Inside The Colourful Studio of Pop Art Mosaic Artist Sarah Fishbein

Sarah Fishbein is a contemporary mosaic artist in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. In this interview, she shares her creative journey and the inspiration behind her vibrant pop art mosaics. With a background in video production, Sarah discovered her passion for art during the pandemic. She combines stained glass techniques with comic books’ bold, eye-catching style from the 1950s and 60s. Her work touches important themes like women’s empowerment, LGBTQ acceptance, and mental health. Sarah talks about her love for experimenting with different materials and how her art holds deep personal meaning. She also gives us a peek into her exciting upcoming projects, including her first solo show and participation in Art Miami Context.

Artist Sarah Fishbein has been featured in the Arts to Hearts Project’s book The Creative Process and is recognized by Women in Arts Network as a portfolio partner. Women in Arts Network is a proud portfolio partner of the Arts to Hearts Project’s books and magazines.

Sarah Fishbein is a contemporary mosaic artist in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. For over 20 years, Fishbein has been a force of innovation in visual imagery. Her journey began with traditional photography and video production forms, but in recent years, her craft has evolved remarkably. Sarah has found her voice in Pop Art Mosaics, blending her respect for pop art with the romance comics and characters of the 1950s and 60s, creating a vibrant, modern pop culture in glass. Her unique approach isn’t just about aesthetics. Fishbein has pioneered a fusion of stained glass and mosaic techniques, crafting pieces that are as technically profound as they are visually captivating. While her works draw from the past, they resonate with contemporary themes—feminism, empowerment, sexuality, and the intricacies of today’s relationships. More than just an artist, Fishbein is a storyteller. Her mosaics, rich with history and current narratives, invite viewers on a journey through time. With two decades of experience and an ever-evolving style, Fishbein continues to shape and redefine the mosaic landscape.

1. What inspired you to become an artist?

Video production took me worldwide with exciting film projects and documentaries, but it was also very stressful. It was during a forced halt in output caused by the Covid epidemic that brought me, headfirst, back into mosaics. I had always loved the colors and exaggerated imagery of POP art from artists like Warhol, Max, and Lichtenstein, and that served as the inspiration for my first more extensive mosaics. Starting with lips and eyes, my mosaics began to transform into much larger pieces. One day, my husband showed me some old romance comic books from the 50s and 60s, and I suddenly felt that I had found my look. I began collecting and studying this era’s comic books and was attracted to the over-the-top emotion and swoon-worthy material surrounding them. In production, I often had to fight for a position in a male-dominated industry and had to fight my way in and prove myself repeatedly. With my art, I wanted to flip the ideas of a male-dominated image and change it to the women having the power and being the ones making the choices. It has become vital to me to share women’s struggles in a beautiful and thought-provoking way. I have found that I can create whatever is in my heart, usually around relationships, feminism, LBGTQ acceptance, and more.

In each piece, I strive to focus on themes that resonate deeply with me – relationships, women’s empowerment, LGBTQ acceptance, and the spectrum of everyday emotions.

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2. What is your creative process like from start to finish?

My mosaics begin with an idea and then enter the digital world where I form and shape the initial look and feel for the mosaic drawing from an old comic, and expression or idea, AI, and Photoshop to create the sketch. I love adding type and phrases to my mosaics to convey the emotion in the art I am making. So, typically, I start with a comment or phrase. I bring that thought into the digital world and create a sketch. The next step is to project this image on a backer board and create an outline on a complex “canvas,” so I can begin the actual mosaic. I combine stained glass cutting with mosaic techniques to manipulate the different types of glass into the images on my canvas. My style has evolved. I experimented with and, through experimentation, eventually taught myself how to cut and shape opaque glass. I enjoy creating imagery with hard, solid black lines that are uniform and sparkly. I can fill the spaces with tiny pieces of color by creating a solid black outline. I choose pieces of glass designed to work with the light of a room, giving my mosaics a three-dimensional quality that makes the art move and change throughout the day. I finish the piece by using multiple colors of grout around the colored glass tiles to make the colors pop..

3. Where do you find inspiration for your artwork?

Each of my works reveals a slice of time and a peek into a part of my story. The essential beauty of a face might be paired with a phrase or idea to make you think or, most importantly, to FEEL. You will always find a woman with the power within, or perhaps a couple in the middle of an intense moment. You may even see an understanding of someone that you didn’t have before. What I love about work in mosaics is that I get to tell my part of the story so that it can become your story or a different story for each person who views my work.

4. Can you tell us about a particular piece of art that holds special meaning for you?

I recently completed a piece titled ‘It’s Okay…’ featuring two men, one in tears and the other offering comfort. This piece emerged from one of my darkest moments, as I was supporting someone through a mental health crisis. That experience profoundly impacted me, and I felt compelled to capture the beauty that can be found even in pain. Through this artwork, I hope to shed light on the often-overlooked struggles men face with mental health. Though it’s challenging to look at, the piece ultimately brings me a sense of peace.

I choose glass as my medium for its vivid colors, tactile nature, and longevity. The interplay of light and glass is a crucial element of my work.

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5. How do you handle creative blocks or periods of low inspiration?

Creating mosaics is equally exhilarating and exhausting. Often, after I complete a piece, I crash pretty hard for two to three days before I can begin a new piece. Very often, it takes a few days or more to put the next piece of glass down. So, to me, it is really about the first piece of glass. Once I allow myself to start again, it is off to the races. Sometimes, I take a walk, just to remember how fortunate I am to be able to create art.

Sarah Fishbein’s mosaics are more than just beautiful pieces of art; they tell stories that connect with viewers on a deeper level. By blending stained glass techniques with pop art, she brings fresh energy to important themes like empowerment and mental health. To learn more about Sarah, visit the links below.

You can explore Sarah’s journey and the stories of other artists by purchasing our Creative Process Book here: