Tips, techniques, and tools

Thank you to those of you who took my survey. Your suggestions will help me make the blog better. One of the suggestions I received was that you’d like me to include more in the way of tips and techniques. There are quite a number of posts that have some tips and whatnot, but I haven’t done much of that recently. I will go back in to the old posts and tag them with “tips” so you can more easily find what I do have on this blog. In the meantime – here’s a bit of info that you might find useful for drafting designs.
For those who might not be familiar with my process – I always have a general idea of what I want for background when I begin a piece, but I only draw out the foreground to begin with. I don’t draw the design for background on the substrate until I have finished the glass on the foreground, if at all.
The backstory: here is the photo I took of the still life composition I set up at my house (top photo) and two others that I printed as reference for what a chiaroscuro background should look like -

While the lighting in the top photo is much less dramatic than in the paintings below it, the light source is a single spotlight. The paintings have a similar, single source light, but it’s slightly off-center which enhances shadows – different angle, but close enough for government work, as my dad used to say.
The background will be done in my typical style with random colors, shapes and sizes of glass. I finished what I wanted to be recognizable as table/bottle/basket/etc. but as you can see, I already started to blend the table into the background. Next I will go to the center of the piece and begin the background at what will be the lightest point (which will really only be mid tones), and work my way outward.


I thought it would be a good idea to give myself some lines for reference – where to begin the shift from mid tones to darks to deepest tones. Because the light source is a round spot, I got out the compass and flexible ruler. I put the point of the compass about an inch below the top of the loaf of bread and drew a partial circle. This is for the separation from mid-tone to darker. Then I shaped the flexible ruler into a flattened arc and drew another line to mark where to shift to darkest tones. If you have never seen a flexible ruler before, let me tell you now that this is the BEST TOOL YOU NEVER HEARD OF.

You can bend these things every which way and they will hold their shape until you move them again. I laid the ruler out and just fidgeted with the arc until I liked the shape, then traced a line around the outside edge.
I decided the compass gave me too tight an arc, so I ended up erasing it and drawing a flatter arc with the flexible ruler, but I forgot to photograph the results, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.
I think I’ll turn the work upside down to work on the background. If you’ve read Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards you know that you can force your brain to begin telling you what you really see, rather than what you think you should see. I HIGHLY recommend this book.

Technorati Tags: still life with lemons,tips,tools,Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain,Betty Edwards

My new grouting technique

I’m not saying I invented this, because after all there is nothing new under the sun. Someone, somewhere, will read this and say “Oh come on, man! That’s MY move!”
But I did think it up all by my lonesome, and feel pretty damn pleased with myself for it.
For years I have been using multiple colors of grout on my pieces. I use it as a design element. But often the changes between colors were harsh. When it was too jarring, I would use acrylic washes to blend and soften the changes.
It works. But it’s another step, and sometimes the acrylic can leave a slightly grainy look behind. Bleh.
Having discovered Tints All, which is supremely mixable and whose colors are much more natural than the powdered pigments, I can get less harsh transitions. Not only that, I discovered that by working wet into wet, I can blend the grout colors beautifully!
OK, what?!?
Right. Think of it as similar to painting a fresco, where pigments are placed on top of wet plaster.
Here’s the photo of the blended grout colors (pale yellow, pale green and light gold) on the new piece (prior to final clean up):

Very subtle, right? But here are the colors in the mixing containers:

OK – I lied. The darker green on the right doesn’t show in the first picture. But the pale green at the top, the light gold at the bottom, and a pale yellow (not shown – I thought I had the picture staged right, but I blew it) are all visible in the upper picture. No harsh edges.
What I have done is make sure that the color I have just finished with is still workable in the container (not set up too much), then begin with the new shade. After I do the first wipe of the new shade, I then go back to the part I grouted with the old shade, and add a little of the new color over the top of the old one about three or four tiles up. The old shade is still wet. Then I dip a popsicle stick into the container with the first (old) color and add a touch of it to the wet blob of the new color. Then I scumble the wet grout to mix it on top of the tiles, press it in and scrape off the excess with my handy Grout Elf. By mixing a wet grout over a wet grout, the colors blend very nicely.
Tomorrow I’ll finish off the back and side of this mosaic, and early next week I’ll have a finished photo for you.
I’ve already started the next one. And no, it’s not any of the ones I’ve talked about possibly starting. I’m flighty.
You’ll see why that’s in italics next week.

Technorati Tags: grout,fresco,technique

Oh Boy!!!

