Stained Glass Mosaic Projects – Work in Vibrant Colors Simply and Cheaply
Have you ever wanted to have a go at stained glass work,
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Stained Glass Mosaic Projects – Work in Vibrant Colors Simply and Cheaply
Have you ever wanted to have a go at stained glass work, but felt intimidated by the cost and the difficulty of getting started? Well, that is understandable, considering the large selection of equipment you may need: soldering iron, glass cutters, solder, flux, lead came, not to mention the cost of the stained glass itself. Well, there is a compromise solution and that is to have a go with ‘glass on glass’ mosaic.
This is quite an uncommon technique, but basically it combines the simple technique of mosaic with stained glass and can create some beautiful and stunning effects. It is much easier to learn than traditional stained glass techniques and there is little wasted glass because every last piece can be utilized. In fact, you positively need broken glass bits. You can either buy complete sheets of stained glass yourself and then cut them into little pieces, or you can buy precut stained glass pieces in various shapes and sizes from online mosaic websites or eBay. If you choose to make your own mosaic pieces then you will need glass cutting pliers or ‘nippers’. These are very safe and easy to use and you can quickly cut hundreds of small mosaic pieces from the stained glass. The other things you will need are:
- A piece of clear glass as a base, you can use picture frame glass for this. (the wood frame is handy too)
- Clear drying glue such as Weldbond
- Dark tile grout and mixing stick.
- Damp Cloth
The basic technique is to first sketch out your design and place the sketch under the clear glass you are affixing the glass mosaic pieces too. You can then easily follow the lines and shapes as you stick each piece of stained glass down using the weld bond. Do not worry if the weld bond appears white, it will soon dry clear. Leave a gap of a few millimeters between each piece, this is where the grout will go later. Once you are happy with your design, confirm all the pieces are fixed to the glass well. Try to avoid getting an excess of glue in the gaps between the mosaic pieces as this can prevent the grout from adhering.
After 24 hours the glue should be set and you can apply the grout. Choose a dark grout black or brown as this makes the stained glass stand out much better than white grout. You can use ‘sanded’ grout or ‘unsanded’ grout. The sanded grout is stronger but may cause little scratches when you apply it. The unsanded grout should be fine on smaller pieces of work and is easier to apply. You can also buy premixed colored grout for bathrooms which is really easy to use. Applying the grout is the messy part, you simply scoop some up using a spreader or spatula and press it onto you Mosaic, gently pushing it into all the gaps. You continue till the whole work is covered and then gently wipe off the excess with a damp cloth. As the grout dries you continue gently wiping the mosaic periodically until most of the grout is removed from the stained glass, however, you do not want to remove too much from between the mosaic pieces. You will learn as you go how best to remove the grout, just remember do not let it dry totally on the top surface of the stained glass, or else it will be hard to remove. A little ghosting is OK and can be removed once the work is fully dry using a soft damp cloth.
Once dry you can frame your work. If you have used picture glass from a frame, then you can reuse the frame for your mosaic. Framing the mosaic will make the work look more complete and professional. Now the secret to displaying a stained glass on glass mosaic is to have light shining through it so hang the piece up in a window and it should be a real talking point as the glorious colors shine through!
Mosaic Art
Mosaic is actually an ill-defined term that can have several meanings. However, if we must be technical and insist on having a definition for the art form, it would have to go something like this –
“Mosaics is the technique of attaching numbers of discrete colored pieces of a particular material onto a prepared surface, in order to create the appearance of an image or pattern, when the assemblage is viewed as a whole”.
This unholy mouthful could encompass a vast range of artistic disciplines – from priceless baroque gold and jewel-encrusted tabletops to trendy, modern, cut-and-paste photomosaics – but also be applied to candies pressed into cake icing! However to most of us, when we speak of mosaics, we are usually thinking of more permanent work, made from hard materials, cemented or glued firmly onto solid surfaces. Coming easily to mind would be the enduring ancient Roman floors, where myriads of tiny blocks of marble and polished stone were arranged eons ago, to create rustic scenes and bold, evocative images of ladies at leisure, gods and charioteers – always surrounded by distinctive geometric borders. Or possibly we might be picturing brilliant panels set up on a huge scale, where the luster of glass and ceramic is used to throw light about and dominate the wall of a public building, making it alive with a contemporary artist’s passionate view of life in the modern world.
