Found Object Mosaic with Mixed Media

The Substrate The substrate is the thing underneath to which you glue your pieces. For most of you, that was a board in beginning glass art. Bring in a 3-D curving object—a shovel, toilet tank, guitar, frypan, etc. You may use a flexible object such as a cowboy boot. Use Rigid Wrap to coat it, which is the same material that casts are made of. If your project doesn’t fit on your shelf, see me.

The Glass Pieces Instead of cutting glass into shaped pieces, such as flower petals or cupcakes, you will be cutting pieces of different colors into different shapes and laying them out in a variety of patterns when glued down. Notice how this design has squares and rectangles that are in lines, arcs, or brick patterns.

Both of these mosaics by Seattle artist Kate Jessup use several similar colors to give interest and texture to areas of color Notice how the shape and direction of the pieces also adds texture Believe it or not--the thumbtack---it’s actually a flat

The Other Pieces In addition to glass, you will need to include at least 3 suitable types of found objects—marbles, broken dishes, rocks, shells, scrabble letters, forks, etc. They need to be non-porous, waterproof, and rigid. Flat-backed pieces are easier to work with, though they may stick out from the surface. You may have seen Lisa Betz’s work at TideFest. She puts in all kinds of cool stuff!

Use Your Imagination! This mirror includes bike chains, bolts, keys, tools, cabinet knobs, and all sorts of garbage. And it looks cool.

Planning Your Project This is a little tricky, since you can’t really draw out your pattern on paper. Here are some hints: On paper, draw some different patterns you like. Draw areas of color on your object. You can fill them in with pattern later. If your substrate is dark, use a silver Sharpie to section off your colors. Instead of just one type of glass, try using several similar colors mixed in together. This makes great use of free glass. Whatever you decide, discuss your grand plan with me before beginning.

Cut Your Glass Pieces Be sure that you are cutting different shapes and using different patterns for different color areas. Make sure that in curved areas, you are cutting your pieces fairly small so they won’t stick off your substrate. Separate your different colors and shapes into ice cream bowls.

Gluing Your Pieces Down Cover your work area with butcher paper. Put the lid on the adhesive after filling your cup. Glue a small area at a time—only as much as you can fill in about 10 minutes. Glue sparingly—there should not be adhesive oozing up between the cracks. Return your unused adhesive to the bucket, hammer the lid back on, and wash and dry your scrapers at the end of each period.

Grout Your Project You will be grouting only on the days that the beginning class is scheduled to grout. You will grout and clean just like you did on your beginning project. Be sure to choose a grout that will contrast well with your glass to really make your patterns and objects stand out. If any of your found objects will be difficult to clean (a porcelain rose, for example), you may want to mask them off with tape or contact paper.

Need More Inspiration? Search the following terms on Google Images: Mixed media mosaic Found object mosaic Mosaic sculpture Recycled object mosaic