It’s so exciting when something I attempt works out as well or better than I had hoped!  I’m diggin’ the flower centers. 

I used this technique once before on Farmer’s Market, so I guess it’s not as big a surprise as all that, but I like the way it looks even better on this piece than on the last.  I cut black glass rods approximately 3/8” to 1/2” long and embedded them upright in black tinted thinset.

And here’s a detail shot of the flower centers:

Technorati Tags: Bellafiore,black eyed susans,glass rods

DIY art display tutorial–weekend project

Just in case you find yourself wanting to exhibit at an art fair and have nothing to hang your art on, can’t invest $1,000 (or more) in a fancy-schmancy professional system, and can devote a weekend to making it yourself, here’s a sturdy option that is really cheap and easy.  All the supplies for this cost less than $100.
I signed up for an art fair without having the faintest idea how I would show my art.  Since I had to hang some mosaics, I needed something sturdy but lightweight enough to transfer without a moving crew, but it had to be attractive.  It really bugs me to see lovely art hanging on an ugly wall – it distracts from the art in a big way.  I only used half the available display space – assuming you leave 1.5 feet at the bottom uncovered, you get over 82 square feet of display area with this if you use both sides.
I couldn’t afford the commercial options, as wonderful as some of them looked, so I spent a couple of days searching the internet for do-it-yourself ideas.  Most of them were either too ugly or seemed like it would be chancy to hang a heavy mosaic on them.  So I went to Lowe’s in a brain fog and started wandering the aisles.
I came across the interior door section and seeing the hollow core doors was my “ah ha!” moment.  They weren’t too heavy or expensive – I chose the 32” wide doors – and they would give a smooth, contemporary look.  By assembling them in a “Z” pattern and having the gaps that naturally occur at the hinges to allow the breeze to pass through, they stood up to a fairly stiff wind on the first day without even a wobble.  And because they are hinged, they fold flat for storage!
So here’s the process:


I brought home 3 doors and sanded them on the back porch.  I don’t have an electric sander of any sort, so this was more time consuming than it had to be.



Next I used Minwax wood finish – the stain and sealer all in one.  I chose the dark walnut finish because I think my art looks best with a dark background, but any finish would look nice.  I only used one coat.  I bought the doors in the morning, sanded and stained them in the afternoon and left them to dry overnight.


The next day I attached the hinges – standard door hinges you would use if you were going to hang the doors in your house. 




The hinges were attached to the skinny sides only, partly for aesthetics and partly because I didn’t want to chance missing the solid wood bracing inside the door.



I assembled them and stood them up to test the sturdiness.



Once I was satisfied that it would work, I hung the art on it so I could work out the arrangement ahead of time.  Since the doors are hollow, I used these kind of hooks – they will hold up to 50 lbs. according to the package, which was more than I needed.  I then removed the art and packed it, folded the doors flat (with the hooks still on them) and loaded everything into the car. 
After the show, I left the hooks on because I’m lazy, but it will be no problem to remove them before the next use to rearrange them.  A little touch of the tinted wood filler you can buy at the hardware store will cover any holes, which are tiny anyway, and the hooks can then be put wherever you need them for the next time.  The doors were folded flat and stored in the garage.
Here’s the breakdown on what I spent:

3 hollow core luan doors $23 ea.	$69.00
2 pkgs. door hinges $8.35 ea.	$16.70
1 qt. Minwax stain and sealer	$ 7.77
2” brush for stain	$ 2.98
Total (pre-tax)	$96.45

If I were going to use them for an outdoor fair where I had to set them up on grass, I would definitely add some stakes for stability.  My thought is a couple of short pieces of rebar pounded in at each end, which could then be attached to the skinny sides of the doors without being too noticeable.

Technorati Tags: do-it-yourself,DIY,DIY art display,art fair,art show,art hanging system

I’d be lost without my camera.

Happy, except for the shade of one single piece of glass that doesn’t work for me.  I’ll replace it tomorrow.
I find it amazing how much better I can see adjustments that need to be made in a photo than in person.  Seems like there’s just something wrong with that!

