Tuesday, March 15, 2016

March Mosaic Madness!

 I am enjoying a break in between classes and having some much needed studio time! My first project is a mosaic for our kitchen. I made my own butterfly and leaf tiles and much of the river and sky pieces on which I melted marbles and used crystal glazes for some of the effects. I also used flat rocks, river stones, commercial tile pieces, dragons tears, and more. This was my first experience with a real mosaic and not just hand made tiles that all fit together, so it was fun to break up the pieces and arrange them ( and also a little maddening). I used thin set mortar to adhere the tiles onto 1/4" cement backing board that was then fixed to the wall with more thin set and screws. I got grout from Mid Valley Tile in Corvallis. A very fun project for me and I even included some tiles made by my favorite young artists. **Special thanks to my dear friend Avie Meadows for inspiring me with her beautiful mosaic and letting me use some of her tile scraps!