More Mixed-Media Mosaics - Playing with Enamels

Catching up the blog with a few pieces not mentioned here already. (But if you follow me on Facebook, these may be old news. And, if you don't, why not?? :D )  Link to my Facebook page is right over there. ==>

I have been continuing to play with the enamels and torch. Really love this process!!

Most recently, I completed several mosaics in my "Interloper" series. These are all based on photos I took this summer on a visit to Tybee Island, Georgia.

"Interlopers", "Morning", "Lost"

Small ones measure 5" x 5" and middle one measures 5" x 17" overall (each section is 3" x 5") Each includes hand-cut copper torch-enameled elements.

The top one, called "Interlopers" has been donated to fundraiser for Arts Council of Hillsborough County. 

The middle compilation is called "Morning" and the bottom is called "Lost". These two are available on my Etsy site currently. (See 'Purchase' tab above.)   Edit: These have sold.

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

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I also completed a desk clock featuring a couple of my torch enameled pieces, including a whimsical...bird. Definitely a theme with me lately!

"The Early Bird Catches the Worm" - Desk Clock

Clock measures about 5" x 8" and, in addition to the funky bird, features a custom clock minute hand in the shape of a worm. A tiny flying bird and three millifiori flowers denote the 12,3,6&9 hours. I had fun with this piece! 
All my available clocks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MosaicSmith?search_query=clock 

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While I was playing with the torch to make the clock elements, I also created a few necklace pendants. Yup, these are available in my too! 
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MosaicSmith?search_query=pendant 

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Currently, I am working on several pieces, WIP pictures soon.  I will be part of a three women Mixed-Media Show at our regional library in November and December.  More on that later too.

Just Ducky - Adventures in Mixed Media Mosaics

"Just Ducky"

9" x 11.5" (23 x 29.3cm)

Mixed Media Mosaic on Concrete Board

Catching up on my blogging here. I completed "Just Ducky" this past spring but his roots were actually from spring of 2008 when I purchased a cool slice of agate from a vendor at the SAMA show in Miami.

The agate slice had me thinking of an animal eye and, eventually, a Mallard duck.

Now using a slice of rock to represent an eye was rather unconventional, so I decided to go unconventional with my mix of materials too. Lots of fun, and mess, ensued while I pulled out anything in Mallard colors from my stash. Stained glass, fused glass, polished stones, glass beads (some iridescent for a bit of that Mallard shine), vitreous tile bits, ... to name a few.

A fun bonus was using my new hammer & hardie to nip up the marble for the background.

Oh, and since this guy is built on top of concrete board, with pieces attached using Thin-set mortar (tinted black) and has stainless steel hanging hardware, he can even live outside and get wet like a duck :)

"Just Ducky" has sold.
See my available mosaic art: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MosaicSmith?search_query=mosaic+art

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

A Manga Style Mosaic - Fierce Despite the Tears.

'Fierce Despite the Tears'
10 1/4" x 12 1/2"
Click photo to enlarge

I recently completed this stained glass mosaic of an elf in collaboration with my 14 year old daughter. It is based on one of her original drawings done in the manga style.

<= Her drawing. (This is done in pen by the way.)

To convert for mosaicing, with the aide of tracing paper and a copy machine, we added lines while trying to keep the original spirit.

We also tweaked the background with the addition of falling sakura petals in pale pink.

Although the original was done in just purple pen, she had a definite vision for a full color version and all glass choices, as well as grout color choices, were hers.

We are both pleased with the resulting mosaic and I'll be keeping an eye on her drawings for possible collaborations in the future.

This mosaic is in my daughter's collection.

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

Hey, I guess I can do whimsy!

"Why Stars Twinkle"

Stained glass on hardibacker.
10.25" x 12.5"
(Click image to view larger)

A bit of background on this mosaic:

On this mosaic journey of mine I have occasionally flirted with whimsy but more often that style has been just one I admire in others. Quite honestly, I tend to over think the whimsy right out of my ideas.
Ciel Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina is a gallery owned by mosaic artist Pam Pardue Goode and she features mosaic artists frequently in her exhibits. She put out a call to artists this winter for a new exhibit, "Flights of Fancy", to be full of whimsical art.

Soooo, this call to artists was in the back of my mind tumbling around with other snippets of ideas. The main spark for the stars dancing is the children's song "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", specifically the line- 'how I wonder what you are'. Oh, I did wonder. Mostly wondered what children think of when they see those twinkling stars. Maybe they thought they were dancing up there and that made them twinkle.?

