I created this mixed media mosaic as a gift for my neighbors. I have a ceramic kiln and have been experimenting with creating tiles. A few months before working on this smaller flower 12″x12″, I created a larger version of my popular lotus designs as an 18″x18″ piece. I really liked the effect of mixing ceramics with glass and thought that a mixed media mosaic like that would make a lovely gift.

Above you can see the mosaic outside in the bright Colorado sun. I love bringing my work outside for photographing because mosaics look particularly wonderful when they are showered by sunlight from all directions.

Below are a few process photos.

In the photo above are my glazed tiles loosely arranged on my copyrighted pattern of my lotus design. Here I also showed some of the experimental center tiles I created. The one in the center of the flower is the one I decided to use.

For the background of the mosaic, I decided to use stained glass. When choosing the colors in which I would glaze the flower petals and center, I considered what glass I had in the studio that would work nicely with my glaze choices. When I pulled the tiles from the kiln, I knew that this glass would look fantastic with the tiles. In this photo, you can also see the hand tools, I use to cut all my glass (I teach this in my Online Mosaic Classes).

I grouted the mosaic in black. This created a nice contrast with the light/medium colored glass and tiles as well as the big bold shapes in this composition.

And here is one of my son’s holding the mosaic, always helping mommy =)