Technorati Tags: mosaic,poppy,smalti,red,floral

Fixing problems on the fly

Have you run into a problem with a mosaic where a section just wasn’t going quite the way you thought it ought to?  I have found that it’s possible to fix almost anything before you grout.  In fact, it can be done after grouting too, but it’s soooo much easier if you catch it before that point!  I ran into a bit of a problem with the background on the current project.  I thought it would be useful to show you how I identified it and then how I corrected it. 
First of all, it’s important to remember to step back from the mosaic frequently and look at it from a distance.  Sometimes it looks quite a bit different from a distance than it does up close, and this gives you a good sense of perspective on it.  You’ve seen painters step back from a canvas and sometimes squint at it?  It’s the same principle.  I have also found that taking a photo of it can identify problems that I don’t notice in person.
Here’s the pre-fix photo of the whole thing:

Just above the bee and to the right of it you’ll see a dark green section.  I want shadows in the foliage to indicate depth, but that was too dark for the part of the foliage near the sky.   You’ll notice that it is as dark as the shadow near the base.  Here’s a close up of that section before I fixed it:



I decided that rather than trying to remove the whole section and start over, I would just randomly take out several of the darkest pieces and replace them with light greens.  That would give the impression of lightening the whole section.




I used the dental pick to pry out several pieces, leaving a few darker ones to maintain the impression of shadow.  New light green pieces were cut and filled in, and here is the result:



The difference is subtle, but I think it might be enough.  When the rest of the glass is filled in I’ll go back and reevaluate – I might change out a few more, particularly the darker ones right next to the flower. 
It’s never too late to make a change – and when you put this many hours into a piece, you want to be sure to be happy with it when you’re done!  Don’t hesitate to make those changes!

Technorati Tags: mosaic,bumble bee,adjustments,glass

Liar, liar, pants on fire

I lied.  I still don’t have a picture of the finished damsel fly mosaic.
However, I have lots of pictures of the current project!   *yay*

I got all the pieces of the clear glass shaped just the way I wanted them and laid them out on the wedi board.  Then I cut a piece of clear contact paper for each wing.  Peeling the back off the contact paper, I then stuck it to the wing to lift the pieces off in the same position.

After removing the wings, I then filled in the body of the bumblebee.

The undersides of the wings were then painted with Pebeo Vittrail glass paint in very thin washes.  I did this while they were still attached to the contact paper.  First I used a thin layer of pearl mixed with gold, then a thin layer of gold over the parts where the yellow of the bee’s body should show through, black where the black body shows, and a blue green where the background foliage shows through.  Here are the wings painted:

The spaces between will be grouted in black to represent the intricate veins of the wings.

Technorati Tags: mosaic,bumblebee,Pebeo Vittrail,glass painting

Tweezers are for more than pulling chin hairs

I can’t show you yet what I’m working on, because it’s for a top-sceret quasi-governmental anti-terrorist project book that shows the works in progress of several mosaic artists.  So really, showing you the work in progress would be unfair of me, wouldn’t it?  However, I thought I could show you a little video, which obviously won’t get into the book to remind you just how insane I am.
In this project I have spent waaay too much time picking up and setting down tiny pieces of glass with tweezers.  If you want to hear the commentary, you’ll probably have to turn up the volume on your computer, since my camera was quite possibly the first digital camera ever produced.  (OK, it’s 6 years old, but that’s nearly 287 in digital camera years.)

Technorati Tags: mosaic,WIP Yourself Into A Mosaic Artist,video,tweezers,tesserae

Where there’s a will, there’s a way

The Lexel and DAP were my best solutions for applying the tempered glass over the gold leaf, as I found out in my last blog post.  Since I had more Lexel than DAP, I went with that.  However, both are sticky and hard to squeeze out of the tube.  That’s the reason I don’t use either of them more often – my hands get tired!  But I also found that applying that sticky mess to the fragile tempered glass was very difficult – it often made the glass pieces shatter into tiny bits.  Then of course there’s the mess…..
But today I found a clever way to cope.  Not that clever, really, but give me this, ok?  The video quality is subpar because my camera is a dinosaur – one of the first models that ever combined video with stills.

Today’s progress was photographed with a flash (which I usually don’t do) in order to better show where the tempered glass has been applied.

