Our How to Mosaic posts are indexed alphabetically by the first letter in the title, which isn’t too helpful, and so use the Search blank at the top of the right column to find relevant posts by keyword.
Sometimes I feel like a thoughtless child when I catch myself using expressions that show a lack of sensitivity for …
Our Stained Glass is proudly made in the U.S.A. by Youghiogheny Glass located in western Pennsylvania. In addition to making …
Inspiring mosaic table tops with abstract geometric patterns were recently created by artist Risa Puno as part of her public …
Artist Barbara Stutts recently emailed me some photos of her abstract mosaic stepping stones and mosaic-covered river stones, and they …
Artist Sue Hague’s mosaic icons are reproductions of medieval, byzantine, and early Christian icons, and some are mosaic interpretations of …
Putting a mosaic on a metal mailbox is problematic because either the metal is painted and you risk the mosaic …
Many people are drawn to the idea of making mosaics from marble and stone, mostly because that was the material …
I have survived the stress of managing the supply business during the pandemic/supply crisis so far only by allowing myself …
Art Therapist Ellis Eisner sent me some photos of her client’s mosaics and her own work, and I wanted to …
The Mosaic Art Supply warehouse is filled with artist studios in appropriated spaces: the loading dock, the office, the reception …
Artist Ivana Sorrells works at Mosaic Art Supply, and she made a couple of small mosaic plaques using our vitreous …
Samir İmamverdiyev is the son of the accomplished Azerbaijan mosaicist Musa İmamverdiyev, and he is currently in Iceland and looking …
Outdoor mosaics must be made on concrete or stone or masonry, but that doesn’t mean you have to pour a …
Artist Sandra Arkin’s bas-relief mosaic sign “Art Can’t Hurt You” makes me laugh. Anyone who has ever made a glass …
Mosaic is a great medium for beginners because it is accessible for people who don’t have much confidence in their …
The best grout gap for mosaic artwork depends on whether or not the mosaic will be outdoors or in a …
Stylized or Photorealistic? Mosaic is usually used to make stylized images, meaning images that are simplified in certain ways, and …
Black grouts bring out the intensity of tile colors while white grouts overwhelm them. Natalie Knox’s Day of the Dead …
We just added three different types of glazed porcelain tile for use as accents in mixed media mosaic art projects, …
My dear old friend Jay Brown had been requesting a mosaic of a blue crab for years, and this past …
I made a mosaic bouquet coaster using our Broken Millefiori and Morjo 12mm Recycled Glass Tile. I used clear contact …
Artist Jacqueline Spohnholtz is building a mosaic portfolio to solicit commissioned work, and she is doing it in an intelligent …
Keira Miller recently made a mosaic bench in the shape of the state of California with a class of 4th, …
The pattern for a mosaic is sometimes referred to as a cartoon because it is just an outline with no …
For better glass mosaic images, tiny incidental gaps are the way to go. Just forget about grouting and fit the …
Artist Stephanie Potter’s mosaic table top designs are mandalas that catch and hold the eye with contrast, symmetry, and visual …
We have an exciting new type of tile that fills a void in our product offering and not just because …
Artist Betty Ackerman recently used our fire-polished millefiori (the Mud-Turtle Mosaic brand) and stained glass to make a circular mosaic …
The following method is only recommended for dry indoor mosaics. Artist Megan Adams recently used it to save a mosaic …
Tracy Kaplan recently emailed us a picture of her FIRST mosaic, and it is nice solid work, impressive even, especially …
Recently artist Jill Miller emailed me wanting some advice about choosing colors for a mosaic table top she was making, …
Mosaic Art Supply tries to hire only professional artists from a working-class background, which means people who pursued their art …
Artist Frederic Lecut has agreed to teach a class in which student will create a naturalistic mosaic portrait of their …
Vitreous glass tile has a lot fewer surface pits than it did a few decades ago, but it still has …
If you like the cut-face look of smalti but don’t like the price, remember that you can cut recycled glass …
Many artists like to choose background colors after the central figures have been tiled. It is best to tile from …
Artist Marilyn Keating makes wonderful whimsical mosaic sculptures, and she recently completed a mixed-media mosaic mural as part of her …
A competitor is selling crafts-grade tiles that are clear glass with a thin coat of color that scratches off. They …
Artist Candy Hahn emailed me a picture of her recent mosaic and the photograph she used as a model. It …
