My Background: My name is Carrie A. Bracker and for most of my life, I have lived in Southern Arizona. I have moved to the New England area and I am now living in the beautiful state of Maine. I come from a creative family and my mother, a very creative and talented artist, has always encouraged me to play and explore with the many different aspects of art.

When I first went to the university, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I got a job at a bank and eventually in 1986 ended up with a degree in Business Administration. After 11 years of banking, I decided to pursue my true passion, art. I left the bank and went back to school. In 1996, I received a degree in Fine Arts with a major in Graphic Design and Illustration. I have been a graphic designer/illustrator since.

A couple of years ago, I was watching a British gardening show and saw a woman doing a mosaic panel. I was so intrigued, I decided to give it a try and I have not looked back since. I am self taught with the exception of a few weekend classes. I also attended a 2 week mosaic class in Maine at the Haystack School for Arts and Crafts.

My inspiration comes from nature, hence the name "Nature's Mosaics." I gather information from the natural beauty on Earth and its occupants. I like to play with colours, shapes and textures. I primarily work with glass. Every piece of glass has it's own personality and colour variation. I hand cut each piece of glass and then grind it to make sure it has a smooth edge. Many of my pieces has it's beginnings from a flea market or garage sale. I love working with old and used items and then breathing new life into them. Glass and grout adds additional beauty to their hidden strengths. Another passion is to experiment with found objects or items gathered from nature, such as cobbles, wood, rusted metal or bottle caps.

Each mosaic I make is a one-of- a-kind mosaic. Some of the items may look similar but no two items are alike. Each one is made completely by myself. I also do installations both in the home and garden.

If you see something on my web page that interests you or if you would like more information, please email me at carrie@naturesmosaics.com.