Day 173

Monday Mosaic Blog

February 15, 2010

I have started a new project to have something to work on in between trying to come up with a design for my dad and stepmom's bathroom.

This project is something totally different than what I have done in the past. I've been wanting to try out an abstract with black cinca tile in the background. So far I'm not sure if I like it or not. I'm just experimenting with the process. I'm using up some Wediboard that I've had. I love how lightweight the Wedi board is but I don't like the surface being "bumpy" instead of flat like MDF board. I do have some samples from di MOSAICO of Paper Laminate and Fiberelam which I would like to try at some point.

I've been spending quite a bit of time trying to come up with a design for the bathroom. Here are some of my sketches along with the glass colors I'm thinking of. I'm leaning more towards an Asian theme, since my stepmom would like something more "Zen".

The 2nd picture I'm still playing around with different background colors that is why there are two different colors.

I'm going to email these pictures today to see if I'm on the right track for the look that they want.

Mosaic plan for this week

Tonight-Art Guild Meeting

Tuesday-Smalti class

Wednesday-work on "squares" project

Thursday-Organize Studio/ try to finish "squares"

Friday-No mosaics, it's an errand day

Saturday/Sunday-work on counter since I'll be on location

Quote of the week

"We are our own dark continent, we are our own savage frontier. Many marvels await discovery as we continue on the path to authenticity." -Alice Walker

Day 166

February 8th, 2010

I am excited to get my piece grouted and ready for the SAMA Salon. The title for this is "Nature's Sonata". I used black grout and like how it turned out.

This has a lot of my favorite things in it, music, water, sunflowers, birch trees and a moonlit night.

On Friday this week I had about 5 hours to work on the counter/bar project. I only have time to work on it once a week so it has been a slow process. I can't get over how long the crazy paving areas take to do. I'm pretty picky on making sure the pieces fit together well and to not get too many "grout rivers". I still need to hunt for the brown tile that I need for this.

My smalti class that I have been taking with Connie Cohen has been fun. The most challenging part has been making sure that I have a contrast of values. I am doing a bleeding heart plant from a photograph I took last summer. I do wish I had the bright pinks that I was looking for but hard to get with glass. I'm working more with the purples and reds.

Plan for the week

Tuesday - Smalti Class

Wednesday-Work on new project and shop for brown tile

Thursday-Work on counter/bar

Friday-Work on counter/bar

Saturday-day off or get ready for mosaic group

Sunday-12:00-5:00 Mosaic group coming over.

Monday-Work on new project.

Quote for the week

"Earth laughs in flowers"

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday Mosaic Blog-Day 159

February 1st, 2010

I can't beleive I am finshed adhering my piece I'm considering for SAMA.

I am going to call it "Nature's Sonata"

I was not sure of a lot of things going into this project.

Not sure how to:

-do the moon

-make the birch tree

-how to go around the leaves

-what to do with the bottom left area

-decide on colors

This was a challenging mosaic for me, I am glad I am at this point and am looking forward to grouting. I'll grout with black grout which I will do tomorrow afternoon then hopefully have time to get it submitted for the SAMA salon!

What I was looking for in this was to give a feeling that nature can be poetic and musical. I was thinking of Beethoven's Sonata in C (Moonlight Sonata). Also to put in the things I find beautiful, sunflowers, birch trees, a full moon , music and water.

My next project!

I will be coming up with a design for my dad and stepmom's bathroom that they just finished redoing. They want it 18" high x 30" long (max.) They want more of an abstract landscape. I have a picture of their bathroom where it will go and what tile colors they used. I'll probably incorporate some of the small tile squares into the piece.

Plan for the week

Tuesday-Smalti class. Grout "Nature's Sonata"

Wednesday-Clean and organize studio, maybe start design for next project.

Thursday-Work on counter/bar project

Friday-Work on counter/bar project

Saturday and Sunday-Start on next project, figuring out tile colors etc.

Quote of the week

"Achieve your own beauty, as the flowers do."

-D.H. Lawrence

Day 152

January 25th, 2010







Monday mosaic Blog















This has been a busy week for mosaics.


I was able to get about 5 hours working time on the counter/bar project. So far I have spent 11 hours on it with planning, laying, cutting and adhering.


I am a bit frustrated with a few of the tile colors-I can't find a glossy brown tile that I need. I wanted to have all the same brand tiles to make it easier so I do not have any height differences. This brand of tile does not have a glossy brown only a matt color.


I am going to look around to find one that is the same thickness.


I do like the layout still. Hopefully it's not too dramatic for the area it will be in.


I have been cutting the tiles on a self healing quilting matt. I love how I can measure out my sizes with the measuring graph printed right on the matt and how nice it is to cut on.

