Contemporary Mosaic Art - For mosaic artists interested in sharing information, photos, tips & techniques

For mosaic artists interested in sharing information, photos, tips & techniques

Copyright information - for artists work on this site.

All photographs, designs and art work appearing in this web site are the property of the artist and are protected under United States and International copyright laws. The images may not be reproduced, stored, or manipulated without the written permission of the artist.

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Respecting each member's privacy on this site is of the utmost importance. There is to be no spamming, soliciting for business (or any other purpose). If you have products (books, mosaics, cards, etc.) that you would like to sell to the members of this site please contact me first. Any abuse of this will result in the offending parties being removed from this site. Please report any offenders of this to Pam Givens immediately.

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double indirect 3 - assembly

Oh dear! not my favourite bit.

Got board the right size... scored it for added adhesion... primed it with PVA - probably not necessary as its varnished... mixed the cement...applied it to the board and the mosaic...lifted the mosaic which was good and rigid.... turned it over...lowered it towards the board and the confounded thing folded up on itself. Did you hear me scream all the way over there in Australia??

Well just a matter of waiting for it to set now and seeing the damage. I bet it wil… Continue

Posted by Jean Kinloch on July 5, 2009 at 3:04am — 1 Comment

Reminder about photos

I'm again noticing photos in the gallery that don't have any information on them. It's very helpful to tell the size, have a descriptive title, the material and any other interesting info about the piece (technique, substrate, etc)

Also it helps to have a photo of the piece that is square to the camera without distracting background, no date and time stamp, and nicely in focus. Think of it this way - if everyone that sees your work in this gallery was a potential buyer does the photo represent… Continue

Posted by Pam Givens on July 2, 2009 at 3:53am

Tesserae: The Art of Mosaics

Hello Everyone! Just wanted to let you know this wonderful exhibition is now on view at the 2nd City Council Art Gallery + Performance Space in Long Beach, California

Tesserae: The Art of Mosaics - June 27th to August 5th, 2009

Many CMA artists were selected for this captivating mixed-media mosaic show.
A BIG thanks to everyone who submitted work!
I have posted the Juror's Statement and a few more photos at www.sfmosaic.wordpre… Continue

Posted by Lillian Sizemore on June 30, 2009 at 1:30pm

Chat starting in 10 mins

Just to remind everyone that chat starts in 10 mins - 7pm East Coast time, 6pm Central, 5pm Mountain, 4pm Pacific and 9 am Tuesday in Sydney Australia.

Just click on the chat icon at the bottom right and come on in. Hope to see you there.

Posted by Marian Shapiro on June 29, 2009 at 1:52pm

double indirect (2) cleaning the back

two days of picking off mushy paper... and there is an odd toffee coloured deposit between the tess. is it the flour & water glue, or is it the pigment from the photocopy? lots of gaps... glad I took a pic before I started.

Posted by Jean Kinloch on June 29, 2009 at 12:28pm — 2 Comments

Critique Group Update

Ciao everyone! I am finally getting settled here at home after my long travel, and easing into a life that is mostly familiar, but changed in ways I have yet to experience or comprehend. I appreciate your patience as I have mostly been neglecting my duties as Critique Group Moderator. However, it is time to get back to business: Lynn Adamo's "Half Moon Bay Palm" and Ilona Brustad's "successfully integrating ceramic..." critique discussions will be closing in one week, on July 5th, so if you have… Continue

Posted by Jacqueline Iskander on June 27, 2009 at 5:30am

"Cutting Edges" Winners Announced

They're live and they're wonderful. See the winners from the 'Cutting Edges' exhibit in Lake Oswego at http://mosaicartnow.blogspot.com. This show is a milestone for mosaic art! Jurors Sophi Drouin and Sonia King. Curators Kath Jones and Lynn Adamo.

Posted by Nancie Mills Pipgras (NT) on June 26, 2009 at 4:00pm — 3 Comments

Double indirect - a double first

My first portrait is finished and stuck to the backing paper and now all I have to do is follow Maestro Menossi's detailed instructions on the double indirect method.

Mixed the flour and water last night, and cooked it this morning hope it is the right consistency.
I've cut a piece of heavy sketch paper to the right size which I hope will be strong enough for the purpose...

OK, read the instructions again in English and Italian.... don't want to miss any hints...

