R Cubed

As in reduce, reuse and recycle.

My studio is in our garage due to space and safety issues (flying glass bits from nipping shapes) and shares space with normal garage items (also due to space issues), including our recycling bins. So that visual inspiration, combined with my innate thriftiness, combined with my brain still kicking around an exact plan for my egret (see previous post), brought my mosaic muse to create this little mosaic.

I took step by step photos:













All the tesserae for this mosaic are recycled.

• I used an aluminum can bottom for the flower center and folded strips of aluminum can for the flower stem (Any guesses on what was originally in that can?).

• The aluminum rectangle is a castoff from my husband's project and the '3' is made from leftover stainless steel picture wire.

• The white glass for the flower and blue/plum glass are leftover bits saved from other mosaics.

• The green glass was a wine bottle and the brown glass in the flower center was previously a beer bottle neck. I like the way the tight curve adds dimension.

• Neighbors added contributions also by donating mirror and the textured amber background glass after remodeling projects.

The first step in grouting is always a bit of a concern, but after a bit of sponging comes the big reveal.