CERO combines artists’ love of painting and mosaics

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vol. 7 issue 3

For the past four years, artists Celso Gon-

zalez and Roberto Biaggi have dedicated

themselves to creating works of art and

architecture in Puerto Rico and the United

States. They call what they do “ARTquitec-

tura.’’ Through their business, CERO Design

and Built, Inc., this team started out by add-

ing broken ceramic tile mosaics to building

facades, treating the walls as canvases while

giving them new life with a permanent work

of art. They combine elements of painting

with architecture and elements of architec-

ture and furniture design with sculpture. By

entwining disciplines, Gonzalez and Biaggi

say, they can create more-engaging projects

for themselves, their clients and casual

observers.

And there can be other socially beneficial

aspects: After installing a 1,200-square-foot

abstract mosaic on the façade of a continu-

ally vandalized shopping center, such acts

of destruction just went away. The artists

say that when a wall becomes art, people

around it tend to appreciate the effort and

eventually respect it.

proposed an 8’ x 20’ wall with 10 portraits.

After a few meetings with representatives

from the town of Caguas, P.R., Gonzalez and

Biaggi came up with 25 men and women in

the arts, politics, sports and education for a

wall that was 13’ x 60’. Most of the images

used in the mosaic came from a book on

black history of the island. A few came from

the Internet and other sources.

There were a number of challenges.

The greatest hurdle was to make realis-

tic portraits of each person -- using the

broken-tile mosaic technique. Gonzalez and

Biaggi were experienced in making abstract

compositions with broken tiles. But realism

was a challenge.

Ultimately, each image was digitally re-

duced to three tones: black, white and gray.

The artists then created a 3’ x 3’ cardboard

stencil for each face and used them to

paint the portrait onto the wall. Then they

placed the mosaic over the painting, first in

blacks, then in whites and grays.

(Continued on age 2)

A year ago, the artists began experiment-

ing with pouring in place their own “sculp-

tural walls” of concrete. These are covered

in mosaic art, usually with colorful abstract

designs. CERO created its first free-standing

work in 2005 when the artists were com-

missioned by the city of Coral Springs, Fla.,

as part of a sculpture competition called

Sculptures on Sample. After winning a spot

near a bus stop, the two traveled to Florida

where they built on site a 5’ x 14’ concrete

sculpture with a bench that seats three

and covered it in mosaic art. The entire job

was finished in one week. The first day the

wooden form was built, with rebar, on top of

an existing foundation for the art work. The

second day the concrete mixer came with

2.5 cubic yards of material and filled the

wooden form. On the third, it was time for

revealing the concrete “sculptural wall.” Then

the tile mosaic finally began.

Since then CERO was commissioned to

build a monument honoring the accom-

plishments of Puerto Rico’s black residents

– Blacks with Wings. Originally CERO

In the next Groutline: An inside look at the

Jackson Wall project in Plano, Texas.

See page 7 for a preview!

2

(CERO story continued from cover)

Another challenge was building the wooden

form into which to pour concrete. The pour

itself happened in three stages: first, the 4’

x 60’ footing; then the middle section to 8’

high, with 10’ cantilever wings on each side;

and finally the crown up to 13’ in height.

The artists wanted to build a phoenix-

type bird, representing the wings that took

each one of the personalities into history.

This was the reason for the complex curving

silhouettes at each side and the top of the

sculpture. It required plenty of rebar to hold

the wings to the main structure, making

the sculpture a real monolithic piece. CERO

had done “pour in place” mosaic sculptures

before, but never on such a monumental

scale as Blacks with Wings.

When it came to color design, Gonzalez

and Biaggi wanted to make a statement

by contrasting a highly colored background

with the three-toned portraits. This way,

the portraits would be highlighted. The

artists also used earth tones to match the

surrounding areas, using a brown quarry

tile as the main color. Quarry tile does not

shine or reflect the way glazed ceramic tile

does. This effect causes the quarry tile to

recede from the shiny glazed tile and adds

a three-dimensional appearance to the flat

wall. CERO used oranges, yellows, greens

and whites to add light to the surface, while

creating contrast with the browns and reds.

Another project, Ceremonial Spiral, for

the University of Puerto Rico’s school of

architecture, consists of two seating areas

facing each other. The idea was to create a

gathering area for students to interact. The

spiral design was a symbol used to attract

them to visit. Students were invited to

participate in creating the work.