How thick to spread the paste… Continue

Posted by Jean Kinloch on June 26, 2009 at 5:30am — 3 Comments

To Udine and beyond! My 2009 adventures in Italy with the girls.

28/06/09 - Dates added to the bottom - 29/05/09 to 30/05/09

I recently had the good fortune of travelling to Italy. I have been to other places, but never Europe. Needless to say, when talk of this first started, I went into overdrive to make it happen. I nagged my husband non stop (don… Continue

Posted by Karin Wainwright on June 25, 2009 at 10:30pm — 10 Comments

Thoughts for the table project.

I am thinking about a round table about 36" it is going to be made of a wood base then cut out on the opening of the center about half way and then covered with lexan then the glass work will start on top of that. This way I will be able to let light pass through the center. The outside edge will be this excellent glass tile that I found at work and then I will start with the next rows with glass that I will probably put in my kiln first to give the glass a very smooth feel to them. I am getting… Continue

Posted by Robert Solgot on June 25, 2009 at 3:18pm

Glassified!

Posted by Leigh Adams on June 20, 2009 at 11:10am — 6 Comments

Welcome home, Pam and Jackie!

I know Pam and Jackie aren't back from their big Italian adventure yet but I'm missing them and suspect others are too. Let's let them know how much ;-) I'm looking forward to stories that include lots of mosaic, limoncello and gelato! Best, Sonia

Posted by Sonia King on June 20, 2009 at 8:37am — 32 Comments

Pics from the workshop in Tunisia

I've had many requests for pictures from the workshop in Tunisia. I'm not back home yet so haven't had a chance to put a page on my website. So rather than fill up our photo space here, I just learned that I can give you a link to the album on Facebook. You don't have to be signed up with Facebook to view it. (You may need to cut and paste the link.)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=122467&id=66342168274&l=fdf9bd3e18

We all had a great time and know we were lucky to go. There were… Continue

Posted by Sonia King on June 16, 2009 at 7:28am — 7 Comments

The Sidonea part 3, ode to the cabbage plates

No, its not done yet. I know this has been a ridiculously long project but now I have a deadline to meet because the photography is set up. So its time to get some hustle on hey! I was contemplating foliage options last time I wrote of this here... Like nearly every project I do, I dump out and pile up any and all possible tess that might work and ya know... I think I used a little of all of it! It was an absolute orgy of green. Besides the 2 jars of green scrap glass I have an amazing resource… Continue

Posted by Candace Clough on June 13, 2009 at 6:44pm — 4 Comments

Lynn Adamo Needs Your Help!

Ciao from Udine, Italy! Several weeks ago, Lynn Adamo submitted a work titled Half Moon Bay Palm to the Critique Group, and has only received one critique. Please consider visiting the critique group, evaluating the work, and offering a thoughtful critique. For help in getting your brain into the critique mode, feel free to review the guidelines, as they may be helpful. Ciao!

Posted by Jacqueline Iskander on June 9, 2009 at 7:21am

call out for submissions

Those of you that submitted to my upcoming book: MOSAIC RENAISSANCE, thank you. We received over 200 submissions! The book is currently in the final phases of layout and design, and the Gallery is now being assembled. The photos being chosen for the Gallery are selected by the Editor and design staff, so it is out of my hands. I have seen a draft with some of the photos, but did not want to get anyone excited or disappointed, because they are still 'experimenting' with the layout. As soon as I k… Continue

Posted by Laurel skye on June 5, 2009 at 8:00am

Crashed and broken!

There I was in my studio space taking photos of my few pieces to go online. I positioned my "follow the rythm" piece a little straighter in the window to get a better shot. I turned around and became busy with something else when all of a sudden I heard a crash! I could not believe that I forgot to put the piece back, and it was lying on the floor in many different pieces! I was pretty stunned and a little emotional. I know that it's "only a material item" BUT it is something I put my thoughts,… Continue

Posted by suzanne demeules on June 4, 2009 at 5:30pm — 13 Comments

Many thanks

Many thanks for all the kind comments about my Artist Spotlight, courtesy of Pam. As artists, we often work in isolation so it is especially gratifying to know that my thoughts resonated with many of you. I'm off tomorrow to teach an intensive mosaic workshop in Tunisia, the home to so many wonderful Roman mosaics. I'll think of you all while pressing tesserae into adhesive, as so many have done over the ages. Kind regards to all, Sonia

Posted by Sonia King on June 3, 2009 at 8:23pm

Making Little Glass Sketches

Today I posted on my other blog about creating small 5x5 inch glass mosaics as sketches and working color experiments. I am new to mosaics and so I often have a hard time imagining how things are going to play out until I am done. I am back in class and not quite ready to tackle a large piece so in order to "warm up" so to speak I created 2 cepholopod designs and then duplicated them with different color plans for each.

