SEPTEMBER 9 • 2021 | 51
according to a defined process
she developed.
After picking out a specific
site of interest to her, Sider
takes many photos from differ-
ent angles. She uses those snap-
shots to move into drawings
with adaptations she believes
will make the final mosaic
appealing to viewers.
Deciding on colors comes
with the development of acrylic
renderings that will anticipate
textured add-ons, which could
include stones, metallic objects
and other items found at the
specific location.
“One thing about mosaics is
working with reflectivity,
” Sider
said. “I put pieces of glass and
other shiny objects at specific
angles, so they catch the light,
whether sunlight or artificial
light, at different times of the
day. Pieces can change colors
depending on how the light is
hitting them.
”
Although Sider enjoyed
painting in pastels, she changed
to mosaics because of the
added materials and moving
from two dimensions into
three. Color choices, just like
in two-dimensional paintings,
would still be important, most
significantly because of the cre-
ative aspect of the semi-abstract
approach.
“During this process of artis-
tic expression, I found myself
contemplating our relationship
with the Earth,
” Sider said.
“I began to see this organic
wearing down of materials in
a holistic way, contemplating
the progression from nature to
man-made materials and back
to nature in a never-ending
cycle.
“‘On the Side of the Road’
fits into my body of work
because I’m a Michigan woman
through and through, observant
and taking inspiration from
my environment. I’m always
interested in how I can make a
dynamic, interesting composi-
tion with a sense of movement.
”
MULTITUDE OF MOSAICS
On commission, Sider has
made realistic mosaics that
capture people’s favorite spots
in the state. She has used a
series of photographs to plan
the image replication of a
lakefront family cottage. In
another project, a lakefront
homeowner, transfixed by her-
ons, led to Blue Heron, which
will be shown at the “
ArtPrize”
competition in Grand Rapids,
running Sept. 16-Oct. 3.
Sider’s artwork also can
reflect her devotion to
Judaism, observed in young-
er years as a member of
the Birmingham Temple in
Farmington Hills and now
as a member of Kehillat
Etz Chayim in Huntington
Woods. An earlier mosaic
series depicts the plight of
Yemenite Jewish refugees.
Married and the mother
of three grown sons, Sider
was part of the Artists in the
Schools Program sponsored
by the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit and
facilitated mosaic projects
now shown in synagogues and
religious centers. Devotion to
family interests motivated her
to pursue master’s and doctor-
al degrees in psychology at the
University of Detroit.
With the goal of applying
art therapy approaches for
children coping with illness,
Sider had a private psychology
practice before returning to
artistry full time. Along the
way, she illustrated and co-au-
thored two books with Rabbi
Joseph Krakoff — Never Long
Enough: Finding Comfort and
Hope Amidst Grief and Loss and
Never Long Enough Workbook/
Coloring Book.
During the pandemic dif-
ficulties, Sider enhanced her
own outlook by offering her
mosaics for public attention.
Among this year’s recognition
was Best in Show at the “Take
Me Away” exhibition spon-
sored by the New England
Mosaic Society, participa-
tion in the “Women in Arts”
exhibit at the Las Laguna Art
Gallery in California and a
feature spread starting on the
January cover of Groutline,
circulated by the Society of
American Mosaic Artists.
On the roads again, Sider
is so enthusiastic about her
current series that she keeps
one pavement project on dis-
play in her own home. Others
from the series are on view
at the Twisted Fish Gallery in
Elk Rapids and her website,
michellesstudio.com.
“I must create,
” Sider said. “It
is the essence of my being. I am
continually thinking about how
I can translate my experiences
into art, and this process is
gratifying for me.
“The quiet concentration
of working in my studio
is very enjoyable as is the
challenge of pushing myself
with each piece to see if I can
accomplish something new
and then share my work with
others.”
Blue Heron