Every Sunday, NEPA Creative turns the spotlight on some awesome creatives. This week, we have Judy Holland of Broken UP Mosaics!
Based in Waverly, PA, Broken UP creates eco-friendly, custom mosaic portraits from upcycled vintage china and knick-knacks. Judy creates each piece from a customer’s favorite photo and asks details about that person’s life to create easter eggs in each portrait. She shares her studio with two canine assistants who finally learned to stop flinching whenever she purposefully breaks a plate.
A self-proclaimed rescuer of broken, abandoned items, she stops at every garage sale and uses every wooden chair, picture frame, or box of dishes that are left out on the side of the road for her work. When it comes to pieces of gorgeous, vintage china on thrift store shelves, there’s no way she can leave them there.
In the 1990s, Judy learned the most basic mosaic skills through her training as an Occupational Therapist, using the craft as therapy with her patients. Not until years later did she buy a tile nipper and apply her love of repurposing vintage china into making mosaics.
She began with abstract designs which eventually evolved into what interests her the most — faces. She loves using vintage patterns and textures to express the true essence of a person while also capturing their likeness. Additionally, Judy incorporates meaningful items, such as an earring or trinket, to give her portraits a personal touch.
Judy finds her inspiration through faces. She adores the way they reveal what is underneath, despite our best efforts to hide it, and the way that “underneath” is actual beauty. Breathing new life into plates or cups that were once a big part in someone’s life also inspires her.
To her, being creative means seeing things in your own unique way, without explanation or frames of reference, and wordlessly following that vision until your spirit is satisfied. You can follow Judy and Broken UP on Instagram, or visit her store on Etsy.
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokenup0000/🎨 Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BrokenUPmosaics
