Studio Visit, Glazing the Hawaiian Landscape Mosaic
For a few months I've been working on a large scale Hawaiian landscape pool house mosaic and am in full swing now with the cutting which is going very well. However, it's also time to dive into the glazing and for the past weeks I've been looking for a pocket of focused time that I need to begin. Yesterday I finally found it.
With this mosaic I’m trying out a different aesthetic that isn’t typical for mosaic and while I've used it somewhat, it's never been with a piece of this size. I’m aiming for a watercolor feel where there is more of a painterly effect using rich colors in some areas while others have thinned out colors. Mosaic usually has more saturated colors on each tile and the shape of tile plays more of a role in defining the form. But with this mosaic I want to use both.
Below are 2 examples of my mosaics showing each shape as more or less 1 color:
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And here is the watercolor-like effect I have in mind, here on shown on textiles:
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This is a very large mosaic of 8’ x 6.5’ so working out all of the colors using this aesthetic is a bit tricky. I developed a color palette during the design process as well as an overall plan about how I want to use these colors but I know from experience that this is alone doesn’t always yield a successful piece. The glaze doesn't always look exactly as planned and furthermore the relationships of different glazes can wind up very different than one intends.
Below I've tried out a few Hibiscus flowers and leaves as well as some parts of the banana tree (the brigher pieces):
To make sure that at the end all the glazes play nice together my plan is to do it bit by bit. I'll glaze one section and then put it together before moving on. This way I can shift my next actions to accommodate the results. This may be more time consuming and may pose some logistical challenges but I really want to make this piece extraordinary so am going to go for it.
the banana tree leaves in my yard tend to have a lot of light and dark areas, so I tried to replicate that here with these sections of the leaves above.
Yesterday I knew I needed to try out little bits to make sure that what I have in mind would work, so I did and am really pleased with the results! Now I can move forward with the whole Hibiscus vine (the white and purple flowers) as well as the rest of the banana tree. And next I’ll glaze the Calla Lily and leaves at the base of the banana tree that you can see on these shelves unglazed.
If you would like to see more steps leading up to what’s shown here, here are some previous posts that offer plenty of photos.
https://steemit.com/art/@natureofbeing/news-from-my-studio-revisions-and-beginning-to-cut-the-pool-house-mosaic
https://steemit.com/art/@natureofbeing/it-s-all-in-the-plan
https://steemit.com/art/@natureofbeing/2-inside-the-drawing-phase-of-a-mosaic-commission
the glazing scene:
And there will be much more of this to come since I'm not even half way through. Thank you friends and have a wonderful day!
Those are amazingly delicate and so intricate! It is outstanding art that you produce :)
thank you so much @oldguyphotos :-))
I just love your painterly approach to ceramics. I think were I to do them, or give them a try, I'd be inclined down that path.
I cannot wait to see this done, but I am also loving the process shots and posts, so keep it up. I hope you are making time for random creative things as well as your hard work in all of this! Good luck, though I think your talent will see out this project to an amazing finish!
I can imagine your glaze painting would be fantastic!!
So glad you're enjoying the process on this piece, it's so big so there will be a lot :-). And I'm sorry to say but not much other creative work has been happening, but soon soon soon I keep telling myself!
Love seeing you do your thing. Incredible talent you have. Always impressed always inspiring! Steem on Ruth! You Rock!
Thank you Dan :-))
Such intricate delicate work, it’s amazing! How long has it taken you to achieve this level of expertise? It reminds me a little of stain glass type art fitting all the pieces and matching the colors. Beautiful!
astute of you to see the connection between mosaic and stained glass...they really do overlap in so many ways! I've been working with ceramics for about 30 years and tile specifically about 23. Thank you!
Beautiful work! :o I thought those were real leaves when I saw the thumbnail, the level of detail is just fascinating ✨
love hearing that you thought they were real leaves :-))! it's a fun piece so far, thanks for taking a look!
That banana leaf totally has the watercolor effect.
I can feel the sun off to the right. :)
Looking good.
thanks @doctorcrypto, glad it's working :-))
Your work is sooooo beautiful @natureofbeing. Makes me want to have a go at making my own tiles! 😁
Thank you and give it a try, you just might like it!!
I have too much on my plate at the moment to take on anything new @natureofbeing but you make it look very tempting. Your work is so beautiful! 😍
I completely understand!! in the meantime you can enjoy vicariously :-))
Indeed @natureofbeing. thank you for the opportunity! 😍
I like this shade of green, it's a little milky. As green with a drop of white. I love such subtle shades in the whole palette of colors. It looks very nice.
yes just like with paint isn't it! Thanks for your support @anna-mi
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OMG... this must have taken ages ... so much patience... this art is just
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