Fun idea, now to try to keep it whimsical.

Well, a zebra cannot change her stripes and I did do plenty of thinking on the details but I reminded myself, often, to keep it light and fun and 'twinkly'.

The dancers were pieced in iridescent glass- for the twinkle factor. Stars are enduring and classic so I chose ball room type clothing but these dancers are swinging to some hip hopping music. I felt the background needed to be very clearly space and chose to add depth with smaller pieces to the center and larger circular flowing pieces to the perimeter. Their dance floor becomes a 'star dust' cloud, as my daughter referred to it, and two more were placed to direct the flow of the piece. And a shooting star in iridescent black/gold glass also directs the flow down to the dancers. Millefiori are sprinkled in the space background, smaller toward the center, of course, to represent stars.

And so, I say that "I guess I can do whimsy.", because you can view this mosaic in person April 2 through May 21, 2010 at Ciel Gallery, 1519 Camden Road, Charlotte, NC. Thank you Pam!

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"Why Stars Twinkle" has sold but you can view my available mosaic art here: 

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

I create original design silver jewelry too!!

http://MosaicSmith.com

Creating the Straw Hat for Miss Dolphin

Miss Dolphin is based on a drawing by my then 10 year old daughter and she was my design assistant for the mosaic as well. She had major input, as well as veto power, on the choosing of the materials for this project. We were bringing HER drawing to life, afterall.

The straw hat proved to be a challenge to find a material she would be happy with.

When I broke the lid to a funky corn-on-the-cob themed pot in my kitchen I thought that would be ideal--no. Also rejected was stained glass. (There is a limit to how thin the pieces can be cut so as to mimic straw, plus she didn't like the shininess.) Hmmm. Vitreous glass tiles- not thrilled. Tiny thin long glass beads? Not sure, kind of shiny too.

An internet search was begun and I found TinyTileMosaics! A eureka moment, lol. This company has a variety of shapes and a rainbow of colors of 'mini, mirco and nano' sized ceramic tiles. The Ovals, 5x2x3mm, proved to be perfect to create the straw hat!


Click image to enlarge-
Micro tiles, 5x5x3mm, were perfect to add a touch of red to the hat. See them also in the red stripe along with a couple nano tiles.

Happy daughter, happy me!

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"Miss Dolphin" is in my own personal collection, but you can see available mosaics here:

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

I create original design silver jewelry too!!

http://MosaicSmith.com 

Miss Dolphin and a mosaic lesson learned

Going back in time a bit here to a project I completed, with the help of my then 10 yr old daughter's design, in October 2009. There are a few WIP pictures on flickr as well.

Miss Dolphin: Click image to view larger:

For this project we spent the summer collecting beads and whatnot's here and there in our travels, and online, particularly in red and white for the shirt.

I made the fortunate decision to grout the sections in different colors and to start with the white stripes. Usually I will tape off the sections before grouting but due to the crazy texture of the striped shirt I decided that I'd just go slow and tidy the edges using a toothpick after. Really glad on this choice because the slop of sanded grout on one particular type of red square bead scrubbed the color off those beads, yikes!! The project was salvaged with a short delay while I sought out replacements in a similar size and color.

Here are the offending beads after removal from the project:
I had to replace one purple bead as well in the beach ball during the grouting process. Not sure which store the problem beads were purchased from. Because of the quantity I have, I think it was a chain big-box store rather than a smaller bead store.

The Lesson- TEST your materials before use. Another mosaic blogger, TileMosaicGirl, had a similar experience with red glass gems and blogged about it here: photo slideshow and her experiment. She tested the materials both by scrubbing with grout and with sandpaper. She found that the sandpaper method was quite effective to test if the color would withstand grouting so in the future I plan to also test my materials this way.

Stained Glass Mosaic Tiki Hut Birdhouse

The summer challenge for the Etsy Mosaic Artists Team is to mosaic a birdhouse. My daughter (she's nine) was my design assistant for this. We have done two other birdhouses together- painted though.

We had a pre-made house and she made this sketch:

As designs do, this one evolved.

This is the result of our collaboration:

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This mosaic is in my personal collection.
View all available mosaic art on my Etsy MosaicSmith site:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/MosaicSmith?search_query=mosaic+art

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