MosaicSmith Blog

Monday, December 2, 2013

Adventures in Mixed Media Mosaics

A few weeks ago I finished a mosaic in which I incorporated some new (to me) techniques. I oddly (again, for me) did not take work-in-progress pictures for this. Perhaps because I started it last spring and put it aside when it stopped 'talking to me'. Which was mid-layer of what turned out to be the first of four layers.

When it went silent, I propped it against the wall at the back of my work table. Where it remained silent, except for occasionally mocking me, *sigh. Until I moved it one day, then returned it to the wall- backwards.

Wow, new view, new vision!

The result:
"Misty Morning"





So..four layers. From the uppermost: Layer one is branches composed of glass drips from an glass blowing shop plus a few glass leaf beads, as well as copper enameled leaves and a copper enameled lizard that I created from sheet copper and powdered enamels + my torch.

Layer two is broken tempered glass glued to a sheet of clear picture glass and then grouted in warm pale grey.
Layer three is the back side of the picture glass and actually was the original mosaic I began last spring. It originally was to be the front of the piece. Inspiration struck when I viewed it from the back. It looked like a foggy morning!! Never did 'finish' this layer, at least as far as my original thought was concerned. This layer was left ungrouted and remains about where I left it in the spring because it worked perfectly for viewing the painted layer (#4).

Layer four is painted on a thin backer board and is mainly the sky and grassy area you can see in the photo.

A couple closeups:

I suppose the enameled bird could be called layer five since it is glued to the picture glass. When viewed from the front, the bird is under the tempered glass.