Gonzalez and Biaggi say that they keep

track of the lessons learned from these and

other projects: Concrete is as malleable as

water. In order to form a desired shape an

artist must be skillful with wood framing.

With each new “pour in place” sculpture,

they tried to push the materials, challenging

their skills in carpentry and rebar work.

For the university project, they studied

the ergonomics of the human body to make

sitting areas comfortable. It was impor-

tant that the edges of forms were finished

smoothly, using the “factory side” of the

ceramic tile, not the broken one. They also

made sure that the surface was as flat as

possible so that all tiles would be on the

same plane. Once the grout is in place,

there could be no edges sticking out.

Gonzalez and Biaggi combine their

individual painting styles, allowing CERO

to make coherent art. Biaggi leans toward

figurative and realistic styles, with Gonzalez

leaning more toward abstract. The artists’

colorful abstract mosaic compositions

blend with surrounding environments. They

try to satisfy clients’ needs while promoting

their own artistry. They know that abstract

compositions work better for some clients

and always leave space for interpretation.

With more than 10 years of experience

working on a variety of multimedia projects

together, Gonzalez and Biaggi respect each

other’s work. It is clear to see, through their

collaborations, that they have developed a

symbiotic artistic relationship.

French mosaicist diesJean Destrade, a dear colleague, talented artist, teacher, writer/researcher and spirited mosaic advocate, died on May 27. Nicknamed “Juanito”, his most recent project, Concert d’Eclats (Shards Concert – Matter of Dreams), gathered 88 special-made mosaic “planets” from artists (including SAMA members) in many countries. These diverse disks, now set in a white shattered-tile field, make up a mosaic “so-lar system” installed at the school where he taught in Montpellier, France. http://ecoledmosaique.com/ Click on Concert d’eclats 2006. Juanito will be sorely missed by friends around the world.

Sandals by Jean Destrade

One of the most terrifying experiences for a

mosaic artist, whether beginner or veteran, is

picking the right grout color. Grout can make

or break a piece, and after spending weeks,

months – or even longer – creating a mosaic,

it’s heartbreaking to pick the wrong grout color.

I learned that the

hard way, as most

of us do.

I realized early

on that I don’t

like doing tradi

tional grout

studies, but I

I tried to suggest the mood or temperature

of the season with the background colors. To

unify the piece, I used the same three colors

of unglazed porcelain in all four backgrounds,

but mixed in season-appropriate colors to

suggest the differences between seasons. I

also ran a wide grout line across the top and

bottom two panels to suggest horizon lines,

and that also helped unify the mosaic. Ulti-

mately I decided to go with the same color – a

medium-to-dark gray – Pewter. I’m happy with

that choice and glad I did the study.

couldn’t bear to ruin another piece. So I

developed a method of my own. In a previous

job, I learned the full range of Adobe software.

I took a photograph of the completed mosaic

without grout, loaded it into Photoshop and

“erased” the grout lines. Then, using an on-line

Polyblend (Custom Building Products) color

chart, I loaded different grout colors “behind”

the image of the mosaic. Where I had erased

the interstices, the grout color showed through.

Deleting the grout lines takes me about an

hour, but inserting each additional grout color

takes only a few seconds.

When you do a grout study, it’s easy to

discard the obviously bad colors -- you should

have seen this piece in white! -- but often you

are left with several choices that are pretty

good. Narrowing down the choices to the right

color can be difficult. For the piece called 4

Seasons à la Warhol, it wasn’t an easy choice.

I asked myself: Should I use a single unifying

grout color or use different colors on the differ-

ent panels?

If I used different grout colors, it would

intensify the differences between the seasons.

If I used the same grout color, it would draw

the piece together. When creating the mosaic,

Picking the perfect grout color By CATHY WEEKS

BAYLEAF – Looks nice in Spring, but only so-so everywhere else.

CAPTAIN’S BLUE – Really helps the Autumn leaves stand out, but doesn’t seem to fit anywhere else.

CONCORD GRAPE – looks great in Autumn, and awful in Spring.

DELOREAN GRAY – Not bad overall, but perhaps too pale?

DOVE GRAY – One of the best overall colors, but perhaps too dark?

