Judi Brennan has been a successful clay artist for many years. She has won several pottery awards including a merit in the Fletcher Challenge and has her work all around the world.

In 1997 after many years as a potter, Judi became fascinated with the art of mosaics. She changed direction from producing hand built dinnerware to focussing completely on mosaics when she moved to Mapara Road in Acacia Bay Taupo to start the Clay Art Mosaic Studio. Judi threw herself, heart and soul, into making Clay Art Studio a unique learning environment for beginning mosaic enthusiasts. She created a mosaic garden around the studio, complete with an outside mosaic living room, which supplied wonderful inspiration for beginners wanting to do their own mosaic projects.

The pathway leading to the studio created huge interest from people wanting to make something similar in there own garden - Judi had embedded feature pieces that she had made out of clay eg cats, dogs, fish etc into the paving to form a fun pathway. This interest lead to years of producing (with a staff of 5) the Clay Art Studio mosaic feature pieces that everyone has come to know and love.

Judi sold the Clay Art Studio Feature Piece Business in September 2005 to make way for another new direction. (The new Clay Art Studio is now in the Historic Village, 17 th Ave, Tauranga.)

Judi and her chef daughter Jo are still in Mapara Road but have turned the original Clay Art Studio and garden into a Mosaic Café and Sculpture Garden called L'Arté. Jo and her partner Andrew run the café and Judi takes care of the outside sculpture gallery courtyard area where you will find unique art pieces all made by NZ artists plus Judi's new work . All the art is for sale.