What is Mosaic?

A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly popular in the Ancient Roman world. (source: wikipedia)

There is a huge history surrounding mosaic murals, walls and floors and I have been lucky enough to see some of these first hand in old Roman settlement towns in UK and Tunisia. My lasting thoughts were firstly their vast sizes (how long they must have taken to make!), and also how they were made when so few tools were available….

As well as floors and murals, modern day mosaic now also includes wall art, hobby crafts, and industrial and construction forms.

ancient mosaic

Roman mosaic of Ulysses, from Carthage, 2nd century AD, now in the Bardo Museum, Tunisia

How do I make a Mosaic?

The process of making a mosaic using one of my #diymosaickits is simple.
Firstly, everything is provided for you, so it is hassle free 👍
After buying a kit, you start by glueing the mosaic tiles to the MDF board, following the design and images supplied. Once all the tiles have been applied and the glue is dry, you would grout the item. The grouting process fills in all the gaps around the tiles, and makes the whole thing much more stable. A powdered grout is mixed with water, and completely covers the board and tiles. Then this is carefully wiped away, revealing the ceramic and glass tile pieces underneath. The grouting process is my favourite part! It’s when all the colours really ‘pop’ and the finished artwork is seen for the first time.

Different designs use different colour grouts, so there are many options available.

Mindful Mosaic Making

What is ‘Mindfulness’ ?

The Dictionary definition states: “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.”

When we make a mosaic, we slow things down to concentrate on positioning the small elements of the design. These could be small portions of tile, or glass, or even found objects that might be used. Concentrating on the cutting, placing, glueing and the design overall really help to slow our breathing, focus the brain and clear the mind. In general mosaic making is a really therapeutic hobby, and I love it.