Muses, Mosaic and Music.

Did you know that the two words Mosaic and Music have a similar ancient Greek root "μουσ" (mous) ?

Both words are relatives to the Muses, goddesses of the arts. Themselves a favourite theme of classical Roman mosaicists !

The nine Muses mosaic of Kos (Rhodes Island)

"Music" comes from the ancient Greek “μουσικός” (Mousikos)

"Mosaic" was formed from the ancient Greek "μουσεῖον" (Mouseîon)

This video is an accelerated take of my building the Mugen mosaic, a portrait of my late Border Collie Mugen who died 3 years ago, realized in Opus Pixellatum. The music is from Beethoven, and it is interpreted by my 2 nieces Charlotte and Luana. So here, you have the best of the 2 worlds of music and mosaic, a family business ! 

If you would like me to build a model of a mosaic portrait of your pet please contact me at frederic.lecut@mosaicblues.com

I am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Arts.

You can see my own mosaics on my site at mosaicblues.  

If you are interested by my work or would like to drop me a line please contact me by email at frederic.lecut@mosaicblues.com 
or by phone at (334) 798 1639. 

You can also 

SUBSCRIBE to my

NEWSLETTER

The Musicians / Les Musiciennes

18 month ago I built mosaic portraits of two beautiful young French musicians.

Il y a 18 mois, j'ai realise le portrait de deux superbes musiciennes francaises. 

Luana's portrait was my interpretation of Botticelli's painting "Primavera".

Pour le portrait de Luana  je m'etais inspire du Printemps de Botticelli

I designed Charlotte's portrait in a more Roman classical style, as an emblemata surrounded by a frise of entrelacs.

J'ai concu le portrait de Charlotte dans un style plus proche du classicisme Romain du debut de l'Empire, un emblemata encadre d'un triple entrelac.

 

These two talented young women are musicians, They both presently are studying at the Royal College of Music in London. I told you they were beautiful, now is time to show you how talented they also are. 

Ces deux jeunes femmes talentueuses sont musiciennes. Elles etudient toutes deux au College Royal de Musique a Londres. Je vous ai deja dit qu'elles etaient belles. Elles sont aussi tres douees. Ecoutez la musique !

  

Enjoy !

Faites-vous plaisir !

Luana & Charlotte with their mosaics in their French home.

Luana et Charlotte chez elles en France, avec leurs mosaiques.

A few times a year, I do commission mosaic portraits. If you are interested, please contact me by phone at (334) 798 1639 or by email at frederic.lecut@mosaicblues.com

You can also subscribe to my NEWSLETTER

Chaque annee, je realise quelques portraits de mosaique. Si cela vous interesse vous pouvez me contacter par telephone au 334 798 1639 (aux Etats Unis), ou par email a frederic.lecut@mosaicblues.com

 

Vous pouvez aussi souscrire a ma Lettre d'Information

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. 

 

   You can also

SUBSCRIBE to my

NEWSLETTER

 

If you liked this post, please share it with your friends, if you did not like it, feel free to share it with your enemies...

The Making of a Mosaic Portrait

In 1954, in le Bois de Cise, France, Claude and Marie took a moment to contemplate the Ocean.

60 years later, a few computer manipulations brought up a first model.

Because this work would be executed following my preferred reverse method, I inverted the image to define the colours.

As I intended to take this work with me to France in  a regular suitcase I built it in 2 separate parts, each face separately, to later assemble them in France.

August 27, 2014.

In September, I started to lay off the tesserae of Claude's face.

September 7, 2014.

Mosaics are not made at the same speed. Work goes slower at the beginning, then speeds up and slows down at the end of the laying. 

Once 20% of your tiles are in place you use them to support the next coming tiles. A mosaic grows following a process similar to a crystallization. 

You start in several places, gluing a few tiles. You then wait for the glue to set before you can use these tiles as support to glue more of them.

September 16, 2014

Once 90 % of your tiles are down you are left with only little spaces and gaps and you slow down to carefully adjust the shape of each tile to fit them inside existing gaps.

October 20, 2014.

Early in November, Claude's face and chest were complete, and I started laying his background.

 

November 8, 2014.

I transferred him onto another working table, so I could start working on Marie's part.

November 15, 2014.

Mid November, I started to lay Marie's tesserae.

November 16, 2014.

I was now progressing on both faces on 2 different tables : completing Claude's background, progressing on Marie's face and chest.

November 25, 2014.

