Artist Natalija Moss recently completed a mosaic of a bumblebee flying over a flower garden using a pattern drawn by artist Lucas Rocheleau on a scrap piece of wood back when he worked at the warehouse.
The mosaic is made from our American-made stained glass.
The most impressive part of the mosaic is the realistic bumblebee that Natalija improvised herself.
Bumblebee
The bumblebee is relatively small, and so its details are made from tiny slivers and crumbs of glass, pieces typically discarded as cutting waste.
Natalija worked closely from a photo of course, but there many details that must be simplified to translate an image into mosaic. Natalija captured the details that mattered, the defining curves and shapes.
For example. the bee’s legs aren’t rendered at sticks. Instead, Natalija captures the angles and shapes of the individual segments and renders believable legs.
Iridescent Mosaic Glass
Natalija used iridescent stained glass for the bee’s wings and eye, which worked very well
As a general rule, using iridescent glass in one specific element of a larger mosaic that is made from regular non-iridescent glass doesn’t work very well.
A lone iridescent element tends to look out of place. That is not the case here.
Partly this is because the lone element is small.
Partly this is because the iridescence is mild and not as intense as seen on some molded tile product lines.
In the photo below, note the glare and angle of lighting required for the iridescence to be distinctly visible.
Compare that to the more diffuse lighting regime of the previous photo, where the mild iridescence isn’t even visible.
Black Grout
Natalija used black grout to make her colors more intense. I was concerned that there might be problems with the bee’s legs getting lost in the grout lines, but the legs are distinct.
Flower Garden Mosaic
This is a mosaic of a flower garden, but it was made on a wooden backer because it is intended for indoor display.
If you want to make a mosaic for your lawn or garden, you need to use a suitable backer, such as a concrete stepping stone or piece of flagstone. Wood and plywood are to be avoided for outdoor and wet mosaics. Daily changes in humidity causes wood to swell and contract and destroy mosaics.
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