Modern artists, working in the traditional style, use hard blocks of stone, glass, or a range of modern materials, cut into tiny tiles that are still collectively known by the original Latin name of tesserae. These tesserae are cemented or glued firmly onto a solid surface, using one of a host of modern adhesives – or for the purist – just ordinary cement mortar. Quick-setting grouting paste is used to add stability, by filling the gaps between the tesserae – but the grout can also enhance the visual effect by adding another dimension to the work. Grouting can be executed with a strong hand, using dark or bright grouts, to emphasize the mosaic builder’s technique, or it can be muted and unobtrusive, so as to not interfere or distract the viewer’s eye away from imagery and the flow and shading nuances of the tesserae. The end result of traditional mosaic techniques is to create art that is permanent and practical because it is hard-wearing, waterproof, and stain-resistant – thus needing little effort to maintain and keep bright and clean.
Mosaics are a great way to embellish a drab wall or garden path, by bringing color and light to an otherwise uninteresting area. Brightwork is cheerful and creates interest – but on the other hand, more subtle techniques, using slight variances in the colour and texture of embedded natural stone, may also be used with great effect, when the scale is large enough, to channel the emotions and to create a mood. Actually, embedding river pebbles in a paved courtyard or wall, in order to create interesting patterns, was one of the earliest techniques, adopted by both Ancient Babylonians and also by the Greeks who followed them. Nowadays, working with mosaics is a craft that can be learned by all – including even very young children. Whatever your age, if your mosaic is made with love and care, it is a way of leaving a little part of yourself to be displayed and enjoyed for many years to come – maybe even for several generations after you are long gone.
The two principal traditional techniques of creating mosaics are the “direct” and the “indirect” methods – each of these specific disciplines is best suited for a particular set of different applications and locations. Unfortunately, this article is not the place to go into detail about these and other mosaic methods – of which there are many. However, these particulars can be found on my website.
One last word – do not be deterred, if you do not consider yourself “artistic” in the true sense of the word. You don’t need to start from scratch – there are many ways of carrying out this craft in an easier and partly directed way. Patterns and instructions are easy to find and prepared kits are readily available for the beginner. You can find them at most craft shops and also on-line. There are many levels at which you can find your entry into this exciting craft or art form. However, it is important that you take time to read up on the topic beforehand and gather up all the useful information and tips you can, learning from others, and avoiding the pitfalls. Planning is essential and unfortunately, an ill-planned and messy mosaic can last just as long as an excellent one! If you want to get the most from this rewarding and absorbing hobby you must prepare yourself well. But most of all, remember that practice makes perfect – so start soon!
Mitigating Struggles in High School Geometry Through Early Starters
Geometry is a very old branch of Math with its origin in Greek understanding with the introduction of aircraft geometry. Currently it has increased its regions to several opportunities as well as discovers its applications in various aspects of life. The ideas of geometry are made use of in construction, navigation, celebrity gazing, art and also patterns, measurements, makers as well as activity.
Doing geometry boosts human skills like imaginative imagination, visualization, spatial sense, analytical abilities and logical thinking. Unlike various other Mathematics branches, it evokes much of right side brain tasks and generates the aesthetic sense of pupil minds. Understanding geometry assists students in numerous means because it involves life skills and showcases extent for a big range of profession opportunities.
The principles of geometry are sprayed over K-12 curriculum and also they are reviewed for extensive analysis of the subjects. While trainees find out forms and also solids and utilize their spatial reasoning to comprehend them at the basic degree, they utilize their logical skills for understanding two or three-dimensional forms as well as geometric partnerships utilizing thinking as well as coordinate system at secondary school.
Geometric thinking is a kind of abstract visualization with a language as well as a world of its own. Casual proofs of geometric ideas at a beginning of finding out set students in the ideal path of recognizing advanced concepts at a later stage. Geometry consists of topics in parabola, hyperbola, circle, triangle and determining them. A common geometry program involves lots of formal proofs which may pose difficulty in recognizing for average trainees. Pupils that lack understanding of the standard ideas of geometry discover verifying truths and also theorems frustrating at the senior high school degree.
Trainees initial learn to comprehend Geometric shapes with their look as well as go on to examine them via their buildings. They discover the patterns via drawings with the tools like: ruler, protractor as well as compass in their first years of understanding. They find appropriate and wrong forms via instances and also recognize geometric ideas at their 4th as well as fifth grades.
The abstract level is the third level of comprehending geometry where students recognize the partnership in between different shapes through their abstract thinking which occurs at secondary school. The problem level of abstract reasoning as at the senior high school degree can be minimized by presenting controls, attracting numbers as opposed to rote memorization of solutions and also meanings for locations and perimeters and various other dimensions.
Method makes a whole lot in getting ready for Geometry subjects. Also those who are well versed with the fundamentals of Geometry need to rest with proofs and work through them for their big scores. At the high school level, casual geometry and also geometric ideas instead of proofs could be introduced to students that need evaluation classes for sophisticated topics.