We are so excited to announce that we are continuing to add new and exciting crafting projects to the list of things you can come in and try hands-on at The Bent Brush! The first one I want to talk about is mosaics, and we will keep you informed as we add each new type of craft over the next few months.First let’s start out by describing exactly what a mosaic is. A mosaic is a piece of decorative art made from assembling small pieces of stone, seashells, glass or other material in different colors. The most popular mosaic method uses glass squares called tessera.
Mosaics have been used to decorate houses, buildings, gardens and handicrafts since ancient times. Their distinct look, made with colored glass tiles, can be seen all over Europe and the Middle East, because unlike paintings or murals, they don’t fade in color over time and they rarely decompose. It’s a timeless art that is eye catching and unique, and the earliest known mosaics were found in a Mesopotamian temple dating back to the 3rd millennium BC!
Mosaics can be decorative and abstract, or be used to create scenes of life. They were used in temples and churches and were a celebrated staple of architecture throughout Islamic culture, Roman culture, Greek culture and most of the ancient civilizations, the Middle Ages, and even the Renaissance age and the modern age. In fact, one of the most famous Spanish artists, Gaudi, brought the world’s attention back to mosaics when he incorporated mosaic installations, covering entire buildings from floor to ceiling with mosaic artwork in the new Modernist style in Barcelona.
Mosaics are a great way to add color to your garden, an exterior wall, a backsplash in your kitchen or even just as a stand-alone tile to hang on the wall. Your design can be a simple geometric pattern or a detailed “painting” of plants, flowers, birds, animals or buildings. Wondering what you would make using mosaics, here’s some ideas you can use your artwork for at home using the mosaic tiles you make at The Bent Brush.-
Create stepping stones for your garden path.
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Create a wall mural using several different tiles to make one scene.
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Create a series of tiles to use on a garden bench.
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Create a gift items such as a mosaic picture frame or the top of a jewelry box
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Create a series of tiles to be mounted as a backsplash in your kitchen.
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Create some individual tiles to install as part of the tiles in your shower stall.
We look forward to having you come in to create mosaics with us and are offering several classes on what to create, so please check out our website for dates of mosaic making classes!