Mosaic Portaits

Although I create lots of eyes mosaics, I also do full face portraits. my last two were portraits of 2 young talented musician sisters. 

 

Luana on the left plays the Piano, Charlotte on the right plays the Cello 

In Luana's portrait, I was inspired by the "Primavera" painting of Sandro Boticelli. 

I realized Charlotte's in a more Classical Roman style by using a "Guilloche" border, as the one used in this Dionysos Mosaic from Lybia

These pieces had to be delivered in France. I built both of them on a fiberglass mesh and took them with me in a wooden crate. I then completed them in my small studio above the gorgeous Baie de Somme.

St Valery sur Somme

A few times every year I create custom mosaics for my collectors. They often, but not always, are portraits. 

If you were interested in a commission, here is how things typically happen :

• You send me a picture of the space or area where you would like the mosaic.
• You share your idea of what you want.
• I create and share with you a draft drawing or computer rendering of the mosaic, complete in context so you can see it in your space, and you can offer feedback.
• Once we agree on the project, you pay a 60% deposit and I go to work.
• I deliver and install the mosaic in your space and show you how to care for it.

For more information, please contact me at frederic.lecut@gmail.com, or by phone at (334) 798 1639

I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see some of my own mosaics on my site mosaicblues.

 

If you are interested by my work in general 

or would simply like to drop me a line, please 

contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com  

or by phone at (334) 798 1639. 

 

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Carlotta - Part deux

3 weeks ago I posted in Digital Drawing of a Mosaic Portrait about the first stages of the design of an actual mosaic portrait.

From an original picture I designed a coloured and a black and white drawing of my mosaic.

Carlotta - Polarized.

From that picture came a black and white one later to be used to print the actual model.

So far, most of the work had been realized through computer.

As I intend to build this piece in a classical roman style, I added around our young friend a double meander frame.

Carlotta ready to print.

I still had to define the colours for the unglazed ceramic tiles on the colour picture itself.

And on a Chart going with it. These are unglazed ceramic tiles.

And finally also had to define the colours of the glass tiles for the double meanders, which I did based on colours used on various actual Roman mosaics.

Lod (Israel)  - Detail of a panel border.

After all these definition work it was time to decide which actual tiles I would employ. This is going to be my first portrait made of unglazed ceramic only, and I have had to find tesserae of  21 different colours. Having accumulated ceramic tesserae from several trips to Europe, I found in the workshop all that I needed. 

On March 15, I lined up the containers of tesserae around Carlotta's model, on the working table where I will build her ! 

This is the actual support onto which I will build the mosaic itself. I will use the reverse method and you can see it is the mirror image of the original picture...

In a next post I will show you the actual building of this reverse method mosaic. Make sure you receive it in your mailbox : please subscribe to my Mosaicblues Newsletter where I also share with you news about Materials, Techniques and Sources of Inspiration of modern and antique (Specially Greeks and Romans) Mosaic Artists and Patrons !

I am a French Mosaic Artist. I usually live and work with my 2 dogs, 2 cats and 10 chickens in Headland, Alabama, USA but I have a second studio in Saint Valery sur Somme, France. You can see more of my mosaics on my mosaicblues page.

If you would like to discuss or commission a portrait mosaic, or any other type of mosaic, please call me at (334) 798 1639 or drop me an email at  frederic.lecut@gmail.com.

Mosaicblues opens French Studio

In a previous post I told you how was trying to solve the problem of shipping mosaics abroad. Mosaics being made of heavy stone, ceramic and glass mounted on cement and concrete materials, they are heavy and costly to ship.

Experimentation in June 2014 showed that by building my mosaics on a fiberglass mesh I would able to reduce the shipping weight by 55 to 65 %.

 

Miriam's Eyes, June 2014

I still had to be able to mount the mosaic on a solid support at its final destination, or in a workshop close to it, so I can drive to my patron's home or business to deliver and install the piece. 

Basically, I needed a finition shop in Europe.

I am pleased to announce the opening of Mosaicblues France.

My new studio is located in Saint Valery sur Somme, the very town from which William sailed to invade Britain in 1066 !

I landed in Paris with my mosaic on December 17 and started to set up the shop and work in it on December 18. 

The shop does not include heavy stone cutting or glass grinding equipment. I will simply be building frames and mount the mosaics on them.

 

My goal is to be able to simply mount lightweight, fiberglass mounted mosaics on a rigid support. These piece are still prefabricated in Alabama. 

Lu2 Mosaic, October 2014

On a next Episode of this amazing  

Newsletter (Subscribe to it !), Share it !

see the first French mounting of a Mosaicblues mosaic !

Lightweight Mosaic !

In June 2014, I delivered in Normandy a mosaic commissioned by long time friend. 

Mariam's eyes, 21 x 39" (53 x 119 cm) , made of stones, ceramics and glasses tiles, weighs 65 lb (31 kg) and bringing her to France with me was a challenging task. 

You see, mosaics last for one reason : They are built of heavy, fireproof materials : stone, glasses, ceramics, embedded in heavier concrete based materials supported by fibers reinforced concrete panels...

The weight of the actual tiles that compose a mosaic is between 35 and 45 % of the total weight of the completed mosaic. In the case of Mariam's eyes, the weight of the tiles was 22 lb. (10 kg)

When I took her to France with me, I carried 43 lb (20 kg) of concrete in my bag, and paid a hefty price for it. 

While I was making Mariam's eyes, I also made Miriam's. 

I made Miriam on a fiberglass mesh. She was an experiment. I wanted to test the feasibility to prefab a mosaic on a very light support, to possibly transport such piece without all the concrete involved.

Mission accomplished, I had to deal with a few technical problems and hungry rodents, but when completed, ready to be mounted, Miriam weighed 22 lb.

Such piece, however, is fragile and  I now had to figure out how to safely ship it and mount it in a foreign country. 

Which I'll address very soon in the next episode of this newsletter ! (Subscribe to it, Share it !)

Miriam's Eyes (to the Right) is Mariam's Twin Sister and is available for sale.

Beautify your life with one of classy mosaic piece from mosaicblues. Purchase an existing mosaic or commission a portrait, a decorative panel, a kitchen backsplash, a shower... 

Together we will design the perfect piece fitted to your home's or business' unique style. 

Or if you simply would like to discuss the wonderful art of modern and ancient mosaics, please contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com or by phone at (334) 798 1639.

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