More about Mosaic

The mosaic at the top of my blog was one of my early pieces.  I was inspired by a work of art I saw in a magazine and birch trees.  I love birch trees. They are quintessential Northeast environment to me.
When I see birches bend to left and right
Across the lines of straighter darker trees,
I like to think some boy's been swinging them.
Robert Frost, 'Birches'

To do this one I cut lots of little pieces of glass both with a glass cutter and my leponitt wheeled nippers.  I sealed a piece medium density fiberboard, painted it gold and began gluing pieces to it with my weldbond glue.  I also used some clear glass that I adhered metal leaf to for more sparkle.  I was thinking of fall and all the gorgeous color that comes in the northeast in autumn. Black grout gave it that stained glass look and I was quite happy with it until my son Brett made a comment about it that made me unsatisfied.  Your children will tell what they see quite bluntly.  But one day I found these little glass flat marbles in shades of amber.  So those were adhered to the picture with clear 'goop' and it was complete.  Now I am told by my family that I cannot sell it.  But if someone makes me a good offer...well, for me it's more about the process than the product.

Another mosaic we did was for a shower that was supposed to feel like a jungle. In this process I draw the design on brown builder's paper, cover the paper with plastic dropcloth, then mosaic fiberglass mesh.  The pieces are glued to the mesh.  When it is done and the glue is dry, we cut it in pieces and take them to the place of installation, so instead of working piece by piece on a wall, you are laying sheets of the mosaic to the wall.  Much faster and easier to install.

This shower turned out well.  Of course the client was my son and his wife and they even got their little frog tile in the mosaic.  Now they shower or bathe in a jungle.

Our home is a place where we reconnect with ourselves and our families.  Our environment should be something that enriches us and reminds us that life is short and we should live it.  Maybe you feel unable to do a large mosaic or even a small one, or you can't afford to hire someone like me to do it for you, but you can always throw some color on a wall and hang a giant print of a painting or a photo that makes you happy.  Life is far too short for beige walls and white ceilings,(unless those colors truly refresh you).  Take a risk, do something that will make you smile!