EARTH – Gives it an overall soft, warm look, but Spring looks muddy.

HAYSTACK – too washed out. ITALIAN STRAW – Washed out Winter and Spring, and it fractured Summer and Autumn.

MALLARD GREEN – I really liked this in Summer and Autumn, but not in Winter and Spring.

PLATINUM – Leaves got lost in Spring, and Summer and Autumn were too fractured.

FOUR GROUTS – Dove in Winter, Bayleaf in Spring, Mallard in Summer and Captain’s Blue in Autumn. I considered this combina-tion very seriously.

GROUTED – The completed mosaic, grouted in Pewter.

3

Cathy Weeks’ mosaic

experiments in Jordan,

Minn., are relentless. She

is a generous contributor to

the MAO) message board,

and her web site is

www.catherineweeks.com

Dogged Determination

By ANDREA SHREVE TAYLOR

Last year, I was chosen to participate in

one of those ubiquitous “Parade O’ Critters”

public-art campaigns that many cities,

towns and regions do as tourist attractions

and fundraising events. This one was in the

city of Fredericksburg, Va. The creatures for

the event were cats and dogs, which were

forms made out of fiberglass resin.

I chose to mosaic a dog. The decorated

critters lived around town from May through

September. Then they were auctioned off.

Proceeds went to several local charities.

From the beginning, I was crunched

for time. I should have seen it as an omen

when I did not hear about the call for artists

until three days before the deadline. I had

to come up with a design – fast. I kept

things simple, using just one color for the

majority of the dog. I thought that mirrored

glass would have the greatest impact and

decided to create a golden dog, using pri-

marily Spectrum Silvercoat’s gold-mirrored

glass. I love mirrored glass and will look for

any excuse to use mirror in my mosaics.

And here I had hit upon a design where I

got to cover nearly the whole dang thing in

mirror. Bliss. I called it Golden Retriever.

After a few weeks, a letter arrived saying

that my design had been accepted. After

doing my happy dance, I read a little farther

and, uh-oh, it looked like there would only

be about six weeks to complete the piece.

Challenging, I thought, but not impossible.

Silly me. Life has a habit of getting in the

way of precious mosaic time, so when the

time came to pick up our “naked” dogs and

cats, we were notified that there had been

a manufacturer’s delay and that we would

have to wait a few more weeks.

Once we did receive the critters, I had

about three weeks to complete my piece. A

slow, burning panic set in. I know how slowly

I work, how persnickety and lost in the de-

tails I get -- not to mention how well I pro-

crastinate. I would need some structure and

moral support. Luckily, I had the wonderful

community of the Yahoo! mosaicartistsorg

message board to turn to. I had to impose

daily mini-deadlines on myself and recruit

peers to pressure me to produce. I posted

an online photo journal recording my prog-

ress at the end of each day or two. MAO

members could follow along. Knowing that

other artists might be watching spurred me

to stay on task. I completed my project on

time and, as an added bonus, I got to share

it with others.

I had about 21 days to complete the

dog, and I worked on it for 18. It took me

almost 120 hours from start to finish to

mosaic it. But finish it I did. The city spon-

sored a “Vote for Your Favorite Dog and Cat”,

and mine won. At the auction, it earned the

second-highest winning bid for a dog form.

As proud as I am, what gave me the

most joy was driving or walking by my

dog as it sat on the corner of William and

Caroline streets and seeing all the head

pats and nose kisses that it received from

children and the smiles on people’s faces.

4

ask the proQ. Q. I’m thinking about using mirror

tesserae for an outdoor project. Do I need

to seal the back of the mirror to prevent

the discoloring that I see in some old

mirrors?

A. I love using mirror – and love the

look of it outdoors. There’s no guarantee

that mirror used outside won’t eventually

de-silver or get black spots showing

in the patina. I’ve heard a few folks

suggest that mirror never should be used

outdoors. Still, it’s so lovely; it reflects

its environment and it would be a shame

to never let it see the light of day. So

my philosophy is that the beauty of it

outweighs the likelihood that it will not

stay perfect for a hundred years. To never

use mirror outdoors is like never having

a vase of fresh-cut flowers because they

eventually will die. If you want to use mirror outside,

use good-quality mirror glass (not cheap

stuff) and seal the mirror backing with

a sealant. Some people use clear nail

polish for that; I use mirror sealant, which

is much like a spray paint. You can buy it

from stained-glass or mosaic stores or

online. For optimum effectiveness, spray

the back of each bit of cut tesserae and

let it dry completely, so every cut edge is

sealed. De-silvering is caused mainly by

moisture or reactive chemicals getting

to the silver backing. So optimally, every

cut edge of all mirror tesserae should be

sealed.