… Continue

Posted by Rebecca Collins on June 1, 2009 at 11:56am

Generosity and Boundaries

Reading an old forum post by Christine about a pending commission from her Father-n-law (http://tinyurl.com/myy5ym) brought up an issue that I think all artists face at some point in their career and that is setting boundaries with our loved ones. How many times have you given your artwork as a gift to one relative only to have every other member of your family "support" you by letting you know how much they would love to be gifted with your art? In Christ… Continue

Posted by Rebecca Collins on May 29, 2009 at 12:30pm — 7 Comments

Photos

Chatting

Join in on chat with Marian Shapiro and other members of CMA - Every Monday at 7pm Eastern, 6pm Central, 5pm Mountain. 4pm Pacific. Those of you living in places out side the U.S. this is a good link to help you figure out what time chat will be. Looking forward to seeing you and chatting with you on Mondays.
World Clock Converter

NEW IN TUTORIALS/FEATURES AND ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

NEW IN TUTORIALS/FEATURES:
SMALTI INTENSIVE WORKSHOP WITH LYNN MOOR written by JACQUELINE ISKANDER

NEW IN ARTIST SPOTLIGHT ~ INTERVIEW WITH KATH JONES

Groups

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Mosaics You Found Whil...

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Members Locations

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Inspiration Group!

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Book Reviews

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Exhibition Reviews

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I'm Traveling!

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Events

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Art Class

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Mosaic Courses

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Forum

How do you turn your brain off ? 43 Replies

I was talking with another member the other day about the fact that when I‘m working on a project, I can’t seem to get my brain to shut down. I go to bed and go over and over ideas, or a problem I’...

Started by Pam Givens in Topics that are of interest to all members..... Last reply by Jean Kinloch 5 hours ago.

Home - a film by Yann Arthus Bertrand 10 Replies

Here is a link to a film whe had tonight in France, the film has been given at the same time on cinema, TV, Paris Champs de Mars Tour Eiffel, and displayed on youtube, it is free of copyright, a me...

Tagged: hope, warning, earth

Started by Françoise in Topics that are of interest to all members..... Last reply by DE SA MOREIRA ISABELLE Jul 1.

Paid or not paid, that is the question! 21 Replies

Recently there have been questions raised between some of us here about whether or not our images should be paid for if published in a book. I thought the discussion we all had was thoroughly inter...

Tagged: payment, use, image, Publications

Started by Kim Grant in Art Talk--. Last reply by martin brown Jun 30.

copying other artists 43 Replies

It has just been brought to my attention that direct copies of my work are being shown at a large mosaic exhibition in Turkey. I have been browsing through the photos and there are 3 that look as i...

Started by julee latimer in Topics that are of interest to all members..... Last reply by Louella Turvey Jun 26.

Feelings about our mosaic creations... 5 Replies

I wanted to say a thank you to the several people who sent me encouraging comments about the 'Moontree' piece that I made as a commission and was feeling quite insecure about. Two nights ago, the p...

Tagged: Critique

Started by Concetta Perot in Topics that are of interest to all members..... Last reply by Jennifer Jun 25.

Seeking suggestions for a half-day intro workshop 2 Replies

Hi - I have offered to create and lead an intro, half-day mosaics workshop for an artist group I belong to on a pro-bono basis. Has anyone taught mosaics to other artists in a compressed time frame...

Started by Ilona Fried in Topics that are of interest to all members..... Last reply by Ilona Fried Jun 23.

Went to an artists' copyright evening run by lawyers 6 Replies

This is probably of most interest to the Australians, as this is Australian law, but I suspect a lot of it is also the same in the US and Europe. i went to an evening last night at the Art Gallery...

Tagged: Australian, law, copyright

Started by Marian Shapiro in Art Talk--. Last reply by Marian Shapiro Jun 22.

Grandiloquence, gobbledygook and other logorrheic nonsense 11 Replies

So I get this CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS email in my in basket from a certain nation's capital city. They have a new structure going up and have an nice budget for some art work. Ideally an RFP (request ...