It was nice to start working on a new project-I am going to try and have it done for the deadline to bring to SAMA for the Saturday Salon. It is a 14 x 14" square on MDF board. I spent time today working on the border and the Sunflower in the corner. I am still not sure what I am going to do in a few areas-The colors are more of a gray palette of yellow, blues and greens.

Plan for the week
Tuesday-Smalti class
Wednesday-Work on new mosaic (finish birch tree area)
Thursday-work on counter/bar mosaic
Friday-work on Salon mosaic in the morning
Saturday/Sunday-Try to finish new piece.


Quote of the week
"Let us spend one day as deliberate as Nature, and not be thrown off of the track by every nutshell and mosquito's wing that falls on the rails." -H.D. Thoreau

Day 145

Monday Mosaic Blog

January 18, 2010

I did get a lot accomplished this week.

I finished grouting my "Musical Welcome" sign and I do like the black grout.

I hung it by the door going into my studio space and it seems to look very nice there.

I did start working on my installation piece for the counter/bar area. I'll post pictures next Monday as I forgot my camera. I spent about 7 hours this week on it. I got a feel how the colors will look and started adhering. I decided to use Weldbond instead of thinset. I just thought it would be less of a mess to deal with and it is indoors.

I also spent quite a bit of time cleaning and organizing my workspace-I've made quite a mess and have not cleaned up after the last two projects-It's amazing where the glass pieces can get and how far they travel!

Plan for this week

Tuesday- mosaic smalti class

Wednesday-Start planning next project. I may start one for the SAMA Salon-but I need to finish by Feb. 1st or my stepmom would like my to make a mosaic for their bathroom that they just finished.

Thursday and Friday-Work on installation piece.

Saturday-Work on new piece and get ready for my mosaic group that are coming Sunday

Sunday-12-5:00 Mosaic Group

Quote of the Week

"Work is love made visible" - Kahlil Gibran

Day 138

January 11, 2009

Well I have come to realize that I just can't get to blogging as much as I would like so from now on I will be blogging every Monday. I will call it the Monday Mosaic Blog. I had to find some way to continue with my year of blogging without going insane. This will keep it more manageable. I will also lay out my plans/goals for the week and then recap how I did the following Monday.

So... for my Monday Mosaic Blog....

I finished adhering my "Welcome" sign today. I like how it turned out so far. Now onto the grouting! I'm thinking of using black grout. It's my new favorite color to grout with since it makes the colors POP. I used stained glass, metal, ceramic and beads. I used Wedi Board as the substrate. I came up with this design on my own, I love flowers, swirls and movement and I think this piece covers all that.

I also am taking a Smalti class every Tuesday and I had some "homework" to finish up. Our instructor wanted us to get an image that we liked and make it into a 9 x 15 color and black and white. Then we had to transfer it to our MDF board. We also had to trace from the black and white and do a gray scale and number each space. It took about 3 hours total but I like my design, it may be a little challenging though. Tomorrow we get some of our smalti and start adhering. This is definitely going to expand my mosaic horizons into something I have not tried before.

Plan for the week

-Grout "Welcome" sign

-Clean up studio

-Start laying out my installation piece (counter/bar area)

-Start on my smalit class piece.

Instead of a quote a day it will obviously turn into quote a week.

Here are some words to ponder for the quote this week

HOW TO FEEL MISERABLE AS AN ARTIST

1. Constantly compare yourself to other artists.

2. Talk to your family about what you do and expect them to cheer you on.

3. Base the success of your entire career on one project.

4. Stick with what you know.

5. Undervalue your expertise.

6. Let money dictate what you do.

7. Bow to societal pressures.

8. Only do work that your family would love.

9. Do whatever the client/customer/Gallery owner/Patron/Investor asks.

10. Set unachievable/overwhelming goals. To be accomplished by tomorrow.

Day 132!

January 5th, 2010!

I am amazed how time flies during the holiday season and how distracted we can become during this time. One thing I realize is that I need to keep plugging along at my goal of blogging and not to give this up. It is definitely is one way to keep on a path and helps see where you have come. So...even though I have not blogged in awhile I need to continue.

The last few weeks I have had a few spare moments to work on my welcome sign. It's coming along. I like how the background is turning out. Still not sure of what I am going to do around the "welcome" words. It will just be a fun little sign when you walk into my studio.

My daughter decided to make a gift for a friend. She has never mosaiced before (not sure if she will again) but she made a nice mosaiced "L" with some butterflies, very cute. I think she enjoyed the cutting and figuring out colors, but when it came to adhering it, she thought it was a little time consuming.

Today I started a smalti class with a local mosaic artist, Connie Cohen. We did an exercise on value and practiced using the tools to cut smalti (hammer and hardie, offset nippers) This will be an 8 week course and I'm very excited to finally work with smalti!

Quote of the day

"Be still and know your soul. Seek it, and when you meet it , seize it for yourself because it's worth more than gold." -Buddha