Andrea Shreve Taylor lives in the

Stafford, Va., countryside with two

cats, two dogs, two horses and

one husband. She has been a fully

immersed mosaic artist for more

than four years and also teaches.

She incorporates many types of

mirrored glass into her mosaic art.

5

Day 1: Work included drawing the design on the form (following the drawings, which are

taped to the work table) and cutting and sealing lots of glass. I used mirror sealant on the

backs of the mirrored tesserae after cutting them out. I sealed the base with Kilz primer the

night before. For glue at this point, I am using clear Liquid Nails.

Day 2: Worked for about 4 hours, continuing to glue down the design. I realize that I have to

learn how to work faster.

Day 3: Had to remove some tiles that I didn’t like. I wore latex gloves this day so my fingers

don’t get as sticky. All that meant was I was now wearing sticky gloves, which really liked stick-

ing to each other. A lot.

Day 4: Not much work today -- spent it belatedly celebrating wedding anniversary with my

husband.

Day 5: About 4 hours’ work.

Day 6: Nearly almost sorta kinda half-a-dog done.

Day 7: I decided to switch from Liquid Nails to high-quality exterior-grade silicone as adhe-

sive. Although it seems to take longer to dry, it seems less messy than the Liquid Nails.

Photo of mouth close-up: Wow, what a challenge this was. Some of these pieces are smaller

than 1/4 inch. I used nonmirrored stained glass for the mouth and nose and grouted them in

pink and black, respectively.

Day 8: Started on the front heart medallion. I cut out the hearts (one on each side, one on

the chest) with a diamond-band glass saw. All other tesserae were cut by hand. Will finish up

the underside of the dog as the last step.

Second side: Spiral drawn and started on side two, side heart medallion cut and glued,

and 1⁄4”-inch wide smaller strips started on ear.

I cut mirror in 1⁄4”-wide strips with a pistol-grip glass cutter and a straight edge and then

nipped in random rectangular shapes using a wheeled nipper. They are turned over and ready

to spray with mirror sealant.

Day 9: Nipping and placing those little bits on her ear is RUFF! It’s important to keep in mind

when adhering on a 3-D surface that you do not want any pointy corners sticking up, especially

on a public-art project where people are going to be touching it. Imagine how the “plane” of

the grout will sit once you put it on to make sure sharp edges are covered. This often means

using a slightly wider grout line than you would on flat projects.

Day 10: About 7 hours’ work. Keystoning tesserae (nipping small angles off the sides) when work-

ing on circles allows you to follow the curve more gracefully, and grout lines stay consistent.

Day 11: I tidied up a bit and moved my worktable closer to window for better light.

Days 12 and 13: Crunch time. I forgot to take a pic at end of day 12. Lots of nipping odd

bits and working in nooks and crannies on day 13.

Day 14 and 15: Finally! Everything’s glued on. Still grouting, buffing and sealing to do.

Grouting: I used a sanded buttercream-colored grout, and added a little extra yellow paint

pigment to deepen the color. The mouth and nose will be grouted in different colors, so I

masked them off, using blue painter’s tape on the mouth and Handi Tak and tape on the nose.

Wiping grout haze: My husband, the willing recruit, using a bamboo skewer to gently pick off

the occasional pesky blob of dried glue on the front of the glass. What a trouper!

Day 16 and 17: She’s grouted, buffed, and little niblets of stuff have been meticulously

picked off tesserae. Not yet sealed with grout sealant.

Completed dog (opposite page): She’s done! YAYY!!! All sealed and polished up

-- and ready to go.

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Day by day, step by stepHere are excerpts from Andrea Shreve Taylor’s photo journal. The original journal can be seen online at http://photos.yahoo.com/messy_magpie

6

Commission opportunityThe Arts Advisory Committee of Duke

Divinity School is seeking to contract with

an artist to design, create and install eight

mosaic panels (each measuring approxi-

mately 40” high x 18” wide and featuring

biblical figures) in a new divinity building.

