Category: Inspiration

  • Pet Memorial Name Plaques

    Pet Memorial Name Plaques

    For people wanting to make a portrait of their furry friend, I wrote an article on pet memorial mosaics using April Costigan’s work as illustrations of what is possible in terms of capturing likeness. The problem is that for many people, the task of rendering a realistic portrait of their pet is beyond their current…

  • Strong Color Contrast in Heazlewood Mosaics

    Strong Color Contrast in Heazlewood Mosaics

    Artist Megan Heazlewood makes strong use of contrasting colors in her iconic mosaics, and I think her work is inspiring for that reason. Egyptian Musicians Egyptian Musicians Contemporary Mosaic by Artist Megan Heazlewood There are several contrasting color pairs in Megan’s mosaic of ancient Egyptian musicians: the teal and pink of the lotus flowers, the blue and…

  • Kitchen Backsplash Mosaics Using Original Designs

    Kitchen Backsplash Mosaics Using Original Designs

    If you search Google Images for “kitchen backsplash mosaics,” you can see some good work, but you will also see way too many photos of beige and gray tile work that really doesn’t help too much in the way of inspiration, especially if you are wanting to make an original figurative mosaic or use colors…

  • Re-Imagining Classic Geometric Mosaic Designs

    Re-Imagining Classic Geometric Mosaic Designs

    One of the things I always notice in cities like New York or San Francisco are the older buildings that still have entrance ways and bathrooms with mosaics made from whole porcelain tile. These mosaics are very simple in design, sometimes merely a border around plain tile, or maybe a simple repeating geometric pattern. If…

  • Using Ceramic Figurines In Mosaic Art

    Using Ceramic Figurines In Mosaic Art

    Why break up ceramic figurines to use the pieces in mosaic artwork when you can use the whole figurine? Artist Laurie Gilson emailed me some photos of her recent work, and they are great examples of how you can use ceramic figurines in your mosaics and still use standard elements such as tile arranged in rows.

  • Mosaic Lawn Sculptures

    Mosaic Lawn Sculptures

    Artist Marilyn Keating has some mosaic lawn sculptures of animals that are very much worth seeing, especially if you are considering making some yourself. Rather than trying to make her animals as naturalistic as possible, Marilyn wisely chose to make her animals stylized and whimsical, almost like three-dimensional cartoons come to life. I used the…

  • Pet Memorial Mosaics

    Pet Memorial Mosaics

    Recently April Costigan sent us some pictures of pet memorial mosaics made on stepping stones and some portraits of pets still living, and they are great examples of what you could make for your loved one. April’s mosaics also show a natural progression in skill, and so they are worth showing to a wider audience.

  • Everything I Told You About Mosaic Art Is Wrong

    Everything I Told You About Mosaic Art Is Wrong

    Artist Apryl Howard sent me some pictures of her recent Arizona Sunset Mosaic, and it is the exception to several “rules” I have recommended over the years. It is also a great silhouette landscape that captures the color of light and is worth seeing merely for inspiration and ideas for your own artwork.

  • Artist Studios at the MAS Warehouse

    Artist Studios at the MAS Warehouse

    The Mosaic Art Supply warehouse is filled with artist studios in appropriated spaces: the loading dock, the office, the reception area, and mixed-use tables in the middle of the warehouse itself. In my most recent blog post, I discussed how purchases from Mosaic Art Supply support the arts in a real and direct way. In…

  • Abstract Geometric Mosaic Table Tops

    Abstract Geometric Mosaic Table Tops

    Inspiring mosaic table tops with abstract geometric patterns were recently created by artist Risa Puno as part of her public art project Common Ground, an interactive sculpture designed to bring people closer together physically. The concept of Risa’s sculpture plays on the metaphor of multiculturalism as mosaic, but instead of the folk or children’s artwork…

  • California Mosaic Bench

    California Mosaic Bench

    Keira Miller recently made a mosaic bench in the shape of the state of California with a class of 4th, 5th, and 6th graders.  The mosaic bench is made from California redwood and is to be auctioned off as part of a fundraiser to benefit their Montessori school. Note that we do NOT recommend wood…

  • Must-See Mosaic Sculpture By Cherie Bosela

    Must-See Mosaic Sculpture By Cherie Bosela

    Artist Cherie Bosela has some mixed-media mosaic sculpture that you really should see, especially if you are considering making some of your own. Cherie’s body of work is incredible, and it includes bas relief mosaics (flat panel with raised elements) and figurative sculpture encrusted with glass beads and found objects such as seashells. I absolutely…