GINA DOMINGUEZ

ina Dominguez has been making mosaics for 16 years. Primarily self-taught, she was first inspired by the use of non-traditional mosaics by Antonio Gaudi during her junior year abroad in Barcelona. Now she is the owner of Snapshot Mosaics, a retail mosaic shop located in Oakland, founded in 2006. It is there that she creates custom installations for public entities and private residences, teaches mosaics and sells mosaic supplies.

For Gina, "making mosaics is like painting with tile or glass. It is a tactile art form that offers something to everyone from the beginner who can make small projects for a quick sense of satisfaction to a more experienced individual who creates large architectural installations."

Gina used natural stone and tile for the first five years of her career until she discovered her love of stained glass. The color, shine, and texture of glass opened up a whole new world of creative possibilities for her. Currently, she has been playing with the use of glass and metal, particularly copper, together in her mosaics.

Her most recent accomplishments include having one of her mosaics appear on the cover of edible East Bay in November 2010, completing a sidewalk installation for the City of Oakland - in the Dimond District - in January 2011, and being featured on HGTV's Curb Appeal: The Block installing a mosaic for a private residence in April 2011. You can view her work on her website at www.snapshotmosaics.com.