One Euro a Month !

Mused Mosaics is an AMAZING Blog by Miriam, a student at the Mosaic School of Spilimbergo. (I like this school and have blogged earlier about it !). 

It is extremely well done. Miriam provides great technical information, pictures, tutorials, videos, reports on exhibitions and shows. All of this is very informative and worth your time.

And all of this also costs money. Miriam needs support to cover these costs over the year. These are, for example, web-hosting costs, purchase of softwares,  fuel costs for a ride to the next exhibition, etc. If everyone of her readers would invest only one euro a month in her blog, that would really help her. (This is just $1.37 / month - not even the price of an espresso shot!)

I would like to invite you to follow me and DONATE so she can keep doing the good work ! 

Picture from Miriam's Mused Blog

How to Video : Cut your own stone tesserae.

In this short video I am showing how to cut short cubes (The "tesserae") out of the long strips of materials we cut in the previous video. These tesserae are the actual building blocks of all traditional mosaics. 

As explained in the video, the tools I am using here, the small anvil - the "Hardie", and the special hammer - the "Martelina" are the same tools our Roman ancestors were using to cut their tesserae.

Wearing eyes protection is extremely important. When you work in a dry environment, or cut in a wet environment with a non continuously rimmed blade, stone, ceramic and glass may break and project in small cutting shards that can be very damaging to your eyes. One of these sliced my nose 2 weeks ago when cutting ceramic tiles. A nice little cut on the nose that bled for quite a while. I just do not want to imagine the damage that would have done to my eyes had I not be wearing goggles.

Practice...

How to Video : Cutting long strips of granite.

In this short video I am showing how cut long strips of materials which you will later use to cut small cubes (the "tesserae) that are the building blocks of all traditional mosaics. 

I am using here a classic black granite tile with a thickness of 3/8" (9mm). The tile saw I am using here is fit with a diamond blade. It would cut diverse materials : granite, marble, slate, ceramic, porcelain, glass as thick as 3/4 " (18mm). It is important to chose a good quality blade with a solid rim. Brick blades simply won't do a very good job and will certainly not cut glass but shatter it.

And yes, I usually wear eyes protections, I just forgot that day. No need to post comment about this. Just do not forget to wear yours.

Practice...

 

Visit the Shop

Ever wondered how mosaicists work ?

Here is an amateur video of the shop. I made it myself and I am more talented at mosaics than I am at videos... There is room for improvement and I am hopeful to improve. I plan to add technical videos to this blog in 2014. 

Hope you enjoy the visit... 

Most of my mosaics are visible on my site Mosaicblues. If you are interested in one existing piece, in commissioning a specific mosaic, or simply in discussing the art of mosaics please contact me at frederic.lecut@gmail.com or by phone at (334) 798 1639. I would love to share my passion with you !

Green Eyes Video

Here is a short video presentation of Green Eyes, who departed from Headland to Dubai in December 2013. Please be indulgent with the quality, I made it myself and I am more talented with mosaics than with videos ! But I intend to improve !

Green Eyes is the first of a popular series of Eyes mosaics I started to work on in 2011. 

I have made and sold several other eyes mosaics since her.

Eva Green's Eyes  (Eva's Eyes) 

and 

Tuareg's Eyes 

are presently available for sale. 

I am presently working on Sean Connery's Eyes

and on another veiled woman's eyes

If you are interested in one of these mosaics, or in commissioning on piece, please contact me at frederic.lecut@gmail.com or by phone at (334) 798 1639. You can also drop me a line in the comments window below this post. I would love to share my passion for mosaics with you !

Sean's eyes

I finally laid the last tesserae of Sean's Eyes.

Sean's eyes is made following the reverse method. It is built upside down, then glued to a support, then flipped. The picture you see here is a mirror image of the finished product to be !

The reversed method is much more labor intensive than the direct method, but it allows a greater choice of materials of different thickness. Its results are also in my opinion much more beautiful ! 

Sean's Eyes is 14 x 50 inches (35 x 125 cm). It is made of stones, ceramics and glasses.

Sean's Eyes is part of my popular series of Eyes Mosaics.  Sean's eyes will be available next year. Eva's eyes and Tuareg's eyes are presently available for sale. 

If you are interested in one of these, or in commissioning a special piece for you, you can contact me at frederic.lecut@gmail.com or by phone at (334) 798 1639.

You can also contact me for any other reason related to my work. I'd love to share my dreams with you !

Visit the Mosaicblues Workshop

Visit the Mosaicblues Workshop in Headland, AL.

I built the building about 8 years ago (Outside RED paint courtesy of my good friend Travis Page - a story I might tell you one day... ) when i got tired to work on my deck in the winter...

Even in Alabama, the wind can get cold !

A creative place only can be messy - in my opinion - And this one is. Treasures of Tools, Stones and various Materials picked up everywhere around the world accumulates.

But this is my shop, it is the only one I have, and so it is the best shop in the world !