In my recent blog article about black and white grout, I wrote the following tip for minimizing the width of …
My son and I took a short break from planting our native and heirloom vegetable garden and digging a second …
Recent blog articles have required that I use Adobe’s Photoshop software to correct the foreshortening and skewed angles in the …
Artists can create a sense of motion in their mosaics by using concentric curved rows of tile, especially in the …
Contrast is a good way to create visual interest in your mosaic, and when contrast comes in the form of …
Artist Marianne Limandri’s mosaics are good examples of how to create more interesting designs by thinking in terms of curves …
Designs are said to be elegant when they “don’t try to push things uphill” but instead go with the natural …
Fredrik Tigerstrom (“T29ART” on Instagram) has made some impressive mosaic portraits of rock icons David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Joe Strummer, …
I’ve explained about the importance of artwork being balanced and harmonious with itself. I’ve also written about how mixed-media mosaic …
Rolando Jose made a mosaic of his favorite cartoon character Doraemon using broken pieces of glazed ceramic tile obtained locally …
Artist Sandra Christie of Married Metals emailed me some questions about an outdoor mosaic she wanted to make for her …
Natalija recently created an entranceway mosaic as one of the final projects in the renovation of her new home. She …
Epoxy grout is preferred for pools because it is more resistant to pool chemicals and staining, but it shouldn’t be …
Artist Apryl Howard sent me some pictures of her recent Arizona Sunset Mosaic, and it is the exception to several …
In my post, “Agonizing over Mosaic Icons,” I discussed artist Sue Hague’s mosaic reproductions of Greek Christian icons, and the …
Figurative mosaic art (mosaic pictures) can be used as an element of interior design in the same way that paintings …
Artist Jen Vollmer recently completed a shower mosaic which features fish and flowing water executed in the same colors as …
I had previously written about Lisa Sunshine’s Eyes Mosaic in my blog article The Importance of Context in Figurative Mosaic …
Artist Catherine Augustus recently installed some mosaic medallion insets in the floor of St Clare of Assisi Catholic Church on …
“Amateur” artist Tobin recently completed his Four Elements garden mosaic, and it is amazing for several reasons, the least of …
Artist Brad Srebnik’s mosaic street number plaque is worth taking a look at for several reasons. It has a harmonious …
Artist Denise Cook’s mosaic portrait of Frida Kahlo is a great teaching example. It illustrates several important tips for making …
A few years ago, Karen J created a mosaic bench in her backyard using mining debris (large stones), cement, and …
Recently I wrote about The Stylistic Range of Mosaic Art and mentioned that I am still being surprised by the …
Many artists are plagued with self-doubt, including some of the great ones, but there are several ways to overcome these …
We now sell glass beads for use in mosaic artwork. We have several types including murano, lampwork, millefiori, etc., but …
Ceramic tile can be used for outdoor mosaic patio tables provided you live someplace warm year round, but otherwise glass …
Artist Laura Adams emailed me for advice on selecting a grout color for her glass-on-glass mosaic, and it is a …
Artist Melanie Squires recently completed a stained-glass mosaic table, and I wanted to show it off for several reasons, and …
My 13-year-old son made some mosaics on our 4-inch bamboo coasters with me. His designs are also figurative and iconic, …
I have examples throughout this blog illustrating why darker grouts work much better for mosaic artwork than light colored grouts …
Randy Evans emailed me a photo of his stone mosaic backsplash and asked for advice in choosing a grout color …
Artist Lorie Beercheck emailed me an in-progress photo of the mixed-media mosaic sign plaque she was making as a housewarming …
Artist Sherri Grasmuck created a mosaic facade of Guatemalan women on her house in Philadelphia that is the perfect case …
Ivana and Natalija have made some Halloween-themed mosaic coasters, and Natalija even put together a Halloween Mosaic Coaster Kit. The …
Artist Zane Pahl’s recently completed mosaic patio table is a solid example of using harmonious hues in an abstract design …
Mosaic artwork can include rough textural elements that would be impractical in architectural tiling such as a shower wall, which …
For dry indoor mosaics, areas can be built up to support thinner tile next to thicker tile by mixing sand …
Background colors for mosaics should be chosen based on how well they contrast with the colors used in figures. For …
