Mosaic Tips of the Trade
Try working on a tray so you can move your work when you need to.
Simple design gives greater rewards, especially to those who are new to
mosaic art.
One of the most important things about making mosaics is not so much
the tiles themselves, but the way in which you lay them. The lines of
tiles and spaces between provide flow and movement and your work will
realy "come to life" when you grout it.
Mosaic glass and ceramic tessera are of equal depth so you can use them
together to create truly vibrant effects.
Cutting Tiles: Nippers are an essential tool and well worth the
investment. I practiced on some old china to perfect my technique.
I strongly recommend you wear safety glasses when cutting any tiles no
matter how adept you become, as the shards can be very small and
sharp.
Position the jaws so that they overlap the tile by about 3mm. Squeeze
on the handles positively, making sure to hold your tile firmly so that
once it is cut you can still find both pieces.
The exception to the 3mm rule is when cutting tesserae into triangles.
I find that I get a 99% success rate by positioning the jaws of the
nippers right across the centre line of my cut. It’s hard to hold the
tile when doing this type of cut so try wrapping the tile and the jaws of
the nippers in an old tea towel whilst actually cutting.
Gluing: Only a small blob of Mosaica adhesive is needed to secure your
tesserae into position - too much and your work will become messy and
harder to clean at the grouting stage. Once you have placed the piece onto
the surface, manoeuvre it into its final position using a tooth pick or
tweezers. Remember, the grooved side of glass tesserae is the side to put
the glue on but ceramics can be used either way up.
Grouting: Mosaica grout comes in ready mixed tubs. Grout is not only
used to fill and strengthen between the tiles but also gives your
design linear flow. Different colours of grout can be very effective
too.
Make sure your design is set before applying the grout. The longer you
can leave it the better, I wait at least 24 hours.
Use a flexiblie rubber spatula - the sort you can get from any
kitchenware shop. Start in one corner and squeeze the mixture into the
gaps between the tesserae, drawing the spatula across the work keeping the
surface as clean as possible. Wipe clean several times with a barely damp
sponge.
Wear plastic or rubber gloves when using grout but if any does get on
your hands, rinse them with vinegar before washing with soap and water to
neutralise the alkalinity..... Have Fun....Carol Leith, Mosaica.
