’s lives in the form of broken china and pottery, which they leave on my studio’s doorstep, is very satisfying as I am giving these elements a second life and keeping loads of materials out of the landfill. I also incorporate forks, buttons, bottle caps and type writer keys, which makes me a borderline hoarder but also an environmentally engaged artist.
I particularly enjoy creating artwork that evokes a special memory, be it my client’s family home, farm or cottage incorporating some of their family’s china, something people have a deep connection to. I love the interpretation of home, houses of any size and shape and appreciate the beauty of nature.
Commissions are always welcome. mail@anjahertle.com
Gallery
Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, Edmonton, Alberta “Serenity"
The Arts in Healthcare, Friends of University Hospital Organization commissioned Anja to create a large scale mosaic to hang in the Donor Appreciation Area in the new Heart Institute. The design was created to incorporate the Donor’s love for the Jasper Park Lodges as well as provide an interesting visual for patients awaiting treatment. The mosaic is divided into three distinct pieces with each one divided further into smaller panels for ease of installation. Two panels are high up to be viewed well from a distance with the third piece at eye level, available for touching. Numerous materials were used including tile, ceramic dishes and collectibles ( notice the dove and owl on the tree), stained glass, beads and buttons. The large piece depicting the Lodges is 4’-0” tall by 10’-0” wide, the Tree is 7’-6” tall by 4’-0”wide and the Lamp Post is 6’-0” tall by 2’-0” wide.
Where to find Anja’s Art
Shops & Galleries
Meta4 Gallery for Contemporary Crafts
Port Perry Location
www.meta4gallery.ca
Anja’s Studio
Please contact the artist to arrange a visit!
10821 County Road 2, Grafton
mail@anjahertle.com
Art Salad 2025
a visual smorgasbord in Grafton
June 7th 10-5 and
June 8th 11-4
10821 County Rd 2,
Grafton
Apsley Autumn Studio Tour 2025
September 20th and 21st
10:00- 5:00
www.apsleystudiotour.com
2025 New Winter Workshop Dates!
Location for classes in Grafton! 137 Old Danforth Rd, the old Sunday School building in front of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church.
Unless otherwise noted, classes are taught at this location!
The cost is $140 which includes all materials, supplies and tools.
You can choose from these projects:
1.) 10”x10” Mosaic Indoor Wall Art Piece
2.) Outdoor Mosaic Birdbath using a 10” ceramic base
3.) 10” x 10” Outdoor Mosaic Wall Art Piece
4.) 8” garden sphere * this project may require finishing at home
5.) Choice of 3 Ornaments ( gnome, owl, bird, cardinal, loon, hummingbird, bee, angel, snowman, santa, christmas tree)
6.) If you have made mosaics with me before and you have a project you would like to tackle, let’s chat!
You will use recycled materials like tile, china, stained glass, beads and buttons to create
your own unique design. If this is your first mosaic I suggest choosing the indoor or outdoor wall art pieces.
If you are not able to return for grouting, I will show you how and send you home with a bag of grout!
Here are the new winter 2025 dates:
A. Saturday February 22nd and grouting Sunday February 23rd 10-12
B. Saturday March 22nd 10-4 and grouting Sunday March 23rd 10-12
C. Saturday May 24th 10-4 and grouting Sunday May 25th 10-12
New!!! Mosaic Retreat!
This year’s retreat was fantastic so we are doing it again in 2025!
Tuesday April 29th to Friday May 2nd
10-4 each day at the little school house in Grafton, see address above.
Four days of mosaic exploration, where I will be sharing my knowledge through inspiration, experimentation with different techniques and guidance in your personal project from design to execution. You could work on a larger project or try several smaller ones. This course is very flexible.
The cost of $450 includes most materials and tools as well as a lunch visit to my home and studio.
Let me know if you want to join us!
To sign up for these workshops, please call (905) 349-1032 or e-mail at mail@anjahertle.com
Payment must be received to hold a spot. e-transfer or cheque accepted.
Beginner/Family Mosaic Workshop
This is an opportunity for you (age 8 - 99) to give making mosaics a try! You get to create a 6” x 6” wall art piece of your own design using precut recycled china, pottery, tile and adding beads and buttons. Grouting will be demonstrated and a bag of grout is included.
Cost $35.00
It’s a great way to spend a creative afternoon with your friends and family.
Sunday March 23rd 1:30-4:00 Sunday School building, 137 Old Danforth Rd, Grafton
Gift Certificates!
A workshop is a great gift of an experience. Contact me and I will email you a coupon for your loved one!
School Program- on hold
I will come out to schools as a visiting artist and share my passion and knowledge by enabling the children, as young as kindergarden and up to Grade 12, to create their own whimsical 6”x6” mosaic art piece. Each session will start with a short age appropriate introduction to the history of mosaics, a gallery talk where I will share some of my recent works, followed by an explanation of the technique involved.
All the materials, pre-cut tile and dishes as well as beads and bobbles, glue and of course the wood base will be provided. The theme of the artwork can be geared towards the curriculum such as bugs, flowers, landscapes, whatever your class may be studying at the time. This particular art form fits well into the study of the environment as most of the materials are reused or recycled. Students are encouraged to bring broken dishes, beads or bottle caps etc from home to incorporate into their artwork....just no glass please!
For the older students I will set up a cutting station to give the tile nippers a try, complete with goggles for safety. I will then take all the art pieces back to my studio to grout, as grout is very dusty and corrosive and thus not suitable for classroom work. Unless the older students would like to give the grouting a try. The finished pieces will be returned in two weeks time.
Each workshop session takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs and costs $12 per student with a minimum charge of $250 per class. E-mail for further information at mail@anjahertle.com
Legacy Projects
I particularly enjoy working on legacy projects which are permanently displayed in a school or other public building. They usually involve the entire school body or a certain grade, are specifically designed for their location and require lots of creativity and imagination. The cost is based on each project individually.
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