Mosaic Guru Goddess Queen

Elizabeth Raybee, the “Mosaic Guru Goddess Queen” was and I quote “raised in a junkyard.” That was where her first love of mosaics was born —in the place where all the broken things come to roost, waiting to be put back together, reborn as art. 

Since then, Raybee has become Mendocino County’s consummate mosaic artist. It seems every mosaic in Ukiah has been facilitated by Raybee, completed in her studio, or somehow has passed through her Mosaic Guru Goddess Queendom. Visiting her home to interview her for our podcast episode, I was treated to a tour of her space which doubles as an art gallery for many of her pieces. 

Raybee is the guest on the 15th episode of “The Positive Fantastic” podcast. Our interview episode is called “Mosaic Guru Goddess Queen” –which was a title bequeathed to Raybee by one of her students. The name fits Elizabeth’s achievements in art so perfectly.

Touring her home, I appreciated how each creative work has a backstory from Elizabeth’s own life —a narrative full of feeling and meanings. Her home is teeming with her drawings, sketches, paintings, and of course multiple mosaics that she has created over the years. Raybee has manifested her dream studio that is large enough to house a plethora of tiles and tile bits to be used in her own artwork and is available for students to use in their own pieces in her facilitated “Grout Camp” workshops where folks learn firsthand how to create a mosaic. 

As a poet myself, I particularly felt drawn to several pieces in which Raybee had embedded a poem into the tile work. Some pieces have leftist political motifs, several tell a visual story, and others are pure whimsy —all of them are a delight to behold. One of the mosaics in her world was actually created in large part at a musical mother’s day event I co-produced at my place back in the day. Folks came and added pieces to a Goddess themed mosaic that was being built at the back of the concert bowl.

Part of what I love about Raybee’s love of mosaics is her desire to spread the craft, involving everybody in the artist’s journey. In addition to her own artistic pursuits, Raybee has collaborated with the Arts Council to get many hands to help with the large scale mosaic projects. 

Visiting downtown Ukiah, one can’t help but stumble upon one of Elizabeth’s art pieces. In addition to two different mosaics adorning the walls of local establishments, Raybee recently took on the task of beautifying all of the trash cans in the Alex Thomas Plaza. Each piece reflects some of the beauty and charm of Mendocino County, representing local scenes: the native Pomo practice of preparing acorns for food, cows grazing the grassy hills, good times at the local dog park, merry making at a music jam, a Mendo Gothic couple wearing pandemic masks while brandishing their cannabis crop, the tranquility of the city of 10,000 Buddhas, children enjoying fresh strawberries, squirrels in love, and many more.

After the Redwood Complex fires, Raybee helped support an Art from the Ashes project with contributions from fire survivors and the community affected by the fires, who working together created a mosaic that is featured on the side of the Redwood Valley grange. Raybee also helped people who had a small pile of broken dishes and things that were able to be salvaged in pieces after the fires to create cathartic mosaic artwork from their former possessions. The Redwood Complex fires took my home, and I so appreciate the cathartic artwork that came forth in the wake of the tragedy to help us rise as phoenixes from the ashes. 

Although Elizabeth is our local mosaic champion, she also has been featured as a nationally and internationally recognized artist. In addition to her recurring work with the Society of American Mosaic artists, she has been a visiting instructor to colleges and art schools throughout the country. Several states feature her artworks and she has been featured on NBC news and on the cover of Artweek magazine. Additionally, she has been instrumental in teaching abroad and some of her pieces are on public walls in Germany and Chile.

We’re lucky in Northern California to have such a prolific mosaic artist in Elizabeth Raybee, and I hope you’ll tune in to our interview on “The Positive Fantastic” podcast, episode 15, in which we explore her artistry and current Grout Camp offerings in more depth.

You can check out the Mosaic Guru Goddess Queen herself at her website or contact her by sending an email about mosaic interests eray@eraybeemosaics.com

You can also follow her on her Facebook page “Elizabeth Raybee” to get mosaic artwork in your scroll stream. 

As of the publication of the 15th episode, Elizabeth is anticipating having Grout Camp this summer. The first session is July 23rd to the 25th. And the second session is August 6th to the 8th. If you have a mosaic project that you’re jonesing to make a reality, Grout Camp is your venue and Elizabeth is your Mosaic Guru Goddess Queen!