The school wants to narrate the biblical

story through the “eyes” of biblical women.

Subjects will range from Sarah laughing

to Mary at the empty tomb. The gifts and

temperament of the artist, as well as the

ability to understand nuances of the Bible

stories, are critical.

Contact Susan Pendleton Jones

(sjones@div.duke.edu) or call

919.660.3481.

Tiles of the Northern Plains The Tile Heritage Foundation’s symposium,

including tours, scholarly presentations,

workshops, demos and exhibitions (historic

and contemporary) will take place Sept.

13-17 in Duluth and Minneapolis, Minn.

THF events consistently showcase high-level

work and feature great camaraderie and

learning opportunities. For more informa-

tion, go to www.tileheritage.org or www.

handmadetileassociation.org.

MEMBER NEWS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Crafts Report ShowcaseSAMA member Kim Wozniak was chosen for

prominent placement in The Crafts Report’s

“Insight” feature. She was thrilled when an

assistant editor contacted her to write an

article. “This is their glass focus issue, and

I asked if I could use my glass mosaic work

instead of my glass art,” Kim said. They

agreed, and Kim was happy to be able to

promote mosaics.

Go to www.craftsreport.com and look for

the “Insight” section, where you can see a

full-page image of Untangled, Kim’s mosaic

sculpture. She writes about the place that

mosaic artwork has in her overall marketing

program, which incorporates commercial

and residential installations, galleries, juried

fairs and public-art submissions.

The Crafts Report was established in

1975 and is a

monthly business

magazine for the

crafts profes

sional.

Kim Wozniak – Untangled; hand-cut stained glass over a recycled styrofoam wig stand

Tune in!“And it’s off to Arcata, CA., to meet a woman who has gone to pieces - - - decorating her house

in glass mosaics.” That was the introduction to Laurel Skye’s segment on HGTV - “Offbeat

America.” The program will air again on August 11th.

Raising the bar – then clearing the hurdle!“(Joseph) Campbell saw everything through a lens of myth, metaphor and the metaphysical. He

saw ‘proper’ artists as exalted mystics. ‘The way of the mystic and the way of the artist,’ he said,

‘are very much alike -- except that the mystic does not have a craft.’ In admiration, he realized

that through studio disciplines, artists deal with universals. He named a lot of these univer-

sals -- from rhythmic patterns to a sense of wonder. He felt that proper art had to be an art

that performs a function. When this function is added to the concept of kinesis (movement),

then you have what he called ‘aesthetic arrest.’ By this he meant that the innocent viewer is

stopped dead in his tracks and has no choice but to stare in awe.’’*

Isn’t this what Emma Biggs exhorted us to do in her Washington, D.C. address last year?

She urged us to raise the bar for ourselves, to consider what our work is about not just in terms

of mosaic materials and techniques, but also in the context of the big ideas of the day. Again,

challenging ourselves and our audiences to see what we do as being more than a pleasing

arrangement of interesting materials.

And Marco Bravura said that craft alone is dead, without the animating principles of pas-

sion and love -- “the secrets of our job!”

*Courtesy the Robert Genn Bi-weekly Letter 4/11/06 http://www.painterskeys.com/clickbacks/giftscribe.php

Monkeys invade Mesa?Contributed by Richard Davis

Mesa, AZ, Future File. Article from The Funny

Times newspaper’s True Story section some

time in 2005:

“Bright Ideas” -- The East Valley Tribune

reported that the police department in

Mesa, Ariz.,, was still awaiting word about its

$100,000 federal grant request to buy and

train a capuchin monkey for its SWAT team.

Capuchins are now used as assistance

animals for the disabled, in that they can be

taught to fetch things off shelves, and the

police want to see if one can be trained to

unlock doors and search buildings on com-

mand. The Pentagon’s visionary research

agency, DARPA, is considering the proposal.

Richard says, “I feel much safer about

the 2007 SAMA visit to Mesa!”

Ed. note: Wonder if those monkeys could be

trained to do mosaics?

