Torch-Fired Enamel Leaves for Mosaics

I've been playing with the copper, enamels and torch again!  

From my silhouette pieces I made recently I had a bag of odd shaped 'scraps' of 22 gauge copper. So I shaped quite a lot of them into leaves using metal shears. Each one has a little 'tab' that I used to hold the shape for torch firing. (Click the photo if you'd like to see it larger.)

I used Barbara Lewis's torch method of heat and dip in enamel, after first cleaning the cut shape well. The beauty of this method is that it also coats the edges of the shape with enamel meaning no fussy filing was necessary. But the difficulty of this method is that the tool you are holding the shape with inevitably also gets a dusting of enamel, which then, of course, will fuse to the tool making removal of the fired shape a problem. To try to solve that issue, I dipped the tweezer points in bead release solution. The kind often used for the mandrels when making lamp-worked beads.

Coating the tool with bead release worked out fairly well. It needed to be reapplied after a handful of leaves and did leave a bit of residue on the tab and back of some leaves. But I'm not concerned with the back, or the tab, since these are intended for placement on top of a mosaic and the tab will be buried in a grout line.

Next up- dreaming up a project to use these leaves in!

A new element in my mosaics - torch-fired enamel pieces

I have been playing with fire lately and learning torch-fired enameling. Very fun way to create elements for adding to my mosaics.

 I've had two main print sources for learning the basics on this process. Barbara Lewis has an excellent book
"Torch-fired Enamel Jewelry.. A Workshop in Painting with Fire"  (as well as a studio in St Petersburg, FL). With her book in hand, I set up my own little space to create.  Some of the first pieces I made were leaves that I incorporated into this bird mosaic. Click image to enlarge.

The second excellent book I bought was by Linda Darty "The Art of Enameling". She covers all techniques, both kiln fired and torch-fired, with great technical details and interesting projects with step by step directions.

Additionally I've found that there are classes locally in enameling. Great hands-on learning! I took a class at The Morean Arts Center in St Petersburg with Jan Wunsch and another at the Arts Center Manatee in Bradenton, FL with Sondra Hirssig.

Check out your local arts centers and see what they offer.

"Curious Rosey" has sold, but prints are available through my page on Fine Art America:
 http://fineartamerica.com/artists/19+linda+smith


I create original design silver jewelry too!! 
https://www.mosaicsmith.com/collections/all   or
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MosaicSmith

Mosaic Geranium Leaves

Before I forget, and in case anyone else wants to make a mosaic geranium plant :)), I'd better write out the how to on the geranium leaves, so here goes:

1. Start with a strip of tone on tone variegated green about 1 1/4 inched wide. Use the glass scorer to section this into triangles. *Be sure to place all the triangles back in order.

2. Pull out eight triangles from the top of the strip and arrange in a circle shape.

3. Use a real leaf, or a photo, as guidelines and mark (sharpie marker) additional sections and refine the outer leaf shape.

4. Use wheeled nippers to cut sections and nip the leaf shape. Again- be very careful to keep the leaf sections together in order.

5. Tape sections together from the front.

For this plant I made eight leaves using this method. Then arranged them and cut away, using wheeled nippers, the under laying portions of the leaves. After gluing with thin-set mortar the masking tape is removed.

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The geranium leaves were used in my "Curious Neighbor" Egret Bird mosaic. 

This mosaic is part of my personal collection. You can view it here: http://blog.mosaicsmith.com/2009/10/shading-grout.html 

Prints are available from my page at Fine Art America: http://fineartamerica.com/artists/19+linda+smith

Deck the Halls Musical Mosaic

I purchased a few little wind up music boxes quite a while ago and have finally figured out a plan for them. This is the first and the others will also be botanical little scenes that hopefully can be displayed year round and not just during the holidays (music is mostly holiday themed).

5" x 8" stained glass on concrete board.

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All mosaic art in my Etsy MosaicSmith shop:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MosaicSmith?search_query=mosaic+art

I also create original design silver jewelry:
http://MosaicSmith.com

Autumn Dance

Doing a bit of a happy dance for the completion of 'Autumn Dance'. Scroll down for WIP pictures of this mosaic- plus the story behind it.

One more WIP to finish ( http://mosaicsmith.blogspot.com/2008/05/egret-wip.html ) but I will be working on some small fun projects at the same time. I have a few mosaic light switch covers in the works and plans for some more mosaic clocks.

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"Autumn Dance" has sold.

View all available mosaics in my Etsy MosaicSmith shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MosaicSmith?search_query=mosaic+art 

I also create original design silver jewelry:

https://www.MosaicSmith.com

Autumn Dance WIP

Well, Autumn Dance is my working title. Kicking around others like "May I have this dance?"

Where we lived in New York, the property had a magnificent Maple tree on one side of the yard and a stately Oak on the other. So all spring and summer they stood over their corners of the yard looking out at each other. With autumn and the breeze they had a chance to meet and have fun together.

Of course this story brings to mind how people can behave. Such as sticking to their own neighborhoods and occasionally circumstances will bring them together and they get along and have fun.

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"Autumn Dance" has sold.

View all available mosaics in my Etsy MosaicSmith shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MosaicSmith?search_query=mosaic+art 

I also create original design silver jewelry:

http://MosaicSmith.com

Glass Mosaic Maple Leaf WIP

My Egret Mosaic is on the back burner for the moment waiting for my mosaic muse to be inspired again for that project.

Meanwhile, I have begun a project I've had kicking around in my head- working title is "Autumn Dance". A portion of this mosaic features a maple leaf and the following is a series of pictures showing the piecing of the glass in a portion of the leaf. Click on the small pics to view them larger.

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"Autumn Dance" has sold.

View all available mosaics in my Etsy MosaicSmith shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MosaicSmith?search_query=mosaic+art 

I also create original design silver jewelry:

http://MosaicSmith.com