Many people report having trouble cutting vitreous glass mosaic tile reliably because of the embossed patterns on the back sides, which …
Artist Phyllis Kempter emailed me some photos of the ornaments she made using our kits for 3-inch spherical mosaic Christmas ornaments …
Small mosaic plaques can be mounted on a wall with a the same type of hangers and wires used for …
If you work with stained glass over time you can end up with buckets full of scrap. When the pieces …
You can and should spend more time “drawing” with tile than drawing with a pencil when most of the details …
Not too long ago, I included a request in our email newsletter for customers to send us pictures of their …
Pricing art is difficult because it is subjective, and pricing mosaic artwork is even more problematic due to the extra labor …
I have often used a small screwdriver to pry up tiles when I wanted to change some detail in a …
This article explains how to use a charcoal pencil (or graphite pencil) to color the back side of a paper …
If we gave an award for best use of iridescent tile to create a sense of lighting in a scene, …
Religious icons make heavy use of gold leaf glass to represent halos and divine light but also to adorn the …
The Blue Crab mosaic I recently completed is a good example of how to create a grout gap by making …
Making a series of smaller works instead of one large work is the best way to improve your art. The …
The new Mud Turtle Mosaic brand of smalti was selected based on how well the material cuts, and it is …
It’s EXTREMELY important to allow yourself to do creative projects on impulse without overthinking it. The reason is simple: research …
You can increase visual interest in your mosaic by using variegated colors (multiple colors in patches or streaks) instead of …
Although it is easier to create a mosaic using a temporary surface which allows you to make edits before gluing …
I once had an employee-artist who became angry with me for encouraging people who didn’t think they could draw to …
David Armstrong has created some inspiring mosaic portraits, and he did it using whole tiles arranged in a grid instead …
Interpreting a work of art in a different medium is a matter of capturing the essence of the original without …
If you search Google Images for “kitchen backsplash mosaics,” you can see some good work, but you will also see …
Artists Angela Bortone and Natalija Moss have discovered a new way to do huge amounts of extreme physical labor in …
Artist Dianne Stearns and her students have created an impressive mixed-media mosaic mural on the exterior of their school in …
Most of my blog articles are about how to cut and mount mosaic tile and how to improve your mosaic …
To make detailed mosaic images using whole uncut tile, you need to use a tiny brand, such as the 8mm …
Artist Jill Gatwood uses the following method to make water-resistant foam-core mosaic backers for exterior mosaics, such as the Pet …
Artist Susan Watson created a stained glass and stone mosaic for her studio exterior wall and chose the background color and …
Glass Seed Beads in the 3.7mm size can be strung on short pieces of wire to make letters, numerals, and …
Natalija improvised this picture of a lighthouse using the Colored Mirror Tiles to show that they can be used to …
We haven’t been able to keep our Smalti stocked very well over the past year because it has quadrupled in …
Angela Bortone and Natalija Moss recently restored a marble mosaic interpretation of a detail from Botticelli’s Venus, the well-known Renaissance …
At the end of 2019 Mosaic Art Supply was e-mailed by a local homeowner about repairing a stone mosaic that …
Artist Jason Oakley made this great pixellated mosaic of Mario and some of the other characters in the Mario games …
In centuries past, crafts people worked in guilds, with a guild for each craft: shoemakers, gold smiths, etc. To join …
Choosing a grout color is more of a situation where you want to avoid making a mistake that causes the …
Artist Risa Puno recently completed her interactive mosaic sculpture Common Ground for Rufus King Park in Jamaica Queens, NYC, and …
Adam and his sister Teneisha of Toni Craft made a video of their micro-mosaic jewelry project using deep-bezel jewelry findings …
Silver-backed mirror must be glued down using a special mirror adhesive; otherwise the reflective silver will oxidize and turn black …
Artist Mollie Seymour’s mosaic plaque is a depiction of a small pueblo of cliff dwellings in a rugged canyon with …
Artist Aly Winningham of Terra Firma Studios has some great mixed-media mosaic artwork. These wall-relief mosaics are a balanced mix …
Janet Crawford has owned and operated Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada since 1984. The gallery’s current exhibit …
