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Entranceway Mosaic: How to Use Grids, Mesh, Tape, and Thinset
Natalija recently created an entranceway mosaic as one of the final projects in the renovation of her new home. She did a great job photo documenting the process step by step, including some serious mistakes/missteps, and that is why I am eager to share it. Also, the mosaic itself looks good and was well executed.
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Mosaic Icon: Moses on Sinai
Here is the first of a series of small mosaic icons I am making on thin concrete outdoor mosaic backers that resemble rough-edged flagstones but are significantly more crack-resistant. I am not sure if this will be the only Biblical subject in the series. The mosaic is ungrouted at this point, but I plan to…
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Mosaic Surfboards
Hermosa Beach artist Katy Jenssen makes mosaic surfboards, and for her, it is a logical choice of sculpture base. Katy’s family history and ethos are grounded in the local community, a premier beach town and surf destination, part of an area where a lot of Americana was born. Katy’s compositions fit the shape of the…
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Mosaic Art Opening
Artist Dorothy Stucki is having an opening reception for a show of her recent work, which includes some mosaics. The show is called “Angelic Presence,” and the opening is Sunday April 16th, 2023, from 4 to 7pm. Dorothy is a Mosaic Art Supply alum and a talented artist. She works in a variety of visual…
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Mixed-Media Mosaic with Ceramic Relief Sculpture
Artist Aly Winningham of Terra Firma Studios has some great mixed-media mosaic artwork. These wall-relief mosaics are a balanced mix of custom ceramic sculptural elements, found objects, and elements of conventional tesserae. I love mixed-media mosaic, and I love to make it myself, but the problem is that you have to spend time at yard…
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Tough Outdoor Mosaic Backer
The thinnest, toughest, most water-resistant backer I have been able to make is steel lath plastered with a “concrete” made from Versabond brand thinset mortar (or the equivalent Mapei product) and unsealed aquarium gravel. Regular pea gravel is too large for the lath, and so aquarium gravel is used instead. The aquarium gravel must be…
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Value Contrast in Abstract Mosaic Artwork
Natalija has made some abstract stained glass mosaics over the years, and I noticed something about one of them last week: It’s as a great example of value contrast and its power for creating a sense of depth and increasing visual interest. I’ve written previously about the importance of value contrast in figurative mosaic artwork…
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Mosaic Planter Grouted in Sections
Artist Donna Stern recently completed a round mosaic planter, which she grouted in sections. I wanted to share that work for several reasons, and not merely because it is solid work with an emphasis on primary colors with a good balance of warm and cool colors. There are several discussion points:
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Value Contrast and Variegation in Small Mosaic Artwork
I have written quite a bit about using color variegation to increase visual interest and the importance of value contrast in mosaic artwork. These two concepts are related, at least in a crude way: they both involve using multiple colors instead of one color, and they both make the artwork more interesting visually. Value Contrast…
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Student Mosaics & Black Grout
The mosaics in this article are mostly student work and use a wider grout gap than I recommend. The most-helpful tip about grout color is to use smaller grout gaps: The smaller the grout gap, the less impact grout has on the image and its colors. The process of grouting is also easier with a…
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Excellence in Mosaic Art
In my post, “Agonizing over Mosaic Icons,” I discussed artist Sue Hague’s mosaic reproductions of Greek Christian icons, and the troubles she was experiencing due to the grout gap. My advice to Sue was to eliminate the grout gap in her future work because these icons weren’t architectural surfaces exposed to the elements. The grout…
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Rendering Light with Verisimilitude in Mosaic
Artist Karen Kittmer’s mosaics are beautiful works of art. They are also worthy of study for several different reasons if you are serious about improving your own mosaics. The first reason I recommend Karen’s work for study is that she renders light and shadow with photographic verisimilitude. The second reason is that Karen isn’t limited…