Search results for: “outdoor”
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Santa Fe Rail Trail Mosaic
Artist Julie Deery is working on a mosaic mural for the wall of the Santa Fe Rail Trail. The location for the mosaic mural is 130 feet of cinderblock wall along the Rail Trail just north of Siringo Road in Santa Fe. The theme of the project is “Generations” with the goal of having community…
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Underestimating Grout Gaps
Artist Harry Belkowitz’s millefiori mosaic Dove of Peace is a mixed-media piece of artwork with a black painted background surrounding the central mosaic figure. The rainbow silhouette of dove with olive branch might be a little aspirational right now, but I figured we all could use a little hope and beauty. The Dove of Peace…
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Multiple Modes of Andamento
First-time mosaic artist John Schroeder’s Celestial Transom Mosaic is something of a tour-de-force in combining different styles of andamento into a seamless composition. Kids, Don’t Try This at Home Combining different styles of andamento in a mosaic is something I would never recommend to a first-timer. It’s easier to figure out one way of working…
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Mosaic Stepping Stone Path
This is an ode to the mosaic stepping stone. There is much to praise: Each stone can be its own design or part of a theme, or even part of a larger mosaic image made by placing similar stepping stones side by side. Stepping stones allow you to build a larger design incrementally, from paths…
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Drainage Concerns for Garden Mosaics
Artist Sandra Christie of Married Metals emailed me some questions about an outdoor mosaic she wanted to make for her garden area in Connecticut. The mosaic will be on a 50-square-foot slab of concrete that will be poured to make a short walkway into a fenced garden area. Sandra’s initial questions didn’t emphasize drainage in…
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Marble Mosaic Restoration
Angela Bortone and Natalija Moss recently restored a marble mosaic interpretation of a detail from Botticelli’s Venus, the well-known Renaissance painting. They used the Hercules Precision Stone Chopping Machine to cut the Mable Mosaic Cutting Strips they used for the work. Note that many colors of our Mable Mosaic Cutting Strips are currently out of…
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Mosaic Peacock: A Cautionary Tale
My recent blog article about small mosaics has a section at the end that explains how to take catalog-ready photos of mosaic art. My article about mosaic frames includes some discussion about the best light for photographing artwork and the need to avoid foreshortening. I know why the issue is coming up more and more…
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Video of Mosaic Rose Design Process
Natalija has filmed a video of her laying out a rose mosaic inset for her new home, and it’s a good demonstration of cutting and fitting tile and other basic techniques. More importantly, it shows the process of design evolution by trial and error, something that is lacking in most craft videos.
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Secret to an Exceptional First Mosaic
I’ve already written about Brad Srebnik’s first mosaic and how impressive it is. It’s also amazing how well Brad documented the process as he was learning it. Brad emailed me a summary of his methods and the lessons he learn from the project. He has some good photos of some important steps, including making a…
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Agonizing Over Mosaic Icons
Artist Sue Hague’s mosaic icons are reproductions of medieval, byzantine, and early Christian icons, and some are mosaic interpretations of icons that were originally paintings. The mosaics Sue produced from these paintings were made with authentic andamento and look as if ancient mosaics were copied tile by tile. Sue describes herself as a beginner still…
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Epoxy Grout vs. Archival Quality Materials
Epoxy grout is preferred for pools because it is more resistant to pool chemicals and staining, but it shouldn’t be used on art object or plaques that might be around for decades or centuries as heirlooms. Epoxy is a resin of long carbon compounds. Long carbon molecules are prone to breaking overtime because they contain…
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Bas-Relief Plaques and Mosaic Stones
Artist Sandra Arkin’s bas-relief mosaic sign “Art Can’t Hurt You” makes me laugh. Anyone who has ever made a glass mosaic with tiny details has anointed their work multiple times with blood. Am I right, or am I right? Sandra says doesn’t draw or make representations of physical objects in her heart usually, but she…