Artist Dorothy Stucki is having an opening reception for a show of her recent work, which includes some mosaics. The …
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Artist Frederic Lecut’s Opus Pixellatum Technique is a tool for rapidly creating original photorealistic mosaics and incorporating improvised elements. Artist …
Mosaic Artist Michael Kruzich has a body of work worth taking a look at, especially if you have any doubts about …
In my previous post, I wrote about Peggy Pugh’s excellent use of color variegation and the potential for this technique …
Peggy Pugh’s mosaic backsplash makes me wish the vent hood for the range didn’t have to be installed! The backsplash …
Artist Sondra Jonson recently completed a mosaic baptismal font for St. James Catholic Church using our gold glass mosaic and …
Artist Lyn Richards sent me some pictures of the mosaic bird bath she made this past summer, and it is …
Mosaics cannot be a “food safe” surface as defined by the Food and Drug Administration because grout is porous and …
Artist Morgan Halford recently emailed us some pictures of some mosaic Christmas-tree ornaments she made with the spherical bases we …
My Mosaic Door Project was something I had never done before: combining a work of art that was being made …
This is an update on my Mosaic Door project built from a “series of smalls”, which is the most effective …
Artist Morgan Halford’s mosaic flower pot planters are colorful geometric abstracts executed with a spooky level of precision. I like …
Mosaic furniture can be made from glass mosaic tile more easily and more affordably than it can be made from …
Artist Donna Stern recently completed a series of abstract mosaics that are exactly what I think of when someone emails …
As we know from high school science, the color of an object is only the light it is reflecting while …
Artist Caroline Bommer’s recent Sunset Mosaic is a great example of an exception to the rules of mosaic art that …
Artist MC Holt-Evans of Nashville recently made a mosaic sculpture very much in keeping with spirit of The Music City, …
The month of January is tax prep and inventory season for our glass mosaic tile business, and it’s been a …
Here is the first of a series of small mosaic icons I am making on thin concrete outdoor mosaic backers …
Brian Kyle’s mosaic interpretation of Picasso’s painting “Man With Ice Cream Cone” is a refreshing departure from the cute themes …
The following picture of 24kt Gold Leaf Mosaic Glass Tiles mixed with Faceted Glass Jewels is the best evidence I …
Artist Marilyn Keating has some mosaic lawn sculptures of animals that are very much worth seeing, especially if you are …
Recently artist Bernie Taylor emailed me some pictures of his mosaic lawn sculptures including some concrete bird baths and benches, …
Artist Kim Wilkowich emailed me a picture of the mosaic lazy susan she recently completed, and I think any artist …
You can make mosaic street numbers and signs using a grid, but mosaics made from irregular shapes of non-gridded tesserae …
Georgia Art Teacher Connie Wells has been working with her students on a memorial cross project: Highland Christian Academy in …
Artist Kim Kahrilas’ bunny mosaic mural uses pet portraits and children’s book illustrations for inspiration and demonstrates how you can …
Artists Patricia Cream and Leah Mitchell recently completed an outdoor mosaic mural mounted on foam-core tile backer board, and they …
The best way to mount an outdoor mosaic mural is to use thinset mortar and mount it directly to a …
Most details in a mosaic are improvised and are not specified in the pattern. If so, then what is the …
My recent blog article about small mosaics has a section at the end that explains how to take catalog-ready photos …
Angela made a mosaic picture frame using our irregular glazed ceramic tile and left the sides of the frame uncovered. She …
Mosaic Fireplace and Oven Surrounds: The Basics A couple of years ago, I wrote a page explaining how glass, ceramic, …
Artist Donna Stern recently completed a round mosaic planter, which she grouted in sections. I wanted to share that work …
Natalija made a video of her work with artist Angela Bortone in the restoration of a marble mosaic. The mosaic …
Historically, mosaic icons were made with traditional materials like smalti, marble, and gold leaf glass. Those traditional mosaic materials might …
This is an ode to the mosaic stepping stone. There is much to praise: Each stone can be its own …
Natalija decided to test some materials and methods by putting our street number on the loading dock of the warehouse …
Hermosa Beach artist Katy Jenssen makes mosaic surfboards, and for her, it is a logical choice of sculpture base. Katy’s …
Artist RJ Spurr recently completed two mosaic tables for his home, and I wanted to share them because the level …
