The Pace of Art
Taking time to reflect on what you are doing can be the difference between producing a mediocre work of art and a great work of art. All too often, we miss opportunities to make something really wonderful because we are too concerned with just getting the job done. When we work on our art at the same pace that we run errands and do other tasks in the modern world, we end up making artwork that is more product than art.
It Takes Time To Really See
Like many artists, I have trouble seeing a work of art as a whole while I am actively working on it because I am too focused on the details of specific areas or specific aspects of the work. Ironically, these details usually don’t turn out to be nearly as important as something I’m not even paying attention to at the time. That is why painters let “finished” paintings hang out in their studios for a few weeks before applying the final varnish. After you are supposedly done is when you usually see what needs to be done.
Display Your Mosaic Before Grouting
I always display a mosaic in my studio for at least several weeks before grouting it. Before things are literally set in concrete, I want to look at the mosaic with fresh eyes and really see it for the first time. Most often I notice little things, things that might be good to do on the next mosaic or things that aren’t significant enough to justify the work required to change them. But other times I notice fatal flaws, things that make all the difference in the world and have to be changed. What do I do then?
I have written a post about how to remove and replace glass mosaic tile to change mosaic designs before grouting.
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