Mosaic Bowl

By | April 22nd, 2018|DIY Home, Handmade, Humbling Hobbies and Habits, Mosaic Art, Oh My Crafts!|

Mosaic Bowl

In addition to learning and acquiring new hobbies, this year will also be about finishing my projects — all of my projects. I started this mosaic bowl over a year ago when I first got introduced to mosaic art and glass cutting at the Alameda Art Lab. I got a fair amount of practice for both cutting and catching flying pieces of glass through the air since I completed a few mosaic art projects — a turtle, a rock and a heart. I decided to take on this mosaic bowl, and just as I was about halfway through it, I ran out of steam. I left the the bowl with JaYing and she said she’d hold on to it until I decided to come back and finish it.

Mosaic Bowl

Well a year later, I came back. I was wondering if the bowl was still there… and it was! It was just sitting there in the corner. Other students came and went, and she did mention that someone had offered to finish it I never came back, but luckily, it was still exactly how I had left it. Shards of yellow, purple, pink and brown glass were still plated though I had to pick up a few more slabs from the color bin. I started out with mirrored glass encircling the “eye” of the bowl and lined it with gold and yellow, which really made the rich sea of purple and brown pop. I have to admit, it was hard to distinguish the dark browns from the dark reds, so I “snuck” in a few shards of deep red. You could only tell when  you hold it up to the light. I think it gives it character! I also decided to leave room for shades of brown and pearl to contrast against the pink and pearl, and to complement the eye. With those last few pieces, it’s time to grout and let it sit.

With my sister’s birthday coming up in the next month, I decided this would be the perfect gift for her apartment. She’s a fan of purple and I’d like to give her a place to leave her keys, drop in a few coins and leave her knick knacks. I can’t wait to see how she receives it!

Mosaic Cross

Mosaic Cross

Earlier this month, I took two classes at the Artistic Home Studio and it made quite an impression that I came back for more. I must admit it was a little daunting to be working so up close and personal with glass, since I was always told to stay away from sharp edges. Since I learned how to use glass-cutting tools, mix and match colored glass, and adhere them to a surface – all having done so unscathed (!), I became inspired and am looking forward to discovering more about this new found hobby.

I am enthralled by the fusion of glass, mirror and marble, and the bold, statement pieces you can make for the home. After making the mosaic turtle and rock, this time around, I’ve decided to make the mosaic cross, since this would be a perfect Christmas gift for a special someone on my Dad’s side of the family. The toughest decision this time around was choosing from the plethora of colored glass. Warm palette or cool palette? One marble or ten marbles? Decisions, decisions.

As fun as it was to make this gem,  I can’t wait to see the look on my cousin’s face when she opens it, since it was made with extra TLC this holiday season.

Mosaic Turtle

By | December 5th, 2015|DIY Home, Handmade, Learning from the best, Mosaic Art, Oh My Crafts!|

Artistic Home Studio

A couple of months ago, I went to The Ultimate Women’s Expo in San Mateo for a full day of pampering fun. As I perused the aisles, bombarded by jewelers, health fanatics, massage therapists and free swag, I couldn’t help but notice this beautifully decorated, mosaic sculpture that caught my my eye. It was stunning to see how hundreds of these shiny pieces of glass stacked side by side, fit together to create a statement piece so ornate. I inquired about the artist only to realize she was standing there right before me. JaYing Wang has been a mosaic artist for over 15 years and she has a studio in Alameda called Artistic Home Studio where she teaches glass arts – stained glass, glass fusing techniques and mosaics. She’s designed a number of public-facing mosaic murals within the Bay Area and commands the discipline of mosaic arts.

Absolutely thrilled to learn that there’s a class for mosaics, I eagerly picked up one of her pamphlets and here I am signing up for both the mosaic turtle and mosaic rock class. I got a hold of my turtle and then had to make the hard decision of deciding which color glass to use and what pattern to display on the shell. I opted for my favorite color, blue and danced between both the cold and warm palette. Hard part solved.

Mosaic Turtle

Now onto learning the different glass-cutting tools. I can tell that it’s going to take a bit of practice to get the hang of it. You can either cut the glass directly using a rotary wheel, or score the glass and then split it up in twos. I used both combinations and pieced my colored tiles on the table before dressing the turtle. With plenty of references to Pinterest, I decided on creating a border along the exterior of the shell and decorating it with flower pedals in the rear. Luckily, it takes time for the cement to dry, so I had more than enough time to move things around. I ended up with this little guy to your right and topped him with some glass stones and marbles.

I’m beginning to think two projects in one day for this mosaic novice is a bit ambitious. Now onto the rock…..

Mosaic Rock