Finished Italian smalti mosaic of an abstract spiral |
This mosaic was done inside a a slide top 6 bottle wine box. Someone at the local wine store gave me quite a few of them for free. It was harder than I expected to work in a box with such high sides because there was never a good place for my arms and elbows. But I like the re-purposing of an item and getting a bonus knick knack shelf after it's complete.
A side view of the wine box |
The shapes in the completed mosaic are based on a 2011 photo from a spiral staircase in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
My husband's photo of the spiral staircase |
As I began the mosaic it was hard to find a direction. I didn't know if I should start work in the middle or begin out in the corners and work towards the center. I randomly chose to start with the lighter mid-section hoping to get a feeling of rising, but in the beginning it looked very much like an eye. I hope that part recedes in the finished mosaic.
My progress of the abstract spiral |
There is a meditative quality to creating a mosaic that I have not found in any other medium. It was almost therapeutic to lose myself in the tedium of placing each tiny bit. I truly enjoyed working on this mosaic and am sorry to see it finished because I will miss spending time with it.
Sharon Warren Glass | sharonwarrenglass | sharonwarrenglass.com | FluttterByButterfly | Sharon Warren Glass Artist