Artist Lisa Sunshine’s stained-glass mosaics are tiny 4-inch iconic images intended for use in an illustrated alphabet series. I’m not …
The Four Seasons mosaic by Marc Chagall in Chicago was originally installed outdoors in the 1970s but has since had …
Artist Cindy Christensen emailed us some pictures of several mosaic projects that she collaborated on with her woodworking husband, and …
Paints can be blended to any shade or hue, but the mosaic medium requires that an artist render an image …
Artist Jill Gatwood has emailed me her procedure for using GE Silicone II to mount mosaic tile to steel mailboxes, …
Clear contact paper can be used to temporarily mount a design of mosaic tile, but it really isn’t sticky enough …
First-time mosaic artist John Schroeder’s Celestial Transom Mosaic is something of a tour-de-force in combining different styles of andamento into …
Artist Cherie Bosela has some mixed-media mosaic sculpture that you really should see, especially if you are considering making some …
Most artists are aware of how much personality a work of art can assume during the process of creation, especially …
I sometimes make found-object sculptures and surfaces with many different types of objects but without conventional tile or with conventional …
Natalija reminded me that she used her cordless drill with a mesh disc to remove the hardened mortar, and that …
Frederic Lecut’s “Opus Pixellatum” Mosaic Class was a lot of fun, and I think the mosaics were very successful, especially …
I have always transferred my glass tile from the plastic factory bags used for shipment and into glass jars or …
Linda Lawton emailed me some pics of her recent owl mosaics, and one of them had an issue that made …
Artist Frederic Lecut’s “Pan’s Head” mosaic has a style that matches its theme, and it is a great example of …
I have written in the past about “passion projects,” which is a term I use to describe first-time projects in …
Patios are excellent locations for mosaics, but the patio floor itself is not as good a surface for a mosaic as a …
I thought I would share this particular studio photo because it shows the evolution of an improvised mosaic design, in …
My recent blog post about Lonnie Parson’s Peacock mosaic was a cautionary tale about what can happen when you fail …
Recently April Costigan sent us some pictures of pet memorial mosaics made on stepping stones and some portraits of pets …
For people wanting to make a portrait of their furry friend, I wrote an article on pet memorial mosaics using …
Yosemite Mosaic Landscape Limitations of the Grid and Tile as Pixels Jim Price’s Yosemite Mosaic is an excellent example of …
Ana Bonnin emailed us some pictures of her recent entranceway mosaic, and I wanted to share these with our readers. Ana’s …
Artist Steven “Stevo” Sadvary has a broad mosaic portfolio of pet portraits, cityscapes, signage, educational murals and other public art, …
One of the things I always notice in cities like New York or San Francisco are the older buildings that …
We now sell 24kt gold mosaic glass, and it really is gold and not the brass alloy imitation products that …
This method for altering a mosaic can be used before grouting, or grout can first be removed by scraping it …
Artist Karen Kittmer’s mosaics are beautiful works of art. They are also worthy of study for several different reasons if …
Repeating simple designs or motifs is an effective way to make iconic compositions that catch the eye, and you can …
Artist Janet Flom used some of our vitreous tile in some pubic space mosaics in 2016-17 that are photorealistic and …
Artist Julie Deery is working on a mosaic mural for the wall of the Santa Fe Rail Trail. The location …
I’ve already written about Brad Srebnik’s first mosaic and how impressive it is. It’s also amazing how well Brad documented …
Mosaic as a medium has several intrinsic strengths and weaknesses. The main weakness it has as a selling point is …
We have resumed operations and are now shipping packages normally. Please be decent to people in these hard times. APOLOGY …
Grout does not shrink, but it is prone to forming voids and bubbles if it is not rubbed thoroughly into …
Finding the “Right” Color There is tremendous power in getting the colors right. No matter how loosely executed, an impressionistic …
I have been making some small mosaics on our bamboo mosaic coaster backers, and I wanted to share a photo …
A stylized logo or pattern is different from a picture of an object. In a picture, the goal is to …
In my article Stained Glass Mosaic Art, I explained how stained glass can be cut up into small pieces and …
Artist and MAS employee Natalija Moss has recently completed a series of mosaics made from stained glass, and they are …