SAMA Board and Officers

Executive Director

Advisory Board

Groutline Editors

Groutline Designer

American Mosaic Project Director

OfficersPresident - Nanci Mills PipgrasVice-president - Rhonda Heisler Treasurer - Karen AmiSecretary - Teresa Sullivan

Board of Trustees

Nancy AncrumJuanita CanzoneriJeanAnn DabbBonnie FitzgeraldKaren GilbouxSusan JeffreysSonia KingJane O’DonnellJulie Richey

Dawnmarie Zimmerman

Bill BuckinghamGeorge FishmanLori Postma

Nancy AncrumGeorge Fishman

Nancy Ross

PHO

TO:

MIC

HEO

SAN

GO

LIES

7

Virginia Stevens works in her

home studio in Davison, Mich.

Her work is in private collections

in California, Michigan, Maryland

and at Paradise Lake Resort in

Northern Michigan. For information

on forming your own local

“support group” contact Virginia at

vls48@charter.net.

teachers, soccer moms and grandmas.

Some are clay artists or tile setters. We

have a restoration expert, glass artists and

mosaic instructors. The majority of the group

are women; one man is a member. The one

thing we all have in common is that we just

can’t get enough.

Our individual techniques and talents

motivate us to share information. Each time

we meet we have scheduled demos and

speakers. Subjects have included hot glass

creations, frame and base construction, clay

crafting, glass cutting, building 3-D figures,

photographing our work, waterproof mem-

branes for exterior application and more. We

had a day-long workshop at Motawi Tile Co.

To enhance our marketing skills, we visited

an up-and-coming art shop that has gone

nationwide with functional art products.

We have shared lunches in restaurants,

potlucks in homes and a mosaic tour in our

state capital -- which was not the success

we had hoped. Some of us are teaching our

children and grandchildren to love mosaics.

We can sing our own accolades because of

solo exhibits, public-art and private-school

It’s a lonely place out there -- just creating

mosaics and thinking: “Am I doing this

right?” “Is there a better way?” “Will it last

out of doors?” “I wish I had a mosaic

friend to talk to.”

Then you attend your first SAMA conference

– there is such joy! You think: “Look at all of

these people who are just like me. They are

my kind of people. They love what I love. They

talk my talk. I must be in heaven.’’

When you leave you are on an artistic high,

because you’ve made so many new friends

and received so much valuable information.

But once you return to daily life, you also

return to the relative isolation. This is what mo-

tivated a group of Michigan SAMA members

to form the Michigan Mosaic Group. For three

years, about 15 Michigan mosaicists have met

every other month September through June.

Some drive two hours each way just to make

our meetings.

Our diversity springs from our many

backgrounds and experiences. Some of

us are professional mosaicists, others are

hobbyists. We have art directors and art

projects and pieces done for Michigan State

University. Five of us have had the honor of

being chosen to exhibit at a SAMA confer-

ence. We add a new member from time to

time, occasionally losing one as well.

We have hopes for the future. We are

planning our own group exhibit and we

aspire to educate Michigan residents about

the progress of modern mosaics. We all

dream of next year’s SAMA conference and

carry visions of the next mosaic we want to

create. We dream of new tesserae and “ooh

and ahh” over demos that our comrades

share at each meeting. The Michigan Mo-

saic Group is having a lot of fun keeping the

conference alive.

Keeping the conference alive

After countless hours of inspired, devoted

and coffee-driven effort in the studio, Shug

Jones and Lynne Chinn, with colleagues

Julie Dilling and Stephanie Angel -- and

various “guests” -- have finished the design

and production of their monumental mosaic

mural, commemorating the predominantly

African-American Douglass community

in Plano, Texas. They were completing the

installation just in time for Juneteenth,

the celebration of Emancipation Day. Even

before the wall was finished, neighborhood

residents caught the joyful mosaic spirit.

Stay tuned for a full account in Grout-

line. To learn more now, go to: http://www.

wishbonegraphics.com/planoprofile/

Douglass Wall reaches the finish line Regarding thinsetting in 90+ degree

heat, Shug said, “We’re girly girls, but we

can get down and dirty, too!”

In this new technical manual, originally

published in Spanish and translated into

English by Michael Brunelle and Beatriz

Cortabarria, is the work of two talented art-

ists/authors who have collaborated on other

projects including the book Warm Glass; A

Complete Guide to Kiln-Forming Technique

from 2005. SAMA members may also

know Philippa Beveridge as an instructor of

mosaic workshops in Barcelona.