Tagged: drivel, nonsense, gibberish, gobbledygook, art-speak

Started by Gerry Lavery in Art Talk--. Last reply by Donna Gillstrap McGregor Jun 13.

Health and safety issues 11 Replies

Currently, on another forum, there has been a bit of recent discussion about safety issues: use of face masks, not only for mixing grout and thin-set (regardless of how small the amount); but, whil...

Started by Dotti Stone in Tips, techniques, ideas...... Last reply by Brigitte Bezemer Jun 11.

Tips on Photographing Mosaics 26 Replies

If you are your own photographer and happy with the quality of your photos, please share with us how you take your pics, and any tools or software that you find helpful.

Started by Jacqueline Iskander in Tips, techniques, ideas...... Last reply by DavidKhalil Jun 8.

Survey of the membership: 64 Replies

I know this is long but I feel it's important to do some Spring Cleaning if necessary and to see if we can get some creative juices flowing about this site. Please address each item so that it will...

Started by Pam Givens in Art Talk--. Last reply by Susie O Jun 7.

Creating a mosaic of a painting 20 Replies

Hi all, I know this topic has been discussed many times (though I can't seem to find anything about it here) so sorry if this is repeat stuff. I have just been commissioned to recreate a painting i...

Started by Christine Brallier in Art Talk--. Last reply by Jennifer Jun 7.

Studio Lighting - What works best? 9 Replies

I'm desperatley trying to get some better lighting in my studio! I currently have 4' flourescent bulb fixtures hanging in my studio. Not good. Does anybody know what type of lights/fixtures work be...

Tagged: Lighting, Studio

Started by Gila Rayberg in Topics that are of interest to all members..... Last reply by Karen Sasine May 31.

Heavens Above Exhibition 35 Replies

Hello, I am submitting two pieces to the above exhibition, (up into a clear blue sky & planet monochrome) which is in May, in the city of Exeter, UK. I know some of you are also entering this e...

Started by Natalie Warne in Untitled Category. Last reply by Natalie Warne May 23.

Stuck in customs! 22 Replies

Apparently my mosaics that were shipped to the UK are stuck in customs and have been levied with a 67 BP VAT charge. I marked the package as gift but could not insure the package without declaring ...

Started by Eve Lynch in Art Talk--. Last reply by Eve Lynch May 17.

Things to see and do in Ravenna 6 Replies

Hello all, I know that some of you must have chockfull of information on what to see and do in Ravenna. I know, I know, MOSAICS. However, I am looking for info from those of you who know the area, ...

Tagged: classes, glass, mosaics, ravenna

Started by Teresa in Art Talk--. Last reply by Sheri Lapin May 14.

Attitude or behaviour whilst working 22 Replies

I would be very interested to hear how you behave whilst working on your mosaics or if your attitude is significantly different to the "non-mosaicing you". I get so engrossed that I believe I actu...

Started by Susie O in Topics that are of interest to all members..... Last reply by Grace Blowers May 13.

Italian spirit slideshow 3 Replies

When I discovered the "Italian spirit" slideshow I told myself "I have to tell Pam it's a pure delight !" then "ho no I won't bother her..." So today you ask, giving me the opportunity to tell you ...

Started by Françoise in Topics that are of interest to all members..... Last reply by Pam Givens May 12.

What drove you to express your artistic character through mosaics 11 Replies

It has always interested me as to why individual artists chose mosaics as a medium of expression for their art. There are so many mediums, and artistic techniques, mosaics being to me one of the mo...

Started by Ruth J. Wunsh in Art Talk--. Last reply by Annemarie Ferreira May 11.

What Workshops are you attending in 2009 or dreaming about attending? 35 Replies

As I work on the Workshops page adding classes, reading the descriptions, sometimes clicking on to the link to make sure I'm accurate in the post, I start thinking about how many opportunities are ...

Started by Pam Givens in Art Talk--. Last reply by Jacqueline Iskander May 9.

INDEX OF ARTIST SPOTLIGHT AND FEATURES

Even though these are archived you can still leave comments for the artist and on the features.

