This richly illustrated book celebrates the art of the miniature, but also looks beyond it at the many aspects of "small worlds"--in particular, their capacity to evoke responses that far exceed their physical dimensions. Mack explores the talismanic, religious, or magical properties with which miniatures are often imbued. Considering a wide range of objects, he examines the use of the miniature form in various cultural contexts.
Introduces the tools and techniques of mosaic art and presents nineteen projects, from decorative objects, such as wall hangings and picture frames, to practical ones, such as a clock, a cake stand, and a breakfast tray.
This is a stunning collection of jewellery and accessory projects, all handmade using delicate mini mosaic tiles and beautiful millefiore glass beads. It is ideal for crafters who enjoy mosaics but want to create small, portable items that can be given as gifts. Pretty projects include matching earrings and necklaces, bangles, hair accessories, rings, key rings, luggage labels and jewellery storage ideas.
The art of mosaics is of ancient origin, enjoying its first great period during the Roman Empire and its second in eighteenth and nineteenth century Rome, when a flourishing craft developed in response to the Grand Tour. Affluent tourists provided the ideal market for views of Rome and images from Ancient History and mythology, painstakingly worked in tesserae - minute pieces of coloured enamel - a technique known as 'micromosaics.' Some of these were so intricate that one square inch could contain as many as 1,500 tesserae. The range of objects was enormous - from jewellery and snuffboxes to large pictures and tabletops. All of these forms and subjects are comprehensively represented in the Gilbert Collection. This book examine the collection through full-colour illustrations and detailed descriptions and commentaries. New research into the workshops and business practices of two significant Roman mosaicists derived from the archives of the Vatican Mosaic Workshops is detailed in an essay by Massimo Alfieri, while Judy Rudoe explores the techniques and materials of small-scale Roman micromosaic objects, illustrated with spectacular magnified photography.
Explore the powerful medium of mosaic in this book which offers a fresh perspective on the ancient art. Packed with photographs, clear instructions, and new ideas about how to create stunning mosaic pieces for indoors and outdoors, Make Your Own Mosaics explains the principles of mosaic making as practiced since Roman times. This easy-to-follow book contains step by step instructions on how to make mosaics, covering every aspect of the process from designing mosaics to tools, adhesives, and substrates. Written for creators with all levels of experience, this book opens up a fascinating world showing how ceramic and glass alongside recycled and reclaimed materials can be used to make lasting pieces for the home and garden. Make Your Own Mosaics offers eight unique mosaic projects and seven different approaches to this addictive skill. Chapters on Learning from the Ancients are included alongside practical tips and information on how to choose the right mosaic method for your project. From making a mosaic house number to a garden wall plaque or seasonal decorations, this book will show you how. Whether you want to make classically inspired mosaics, experiment with found materials or decorate your space with beautiful and expressive art, Make Your Own Mosaics is for you.
When Prince Albert died in 1861 at the age of forty-two, his wife Queen Victoria followed this tragic event by an elaborate mourning period in which she surrounded herself as well as her people with memorials of the Prince Consort. Of these, the three most elaborate, the Albert Memorial Chapel, the Royal Mausoleum and the National Memorial to the Prince Consort, all included mosaic decoration. In close connection to current architectural theories such as polychromy or the ideal of the complete decoration as well as the research and experimentation that was carried out with and about the medium mosaic, the memorial mosaics were planned and designed. The medium Queen Victoria chose for these monuments served to underline and strengthen the image of Prince Albert that she created and through this also helped to secure her own claim to power as female sovereign. This book presents an overview of the history of mosaic in England up to the 1860s and a detailed description of the processes of planning and creating the mosaics. Queen Victoria’s memorial program as a whole will be described and compared to contemporary mourning rituals as well as British precedents for initiating similar cults.
A creative guide to making abstract mosaic designs inspired by nature, using the beauty and texture of slate and stone. The shapes, patterns and structures found in the natural world can provide a source of wonder and inspiration for mosaic artists. Mosaics do not have to be made from tiles and then grouted, but instead they can be full of texture, incorporating a whole array of materials which hold connections to nature and to particular places. The subtle beauty of stone surfaces gives the work an organic feel, creating beautiful abstract designs. Not only are these materials attractive but preparing them is an enjoyable task in itself. In this book, experienced artist Rachel Davies shares the methods she uses in her mosaic practice. Starting with tools, materials and cutting techniques, discover adhesive and substrate options, and get to know the various materials and how to use them creatively. Supported by step-by-step photos, follow a series of exercises and suggestions to explore your interests and develop your own designs. With a focus on three of her own mosaics, inspired by seaweed, lichen and bark, Rachel walks you through her process to show how a piece of art develops from start to finish. Beautifully illustrated with photographs of Rachel's own work as well as spotlights on seven other contemporary artists, find inspiration and get started on your own mosaic journey.
Westminster Abbey contains the only surviving medieval Cosmatesque mosaics outside Italy. They comprise: the ‘Great Pavement’ in the sanctuary; the pavement around the shrine of Edward the Confessor; the saint’s tomb and shrine; Henry III’s tomb; the tomb of a royal child, and some other pieces. Surprisingly, the mosaics have never before received detailed recording and analysis, either individually or as an assemblage. The proposed publication, in two volumes, will present a holistic study of this outstanding group of monuments in their historical architectural and archaeological context. The shrine of St Edward is a remarkable survival, having been dismantled at the Dissolution and re-erected (incorrectly) in 1557 under Queen Mary. Large areas of missing mosaic were replaced with plaster on to which mosaic designs were carefully painted. This 16th-century fictive mosaic is unique in Britain. Conservation of the sanctuary pavement was accompanied by full archaeological recording with every piece of mosaic decoration drawn and colored by David Neal, phase plans have been prepared, and stone-by-stone examination undertaken, petrologically identifying and recording the locations of all the materials present. It has revealed that both the pavements and tombs include a range of exotic stone types. The Cosmati study has shed fresh light on every aspect of the unique series of monuments in Westminster Abbey; this work will fill a major lacuna in our knowledge of 13th-century English art of the first rank, and will command international interest.
Imagine beautiful mosaic pieces with tiles that you easily create yourself! Mixed-Media Mosaics offers a fresh, new approach to a traditional art form. By making your own tiles from polymer clay, you control the size, shape, color and even the texture, resulting in beautiful finished pieces that include tabletops, boxes, jewelry and shrines. In addition to learning traditional tiling techniques such as working with grout and cutting glass tile, you'll also explore creative options for personalizing tiles: • Discover the magic of mica powders and the regal look they can give to mosaics • Learn quick and easy ways of adding paint to handcrafted and commercial tile • See how easy it is to create molds and cast your own relief tiles • Find ways to add personal meaning to your work with the addition of text tiles • Experiment with the addition of beads, jewelry and other embellishments by embedding them right into the tile! Whether you'd like to complete a mosaic tabletop for your patio, a jewelry box as a special gift, or simply experiment with jewelry, you'll find the inspiration you seek in Mixed-Media Mosaics. Start creating your custom mosaic pieces today.
Accompanying CD-ROM contains ... "an alphabetical list of about 14,000 references on carbonate rocks ... and visual comparison charts for percentage estimation." -- p. vi.