Mosaics: Decorative Techniques is orga-

nized into four chapters and, like a number

of publications that introduce beginners to

mosaics, starts with an overview of the me-

dium and the vocabulary of relevant terms.

Chapter 1 contains brief generalizations

about the history of mosaics -- illustrated

primarily by Spanish examples. It was

surprising to find the medium of mosaic

summarized, in a comparison to paint-

ing, as being essentially one of imitation

-- with inherent limitations. While there are

certainly instances when patrons and artists

conceived of mosaic as just a more durable

form of painting -- the mosaic copies of

Renaissance and Baroque altar paintings in

St. Peter’s in Rome, for example -- the medi-

um often was selected over mural painting

as a more-dynamic solution to introduce

color, texture and light to architectural

surfaces. Generalizations aside, the first

chapter is most effective when it discusses

and illustrates terms using modern and

contemporary mosaics as examples. Two

works by SAMA member Ellen Stern are

described nicely in lengthy captions.

Chapter 2 is devoted to materials and

tools. From the design to cleaning and

finishing phases, readers get clear and

concise descriptions, again accompanied

by fine-quality photos. SAMA members,

however, may be more familiar with Italian

versions of hammers and hardies than

the cold chisel and single-edge hammer

illustrated.

Chapter 3 examines the stages of the

mosaic process from design to finishing, al-

though photographic and digital approach-

es to the former are not in evidence. Cutting

techniques for various materials are well

presented, and the pages devoted to lami-

nated and etched glass suggest to readers

the possibilities of creating elements unique

to their own creations. Preceding the section

devoted to “placement techniques” are four

pages of charts that compare supports, ad-

hesives and materials for both indoor and

outdoor applications. This handy reference

will prove valuable in avoiding mistakes and

ensuring a longer life for mosaics intended

for varied environments. Direct, indirect and

double-indirect methods are illustrated with

small-scale examples and several possibili-

ties for pigmented grout are included in the

section devoted to finishing techniques.

Step-by-step projects in Chapter 4 make

up the lengthiest part of the book. Ten

examples are included, and the range of

substrates, materials and techniques builds

8

BOOK REVIEWMosaics: Decorative TechniquesBy Philippa Beveridge and Eva Pascual

Reviewed by JeanAnn Dabb

upon the information presented in Chapter

3. The formats range from tree ornaments

to architectural panels and accommodate

broad skill levels for readers to explore. The

project that describes integrating a mosaic

motif of brilliant red peppers in a tiled bath-

room wall is particularly intriguing. A related

project, incorporating blue peppers, outlines

methods for decorating backsplash surfaces

in a kitchen.

The text concludes with a brief glossary

of terms (from andamenti to trencadís). The

ideal audience for this book is the mosaic

enthusiast or beginner who’s interested in

sampling various methods and following

(or customizing) the step-by-step projects

found in Chapter 4. The formal qualities of

mosaics and the terminology as applied

to the medium in Chapter 3 will provide a

good foundation for conversations about

specific works as well as the artistic process

itself.

Mosaics: Decorative Techniques

By Philippa Beveridge and Eva Pascual,

Hauppauge, NY

(Barron’s Educational Series Inc.)

2005, ISBN 0-7641-3229-6, $21.99

(paperback) 143 pages,

A solid foundation for beginners

At the 2005 conference I had the pleasure

of meeting Ilana Shafir, who shared that she

didn’t work from sketches or attach her tes-

serae until her bits were selected and fitted

together. Once I saw her work in that year’s

exhibition, I was fascinated as to how she

achieved such complexity with what seemed

to be so little planning. When I learned

months later that Ilana would be sharing her

technique in a workshop at the 2006 confer-

ence in Chicago, I wasted no time registering.

Spontaneous mosaics? I knew this was

going to challenge me. I am a planner. Usu-

ally, I have visualized a piece to completion

several times before I ever begin. I know just

what it will look like. I use traditional ma-

terials and have selected -- and reselected

-- which ones I will use until it’s just a matter

of putting them together.

In this class, I was faced with piles of

materials that I never use -- stones, shells,

pottery shards -- and had no idea of where

to use them. Confronted with all this spon-

taneity, I felt a bit off balance.