I completed Marie's face on November 29, and from then on I concentrated on her background.

December 1, 2014

At the end of November Claude part was complete. Portrait and background.

December 1, 2014.

I completed Marie's part on December 3rd. 

I laid them down side by side to get a first idea of what they would look like together...

December 4, 2014.

You always feel a little anguish at that very moment... But well... I was quite satisfied.

Claude, Marie and Luana flew to France with me on December 16 and on December 18 I went to work in the new mosaicblues Studio. 

December 18, 2014. Pre-grout.

And unveiled them on December 19...

December 19, 2014

The flipping of a reverse method mosaic is always a magical moment. When you build it on mesh as I did this one, you actually can get a good idea of what your mosaic will look like once complete. Still, you never really know until you're done !

The "Unveiling" is the last operation : the actual mosaic appears to your eyes...

On December 24, the Claude & Marie mosaic was complete, assembled and framed.

December 24, 2014.

July 1954

Claude and Marie's mosaic is 33 x 28" (82 x 60 cm) and only weighs 22 lb (10 kg)

Have you ever thought about it ?  Portraits make outstanding birthday or anniversary presents and mosaics last forever ! 

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

You can also Subscribe to my Newsletter to get the last news about Materials, Techniques and Sources of Inspiration of modern and antique Mosaic Artists and Patrons !

The Luana Mosaic - Videos

In 2014 I designed and executed a portrait of a talented young musician. The design was inspired by Renaissance Painter Alessandro Botticelli famous painting "Primavera".

This short video below simply shows the evolution of the faces from the original Renaissance painting by Alessandro Botticelli to the final mosaic. 

If you are interested in more details of the execution, this other video shows more views of the actual execution of this piece. 

Portraits make outstanding Birthday or Anniversary presents and mosaics last forever ! If you would like to discuss or commission a portrait, or any other type of mosaic, please call me at (334) 798 1639 or drop me an email at  frederic.lecut@gmail.com

You can also Subscribe to my Newsletter to get the last news about Materials, Techniques and Sources of Inspiration of modern and antique Mosaic Artists and Patrons !

The Luana Mosaic

Some things are meant to happen...

The Luana Mosaic was one of them 

It was the convergence of several streams.

• My love of "Primavera" a famous painting by Renaissance Master Alessandro Botticelli.

• A hard to shoot picture of a talented young musician. 

 

• The sponsorship of her Grandparents,  Art collectors who shared my admiration for Boticelli's painting. 

We decided to create a portrait of her inspired by Botticelli's Primavera. From the original painting and picture, I designed a first model. 

I laid the printed model on the bench of my Alabama shop in early September 2014 and started to work. 

Luana Mosaic, Sep 17, 2014.

You can see on this view that Luana was built on fiberglass Mesh. I had built Miriam's Eyes last june following the same technique. This allows transportation of the light part of the mosaic, without all the heavy materials used to complete it.

This way, I would be able fly to France with Luana and 2 other mosaics in my suitcase and finish them in my new French Studio.

Luana Mosaic, September 27.

25 and 35 different kinds of materials were used on this piece.

On October 8, all tesserae had been laid. 

Luana mosaic, October 8, 2014.

I lifted Luana from her model, and had my first look at what she would actually look at the end of her journey to France.

 

 

On October 30, with my Daughter Mathilde - herself a mosaic artist. Luana is ready to ship !

On december 17, I set up my new studio in Saint Valery sur Somme and applied thinset and support on top of Luana !

On December 21, I removed the Fiberglass mesh.

And on Christmas Eve, Luana, framed and shiny was ready...

to meet Santa Claus, and the actual Luana ! 

No heavy stones were mistreated or abused in the making of Luana. As I only used thin ceramic, glasses, smalti and mirrors and mounted her on a lighter type of panel than the US ones, Luana is lighter than the mosaics I made before her.

The Luana Mosaic : 

• Glass, Smalti, Mirror, Ceramic.
• Wooden Frame.
• Dimensions : 21 x 25 " (53 x 63 cm).
• Weight : 21 lb (9.5 kg).

Portraits make outstanding presents and mosaics last forever ! If you would like to discuss or commission a portrait, or any other type of mosaic, please call me at (334) 798 1639 or drop me an email at  frederic.lecut@gmail.com

You can also Subscribe to my Newsletter to get the last news about Materials, Techniques and Sources of Inspiration of modern and antique Mosaic Artists and Patrons !