The Michael David Markman Portrait Mosaic

The completion of this portrait mosaic marks the finishing touch on a deeply meaningful journey. The piece was originally begun in a classroom setting with its owner, Julie Markman, who mapped out the initial details and placed the very first tesserae—focusing on the eyes, hat outline, and collar. When Julie's life took a sudden turn with a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, work on the portrait paused. Years later, her son Peter reached out, and we agreed that I would complete it.

Finishing this piece has been a true labour of love: a tribute to both my passion for mosaic and the enduring bond shared between Julie and Peter. Having done very little portrait work in any medium prior, it was a steep learning curve. We are certainly our own harshest critics! Working in mosaic is vastly different from painting when it comes to blending colours and capturing shadows, light, and expression. Reaching the grouting stage and witnessing the magical transformation of colour was immensely satisfying—and seeing it now, fully completed, is wonderfully rewarding.