MOSAICS

The earliest mosaic pieces are believed to have been found in a temple in Mesopotamia, they consisted of stones, shells and ivory. Later, more intricate mosaics were found in the Greek and Roman empires. Mosaics were regarded a more prestigious art form than others.

Mythological subjects, hunting scenes or pursuits of the wealthy were popular for mosaic art.

There were two main techniques used in mosaic art.
The first was Greco-Roman (opus vermiculatum) mosaic, this used tiny tesserae and was produced on panels that were then transported to the desired site.
The second technique was the normal (opus tessellatum) technique which used larger tesserae that were laid on at the site.

GET CRAFTY

make your own mosaic

Grout

Adhesive

Cutting tools

Spreaders for grout and adhesives

Safety gloves and masks

Cleaning articles to wipe off extra grout and adhesive

Tesserae (broken glass, tile, cds, mirror, plates, china, pebbles, shells and many many more)

• 1If you are creating a specific design it is a good idea to draw or trace the design onto the surface as a guideline.
• 2Apply adhesive to the tesserae (mosaic pieces).
• 3Stick the pieces onto the surface in your desired pattern. Keep at least 1/8 of an inch space between each piece.
• 4You should leave your adhesive to dry for 24-48 hours before you start grouting.

• 5When mixing the grout, the desired consistency will be that of thick oatmeal.
• 6Once the adhesive has dried completely spread the grout, using a soft spreading tool, evenly over the whole piece.
• 7Leave the grout to dry for about 20-30 minutes until it becomes hazy.
• 8Wipe off the excess grout with a damp cloth or sponge.