Mosaicists sometimes mix in artist acrylic paint to create custom colors from white grout, but you can also use acrylic …
Artist Terry Broderick’s latest mosaic is titled “Red Light District / Amsterdam,” and it is an interesting follow up to …
Artist Megan Heazlewood makes strong use of contrasting colors in her iconic mosaics, and I think her work is inspiring for …
The mosaics in this article are mostly student work and use a wider grout gap than I recommend. The most-helpful …
I wanted to share more photos of Jill Gatwood’s Mosaic Butterfly commission because it is a good example of subtle …
New Mexico artist Debbi Murzyn emailed me some pictures of her mosaic mandalas that she made using Native American symbols …
For those of readers who were asking for inspiring examples of no-grout mosaics, I give you the mosaics of Canadian …
Artist Jennifer Kuhn has an impressive body of work that demonstrates the stylistic range of figurative mosaic artwork. Normally when …
Artist Lisa Sunshine emailed us asking about improving one of her recent mosaics, and Natalija and I both agreed that …
Contrast is critical for creating images that catch the eye and text that is readable. A mosaic sign recently completed …
I have written many times about black grout and why I recommend it for making tile colors look more intense, …
At Mosaic Art Supply, we have always tried to promote contemporary mosaic as a fine art and help people of …
Artist Bonnie Eisner emailed me a photo of her Hansa (Hand of Fatima) mosaic in progress because we were out …
The thinnest, toughest, most water-resistant backer I have been able to make is steel lath plastered with a “concrete” made …
A stainless-steel ruler and a spray-bottle filled with water are all you need to avoid the most common injury and …
Artist Harry Belkowitz’s millefiori mosaic Dove of Peace is a mixed-media piece of artwork with a black painted background surrounding …
I recently saw some stained-glass mosaics by artist Debra D’Souza, and they reaffirmed my belief in the mosaic business and …
Why break up ceramic figurines to use the pieces in mosaic artwork when you can use the whole figurine? Artist Laurie …
I recommend that schools wanting to make a mosaic mural for their school consider “crazy quilt” displays that are assembled …
Choice of Pattern This method for transferring a mosaic design with contact paper works whether you are improvising on a quickly sketched …
Concrete stepping stones should be used as the bases for outdoor mosaics that will be walked on, and the stepping …
Found objects can be used as mosaic tesserae based on their color and texture and shape, as another form of …
The new SPARDUSTER™ Small Parts Dust Remover looks like a simple vacuum attachment, but it is actually nothing less than …
I have written quite a bit about using color variegation to increase visual interest and the importance of value contrast …
Natalija has made some abstract stained glass mosaics over the years, and I noticed something about one of them last …
There’s a reason art instructors recommend working in monochrome or black and white before working in color. The reason is …
Recently Doug Harris of Elementile sent me some photos of a mosaic rendering of Vincent Van Gogh’s 1889 self-portrait, and …
I forgot to write about some of the teaching points from Peggy Pugh’s mosaic backsplash. Variegated and mottled colors create …
Natalija has filmed a video of her laying out a rose mosaic inset for her new home, and it’s a …
Marine plywood cannot be used as a mosaic backer for outdoor and wet mosaic. Yes, marine plywood can withstand the …
Weldbond is a PVA (poly vinyl acetate) adhesive that is the best all-around adhesive for dry indoor mosaic projects and …
One of the most well-executed mosaics I have ever seen in terms fine details wrought in slivers of glass came …
This article is about why we recommend “the opposite” of what the tile industry recommends for grouting glass mosaics and …
Artist Mark Eibes’ hummingbird mosaic is figurative art made from (mostly) whole tile, and it makes a great case study …
Artist Jill Gatwood sent me some photos of mosaics made by her and her students as examples where white grout …
Artist Masha Leder’s mixed pique-assiette architectural mosaics using white grout are so good I wanted to name this blog article …
Artist Brad Srebnik’s latest mosaic street number sign is a good example for a discussion about white tile in mosaic …
Recently, artist Jackye Mills emailed me about a problem she was having with her first mosaic project, and it really caused me …
Artist Tanya Boyd emailed me some photos of her mosaics, and all of them were in wooden frames of different …
Mr. Pinchapotamus is your new best friend. He holds small glass tile while you cut them with a Mosaic Glass …
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