MANEGIN MOSAICS

Hello, my name is Kelli D'Monte and
I am a Melbourne Mosaic Artist.

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about

About Kelli D'Monte

Hi There,

My name is Kelli D’Monte, I am a proud Manegin woman, born on the North West coast of Tasmania. My dad Kevin ‘Bull’ Hennessy of Irish background was one of 13 siblings and my Mother is one of 12 siblings who’s Grandmother was Tasmanian Aboriginal Ellen Cunningham, who went on to Marry George Blake.

Mums mother Pearl Blake married Hubert Lambert, who had just returned from WW1 and they started a family in a small Soldiers Settlers farm in Mella. Huberts family was unknown to his children most likely due to his new found Wife of Aboriginal decent. They went on to birth 5 boys and 7 girls one being my Mother, Beverley Lambert.

Growing up I was lucky enough to have a stable home life rich in Culture with loving Parents, Aunties, Uncles, many Cousins, 2 Brothers and a Sister.

Our Culture involved weekend gatherings around the kitchen table by all of the Aunties playing Poker, Yarning and feasting on their signature dishes, camping and eventually a Shack at Rocky Cape where we would spend weekends fishing, swimming, exploring, collecting shells and eating of course.

My family are well known for their run-ins with the local fisheries authority in Circular Head during white baiting season. We also loved to feast on Mutton Birds that my Dad would bring home from his trips to King Island. I use to love being driven around on the bonnet of dads ute searching for mushrooms to bring home for tea. My mum and Aunties were the best cooks in Tasmania – as far as I was concerned….

They would go on to be heavily involved in the local Football club kiosk on weekends where the dads once played (and now they drank) and the boys played footy and the girls became the footy queens.

My Dad was a Builder and could draw a picture, he split with my Mum when I was 14 and left home leaving a huge hole in my heart, 6 years later he died from a Melanoma.

I met my Husband in my home town at work one day and we left Smithton and shifted to the rugged West Coast of Tasmania, where we began our Gypsy lives in the Mining Industry.

We have moved so many times I have lost count, here are some of the places we have lived:

Smithton – Tas
Queenstown – Tas
Port Sorell – Tas
Southport - Qld
Roxby Downs – SA
Charters Towers – Qld
Broken Hill – NSW
Orange – NSW
Ballarat – Vic
Heathmont - Vic
Croydon - Vic

We have a Daughter and a Son and whilst they have been to about 20 different schools I think they enjoyed the life of shifting from State to State, the disadvantage was they missed out on growing up with their Auntys, Uncles and Cousins. When we shifted to Melbourne 6 years ago they got a taste for city living and put their foot down and there has been no more shifting, hubby now travels for work ☺

My art - I have done a few led drawings over the years, in recent times I have been doing some Mosaic work on wood. People seem to admire them and I haven’t stopped making them yet!

All art pieces are unique and will differ and they all have their own meaning which I express through my Aboriginal Heritage and Art, a piece takes 6-8 hours to complete over several days.

The logo above (on my header) has become my signature, it resembles (on my mums side-Manegin people of North West Tassie) my 7 Aunties and 5 Uncles around our kitchen table on the weekends playing Poker and the 37 dots in the middle are my cousins and I.

I have held a few Mosaic workshops and Community have shown some interest, so I have decided to make a website and see how they go.

They look great hanging at the front door, on your shed, shack or cubby house or just make a great gift.

I am happy to take requests for certain colours but just be aware no one piece will be the same, they are all unique ☺

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