Author: Joe Moorman
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Classic Tattoo Design Mosaics
Artist Sheldon Stehman‘s tattoo-inspired work demonstrates the vitality of the mosaic medium and how surprisingly well it accommodates contemporary pop-culture designs and themes. Sheldon uses classic tattoo designs as models for his mosaic interpretations. I think that was an inspired decision.
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Variations on a Theme: Insight Mosaics
Artist Natalija Moss rebuilds Honda Insight hybrid cars, and she also makes mosaics of them using stained glass. Here are a few Honda Insight mosaics she made years ago. Unfortunately, Natalija didn’t take definitive photographs of each them, and so the images in this article were all created from the group photo using Photoshop. Even…
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Kingfisher Mosaic: Improvising over a Pattern
I made a video that shows how to translate an image into mosaic by improvising loosely over a pattern. The pattern I used for this demonstration was the pattern I created quickly using Photoshop for a friend.
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How To Clean Up After Mixing Grout Or Mortar
I made a video showing how to clean up the spreading tools and bucket after mixing up grout or thinset mortar. My method only requires a cup or two of water from a spray bottle and some downcycled plastic grocery bags.
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Secret Tip for Improving Your Mosaics
Mosaic tile is laid one tile at a time, and the process can be distracting artistically. The mind becomes focused on fitting small pieces together instead of seeing the image as a whole. Fortunately there are ways around this problem.
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Make Quick Mosaic Patterns from Any Photo
Recently a friend of mine asked for a mosaic pattern for a kingfisher and the materials to make it. He made this request at the eleventh hour when he discovered that it would be raining the entire weekend of his family’s beach trip. I literally had to get the pattern and the tile shipped the…
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Grout Line as Design and Figurative Element
Natalija Moss’s latest Honda Insight mosaic is a great example of stained-glass mosaic where the grout line is used as a figurative element and as an element visual framing. Natalija is a self-taught artist and mosaicist just like me, and she also rebuilds Honda Insights by restoring interiors and rebuilding the battery system with newer…
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How to Mount a Gapless Mosaic in Thinset Mortar
I just made a video that shows how to mount a mosaic without a grout gap in a bed of thinset mortar. The project task used for the video was mounting the QR Code Mosaic to an outdoor sign backer that made from mortar and hardware cloth. The Video Here’s the video: video: How To…
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How to Mix Grout or Thinset with Minimal Dust
I have made a video about how to mix up small amounts of powdered products like grout and thinset with minimal dust and mess. I worked briefly as an engineer in an advanced materials testing laboratory with exotic and toxic materials, and I have put some thought into the methods I show in the video.…
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QR-Code Mosaic Sign
I needed to make a QR-code sign for my yard to tell my neighbors about the native pollinator meadow seedlings I have for them this year. I’ve converted my lawn into a native pollinator meadow, with all sorts of amazing results in terms of butterflies and hummingbirds and native ecology, and I am trying to…
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Monumental Mosaic Sculpture
Artist Valerie Theberge recently installed an outdoor mosaic sculpture in Washington, DC, and like much of her work, the sculpture is monumental in scale. I recommend taking a look at Valerie’s website or Instagram, especially if you are planning a large mosaic mural or sculpture.
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Mosaic Mural Made By the Blind
Shane Jung is the Physical Plant Manager at the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SDSBVI), and he recently worked on a fascinating project: a mosaic mural made by blind people. The artist who made this mosaic are the students, teachers, and maintenance staff at SDSBVI.