And the Roosters continue......

Here is the rooster and the hen as we move along in our mosaic. To be honest, it was harder to come up with colours for the hen as they are not usually as vibrant as the rooster. I am preparing the colours now for the ground; it will include "pieces of corn". The piece will be named: Coq Royale.

The Beginning.....

The Rooster beginning. As you will note, the colours are all which were shown on the previous post. I have tried to incorporate bright reds, amber, cream and white so you have the illusion of a rooster's tail, breast, beak and crown. I have cut the glass on diagonals. When doing this, best to use goggles or glasses and the shards can fly. Coming along nicely.

Picking Your Colours

The picking of glass colours and grout colour is, in my opinion, the most important thing. The choices you make will either make your picture leap into action, or lie flat and lifeless. I know, I've had both. The project I am working on are two roosters for the Royal Winter Fair (2011 submission) The colours above best signify roosters; the background will likely be sky blue and green grass with corn sprinkled in it. I'm leaning toward a dark grout, however that will be determined down the road.

Mosaic Tools of the trade

I prefer to use glass so therefore the above items are for this useage. When people use true mosaic material, they require a tile nipper, purchased at any home hardware store. The above items are a glass scorer (to create lines), glass cutter or nipper, flat plyers to break the glass, a glass cutting mat (not shown), protective eyeware for flying shards and of course, bandages. I like to use Weldbond glue for my projects. It dries quickly and clear. You will need a base for your project. At the beginning, it is best to use a flat surface. Afterall, you are just learning. Eventually you can migrate into 2 or 3 dimential projects.

How to Start a Mosaic

First of all, you need a spot of tea with lemon. It's a great way to be invigorated and start the plan. Of course, a design or template is necessary. In the case following, we will commence by creating a rooster. The best designs are simple in nature. You can gather inspiration from comic books, colouring books, nature (I love fall and spring maple leaves for their simplicity and colour). Aquariums, people, animals, houses and communities also offer inspiration. I have often put writing in my mosaics as well. The key element is to keep it simple.

The Royal Winter Fair Art Exhibition

For those of you who have not been to the Royal Winter Fair in a while, relive your past and visit it this year in November. Not only do they have wonderful artist exhibitions, but they have gardening and sustainable living displays, lots of animals (for the kids) and food kiosks to whet the appetite. I am currently working on the 2011 submission, titled Royal Rooster. A chronology will follow as the work progresses.