Did you See That? Mosaics by Marsha Rafter in the News

After the San Diego Botanic Garden Sculpture Show opened on June 25th, one of my friends Kim Riha, mentioned that she thought that she had seen my work in the San Diego Union Tribune newspaper. Since I don't receive the paper, I had no idea…

Mosaic Demonstration at the San Diego County Fair

On July 3, I enjoyed demonstrating mosaics in front of the Fine Arts Building at the San Diego County Fair. This was a really interesting and fun new experience for me.  I had four hours and was given a table with a mirror above it which…

A Hidden Gem in Encinitas

On June 17th, I had the pleasure of teaching at The Center for Creative Renewal in Encinitas, CA.  The owner, Ellen Speert, is an art therapist and has owned the three acre property for over forty years. From the street, you would never know…

San Diego Botanic Garden Sculpture Show 2017

June 25th was the reception for the artists in the San Diego Botanic Garden's 2017 Sculpture in the Garden Show. I am so happy to have had four pieces selected for the show. The first, my 36" mandala, is installed near the entrance to the garden…

Ruth Bancroft Garden Sculpture Show 2017

On June 15th I drove up to Walnut Creek, Ca to install three of my sculptures in the Ruth Bancroft Garden. This was my first visit to the garden and  I found it to be a very special place filled with beautiful succulents and cactus. The garden…

Memorial Bench Installation for the Butler Family

On May 18th and 19th, I was in Auburn, Ca for the installation of my second memorial bench. My good friends, Kendall and Eric Butler, lost their son, Justin, five years ago when he was sixteen. I was asked if I wanted to create a bench for them…

San Dieguito Art Guild Art in the Garden Tour

Mother's Day weekend was absolutely beautiful weather and a perfect weekend for the San Dieguito Art Guild's annual Art in the Garden Tour. There were eight homes in Encinitas and Carlsbad on the tour and there were 6-8 artist's at each location.…

SAMA Conference 2017

The Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA) conference was in Detroit this year May 2-6. For the first time ever, I didn't take any workshops but instead I was a vendor at the, always popular, vendor marketplace. I brought lots of pre cut…

A Tour of Anado McLauchlin's Studio and Home

I just returned from five days in San Miguel de Allende. What a beautiful and fun city! The trip was fabulous and one of the highlights was visiting Anado McLauchlin. He's a mosaic and assemblage artist and has an amazing compound in the country…

Tuesday Morning Classes in the Studio

Tuesday morning classes have been super fun lately. Everyone is working on a different project and students are all learning from each other. It's a relaxed and therapeutic time for us all. Some of the skills being taught are: different types…