MOSAIC THE ART OF MAKING

M o S a I C

MOSAIC IS THE ART OF MAKING patterns and pictures from tesserae (small, coloured pieces of glass, marble and other materials). Different materials are cut into tesserae using different tools. Smalti (glass enamel) and marble are cut into pieces using a hammer and a hardy ( a pointed blade) embedded in a log. Vitreous glass is cut into pieces using a pair of nippers. Mosaics can be made using direct or indirect method. In the direct method, the tesserae are laid directly into a bed of cement-based adhesive. In the indirect method, the design is drawn in reverse on paper or cloth. The tesserae are then stuck face down on the paper or cloth using water soluble glue. Adhesive is spread with a towel on to a solid surface -such as wall- and the back of the mosaic is laid into the adhesive. Finally, the paper or cloth is soaked off to reveal the mosaic. Gaps between tesserae can be filled with grout. Grout is forced into gaps by dragging a grouting squeegee across the  face of the mosaic. Mosaics are usually used to decorate walls and floors, but they can also be applied to smaller objects.