INDEX OF ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Featured Artist - Carole Choucair Oueijan
Featured Artist - Jacqueline Iskander
Featured Artist ~ Brian Felix
Featured Artist ~ Martin Cheek
Featured Artist ~ Arlene Piarulli
Artist in the Spotlight ~ Deb Aldo
Artist in the Spotlight ~ Marian Shapiro
Stefan Wolters ~ in ~ the Artists Spotlight
Artist Spotlight ~ Irina Charny
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT ~ LILIAN BROCA
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT~ CHRISTINE BRALLIER
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT~LYNN ADAMO
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT LUZ MACK-DURINI
BARBARA BENSON KEITH
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT GARY DROSTLE
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT BROOKS TOWER
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT PAM GOODE

ARTICLES IN FEATURES
1. Art vs. Craft: A discussion with - Terry Givens
2. My Orsoni Master Course Experience - by Antoaneta Stoimenova
3. My Trip to Italy - Karen Sasine
4. Mosaic Art School~Ravenna, Italy~by Pam Givens
5. Writing a Book? Interview with ~ JoAnn Locktov
6. Working with Disabled Adults and Children ~ by Giuilo Menossi and daughter Cecilia, Translated by Cristina Colli
7. Mural Making Intensive ~ by Kim Grant
8. Piece by Piece ~ Dawn Mendelson
9. Indirect Method ~ by ~ Giulio Menossi ~ translated by Cristina Colli
10. Part Two ~ Double Indirect Method ~ by Giulio Menossi ~ translated by Cristina Colli
11. Master Class: Glass Fusions and Ceramic Elements with ~ Martin Cheek ~ by Iris Mueller
12. Paray-Le-Monial with Verdiano Marzi ~ by ~ Teresa Taylor
13. CREATING YOUR RESUME, ARTIST STATEMENT, AND CAREER ~ France Garrido
14. MAESTRO AMBROGIO ZAMPARO ~ WRITTEN BY MIREILLE SWINNEN
15. SICILY MOSAIC WORKSHOP ~ WRITTEN BY ANNETTE BRENNER
16. KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY ~ FRED ROSS TO OIL PAINTERS OF AMERICA ~ 2006
17. TINTORETTO
18. ANCIENT MOSAICS - REVIEW OF ROGER LING'S BOOK
19. 5 MYTHS ABOUT ART, AGE AND GENIUS
20. THE MOON: MYTH AND TRANSFORMATION
21. YOU KNOW YOU ARE A MOSAIC ARTIST IF....
22. MAKING THE SAINT ANDREW MOSAIC ~ BY KATE RATTRAY

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Latest Activity

linda archinal left a comment for Julie Castleberry Nunez27 minutes ago

Cynthia Monica commented on DE SA MOREIRA ISABELLE's photo 'shell 1'1 hour ago

Beautiful Iza! Just great materials....it is a grand piece!

Cynthia Monica left a comment for Katie Waller1 hour ago

Jean Kinloch left a comment for Françoise1 hour ago

cathy Young left a comment for Eve Lynch2 hours ago

Cathy Ambrose Smith left a comment for Susie O2 hours ago

Susie O left a comment for Cathy Ambrose Smith2 hours ago

Julie Castleberry Nunez left a comment for linda archinal2 hours ago

Françoise commented on Jean Kinloch's blog post 'double indirect 3 - assembly'2 hours ago

Ho Joan !.... for sure it worth it, no longer now to see the final portrait !

Cathy Ambrose Smith left a comment for Kathleen Dalrymple3 hours ago

Denyse Nowak commented on Lee Ann Petropoulos's photo 'Leavitt Pond at Dusk'3 hours ago

how did you cut the slate? i want to do a mosaic of the old man of the mountain and want to use granite or slate but i've never worked with it...how should i cut it and where do you buy it??

Eve Lynch commented on cathy Young's photo 'Mirror Miro On The Wall'4 hours ago

wonderfully textural....I love this!

Judy Wheeler commented on Barbara Benson Keith's photo 'Belle'4 hours ago

I, too, like the way you included the face, and the roses around the figure really soften it up. Is the paper heavy? It is amazing that the paper doesn't wrinkle when you glue it.

Judy Wheeler left a comment for Lilian Broca4 hours ago

Jean Kinloch replied to Pam Givens's discussion 'How do you turn your brain off ?'5 hours ago

Someone told me- lie on your back for 8 breaths, turn onto your side for 16 breaths and then turn onto your other side for 32 breaths. I find it works more often than not.

cathy Young left a comment for Stefan Wolters5 hours ago

Jean Kinloch added a blog post5 hours ago