Featured Artists

Marti Wingo and Leslie Compass: Collaborating to Create Unique Mosaics

1.  Please describe your art and your artistic process 

Stained Glass Mosaics, we start with a base piece, whether it be a glass bowl, platter, or plywood board for a wall art piece. We score and cut our stained glass to size and glue them on using on own designs. After the glue is dried, we finish the mosaic piece with grout of our color choice. Depending on what it is and if it will be outside, we also seal the mosaic.

2.  When did you start creating art?

I think we both have been creative most of our lives but when we meet 12 years ago and quickly became friends, we discovered that we both had a love for glass. Leslie already knew how to score and cut the glass as she had ceated a few stained glass pieces and I wanted to learn the process. When we first started working together, we created sun catchers and small mosaics. So now 10 years later we love the challenge of larger pieces and I (Marti) still have not learned the entire process of Stained Glass. We are definitely hooked on mosaics

3. Did you study art in school?

Neither of us have had any formal training in art.

4.  How do you work together?

We work on larger commissioned projects together and also work by ourselves creating pieces to display in the studio/gallery. It has always been more fun when we create art projects together. It’s funny when we are working separately we often call to check on the progress of the other to find that we are working either with the same color combination or design. It’s safe to say Leslie and I are very close friends and have similar styles in creating. It makes it easy to work together.

5.  What inspires you?

We pull a lot of our inspiration from nature, beauty is all around us. Sometimes it come from emotions and thoughts from our personal lives.

6.  What are your goals?

I think our goal would be to continue to make our Art Studio/Gallery and the Art Plaza a great place. We would like to continue to get the word out about the growing art community that is here in Cape Girardeau. Also, to promote ourselves as well as up and coming artists in our area that may need an outlet or support. We’ve met some amazing people who have opened doors for us and it’s our turn to do the same.

7.  What have you gained from being a member of BOMH?

Meeting other artists with great ideas who offer encouragement. It makes us continue to challenge ourselves to be better. If not for BOMH, we would have never meet one of our members of the studio, Sandy Kolde.

8.  Personal info, family, hobbies, etc.

(Leslie) I have been married for 26 years. We have 2 beautiful daughters, a son-in-law in the Army, 2 grandchildren, and 2 dogs. My husband and I like to camp and go on motorcycle rides. We like to go on vacation to Georgia to see our oldest child and grandchildren. We have a home in Scott City where we both have lived most of our lives. (Marti) I have been married just a little over 2 years and have a son and a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. My husband and I seem to do a lot of renovating on our 100 year old house, which we are finally moving into! I love the outdoors, swimming, hiking, kayaking and biking.

9.  Where can we see your work?

We have an art studio in downtown historic Cape Girardeau. It’s called MoZaic Art Studio and we are inside the Bilderbach Art Plaza along with 4 other art galleries/studios. We currently have 3 pieces being displayed at the Sikeston Depot Art Gallery for the month of November as part of the Cat Ranch Art Guild. We also have some of our artwork being sold/displayed at local wineries.

Leave a Reply