Technorati Tags: mosaic,Lexel,silicone,tempered glass,dragonflies

The Great Glue Fiasco update

I removed all the tempered glass over the tarnished gold leaf, scraped up the gold leaf and replaced it.  My intention was to try Weldbond, but fortunately, Linda Smith reminded me of a discussion on MAO (MosaicArtists.org) that I had read awhile back but completely forgotten.  It suggested that the water content of Weldbond might be a problem also.  So I tested it on a scrap of primed MDF and sure enough, it darkened the gold leaf.  Next test, DAP and Lexel silicone adhesives:

It looks like either of them will be fine. 
*whew*

Technorati Tags: dragonflies,mosaic,gold leaf

A ‘smashing’ good way to spend a Saturday…

The before, an 18” x 24” piece of tempered glass:

I bought a full piece rather than scavenging for tempered that was already broken.  Even though you can often get it for free, it’s likely to be broken into such small bits that it’s hard to use if you have a large area to cover.  And I don’t want to cover too much of the gold and silver leaf with grout, so I want some medium sized pieces.
And then the after:

Smacked with a hammer on the edge, it breaks beautifully all at once.  I think it’s so cool that you can tell from the break pattern exactly where I hit it.
Rather than trying to transport the whole thing (a piece that size on cardboard is likely to end up on the floor on the way),  I just took part of it on a separate piece of cardboard to the work table.

My friend Janet Skinner stopped in and took some pictures of me working on placing the tempered glass:

Technorati Tags: dragonflies,mosaic,tempered glass

Chapter 2, in which we learn that the artist is nuts.

Freeform. I guess. I don’t quite know what to call this method of working. I typically work on primed MDF or thinset-coated Wedi. With either of those I’ll draw my design right on the substrate, in varying degrees of detail. Actually, usually not much detail. With glass on glass I have always used transparent glass for the “on glass” part, and could place the design underneath. So here’s a piece of opaque glass that I can’t really draw on, and can’t see through. Huh.
So the method I came up with is to draw only a very basic guideline for the largest of branches with a wet erase marker. Then, as I go along remove a section of the line at a time with a dampened Qtip. Seriously….I must be nuts.

Sanded Grout vs. Non-Sanded Grout

In my last post I mentioned ordering non-sanded grout from Home Depot in specialized colors, and I have had a couple of people ask me why I would choose non-sanded over sanded. I have used both (and will in the future), but I prefer the look of unsanded grout, and I prefer working with it as well. I know a lot of artists hate it – I have heard it called “the devil’s toothpaste” before – but I find it easier to work with than the sanded. I’ll get into some of the reasons why in a minute. I think it’s largely a matter of personal preference, but there are some guidelines worth noting.
Non-sanded grout is intended for interstices (spaces) between tesserae of 1/8” or less. That’s a pretty hard and fast rule. It says so right on the box. If your work is such that the spaces between tiles will be larger than 1/8”, use the sanded. This is common when using lots of odd shaped tiles, found objects, or glass gems. The unusual shape will sometimes dictate the spaces between tess. An example of tesserae dictating the choice of grout is my Mexican style dragon I recently completed. I used imported Talavera tile. This tile is a red body clay that has a glaze over it. It will rarely break cleanly. Most of the time there is a sloped edge, where the clay undeerneath extends out further than the glaze. This will prevent you from placing the tess (or at least the glazed parts) as close together as 1/8” . Also, notice in the detail photo the space between the metal ball chain and the surrounding tile.










On the other hand, I usually use glass which breaks much more cleanly, and can be placed much closer. In this detail photo of Delta Blues, you can see the tight spaces between the tess. Although those are much smaller interstices, it would be possible to use sanded grout in them, but I chose unsanded for the smooth look.

So – why would I like working with “the devil’s toothpaste” more than sanded grout? I’ll tell you my experiences with both, but understand this isn’t anything scientific, and others will have had different experiences.
Those who have used thinset as an adhesive will know that you can keep it workable for an extended time by stirring it frequently. It’s the same principle as a cement mixer – by keeping it moving, you prevent it from curing. I have found that I can do the same thing with non-sanded grout, and to a lesser extent, the sanded grout. In my experience, sanded grout begins to feel dry and crumbly faster, even with frequent stirring. Once it begins to get dry and crumbly, it won’t stay in the interstices well – cleaning off the excess removes a lot of what you hoped to keep. It also gives you a bit less time to go back and clean it off before it sets, which then makes the clean up a lot more difficult. Non-sanded grout does have a somewhat “plasticy” feel. But I find that the smoothness of it makes it easier to wipe off the surfaces of the tess, reducing cleanup time, and it seems to leave behind less of a grout haze that has to be polished off once it’s completely dry. With the longer working time, smooth look and easier cleanup, I will choose non-sanded whenever circumstances permit!

Fun with video …… or how to drive yourself totally insane.

After much struggling with a) video editing software b) video conversion software, and c) YouTube, I have finally managed 3 clips from the interview I did last week for the local cable channel.   So..…ta da!