The class began with introductions and

a PowerPoint presentation by Ilana. She

shared photos of her studio space, and

things started making sense for me. Ilana

works fairly large, so it is difficult to see how

the mosaic is progressing. I have always

struggled with this issue, too. Her solution

was to mount a large mirror on the

ceiling above her work surface. This lets

you see your piece from a distance by

just glancing up. A mirror definitely will

be an addition to my studio space. Next,

she guided us through a series of

progress shots of her work. “Dry-fitting”

large portions of her mosaic without

actually adhering her tesserae allows

her to find the perfect texture and color

by changing and moving the pieces

without inhibition. Once she has

found that they are all “hugging and

kissing” to her liking, she adheres

them and moves to the next portion

of the piece.

We were asked to bring a collection of

stones, pebbles, broken pottery shards,

broken plates and shells -- whatever we

could conjure up. These materials are not

standards in my studio, so I made a pre-

Spontaneous Mosaic Workshop with Ilana Shafir By KIM WOZNIAK

conference trip to a local thrift store. At the

workshop, we all unpacked our treasures

and began arranging them. I felt awkward

during this process, but as I pressed on,

a sense of calm and rhythm emerged.

Ilana encouraged us to use this technique

regularly in our own studios, and I have

committed to do this. I am often so caught

up with trying to create a “great” piece every

time I work, that I rarely take time to explore

my materials and let them lead me.

At the end of the workshop, Ilana said: “If

we (mosaic artists) are to become accepted

into the world of fine arts, we must be

willing to push our materials beyond their

tradiitonal use and create artwork that

is possible only in the mosaic medium.

Bearing in mind all the principles of fine

art, we must find our own unique means of

expression, and reach the highest standards

of self-critique.”

I want to be Ilana Shafir when I grow up

-- brilliantly composing art from buckets of

broken junk.

Photos (clockwise from top left): Ilana’s artwork: Primordial Water, Oriental Garden, detail from Urban Mosaic, Ilana Shafir

Kim Wozniak lives and works in

Pulaski, Wi. Her mosaics can be seen at

www.reclamationstudios.com. She is

also the owner of Wit’s End Mosaic.

9

At one point in Tennessee Williams’ A

Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche duBois,

the quintessential Southern belle says, “I

have always depended on the kindness of

strangers.”

In the spring of 2003, I had my own

personal Blanche Moment. I wanted to do

a mosaic to fill an architectural niche on

the front of my house. I had no art training.

Didn’t know my vitreous from my unglazed.

Thought of nippers as small children. And

was scared to death that I would complete-

ly ruin the curb appeal of my new home.

I Googled “mosaics” and found the

Yahoo! group mosaicartistsorg. There

I tentatively posted my questions and

found, much to my surprise and delight, an

abundance of kind strangers. I immediately

was smitten with an art form and an on-line

community.

Six months later, I put faces to those

strangers at my first SAMA conference. By

the end of the three days, I had 300 new

“best friends” because, the truth is, where

there are mosaicists, there are no strangers

– and in this, there is magic.

Every day, I see examples of the kind-

ness and generosity of the SAMA communi-

ty. The unconditional sharing of knowledge,

whether live or virtual, is phenomenal. Our

members are donating their time to schools

and localities in creating art that is inspira-

tional, technically sound, and meaningful

to the people who will view it every day.

There are mosaics in Ghana and Vietnam

and Mexico and who knows where else

that would not exist without our members’

initiative and heartfelt desire to make a dif-

ference in the lives of others. When the call

went out to create a scholarship in memory

of Robin Brett, hundreds of you opened up

your checkbooks. Go to a conference, and

you will experience the handiwork of an

army of volunteers committed to making

your time there the best it can possibly be.

I thought a lot about what to say in my

first President’s Letter in Groutline. I sifted

through a lot of ideas, but kept coming back

to this fact: For me, mosaics are magic

because of the people who make them.

That I am president of SAMA is due in

no small part to the kindness of strangers.

Now it’s my turn to give back a portion of

what this community has given to me. I’ve

got two years, a Board of incredibly smart,

committed and accomplished professionals,

an Executive Director who “hangs the moon”

every day for our membership, a strong

financial position built on sound decision-

making, and you, a membership chock-a-

block with heart and generosity. In these

things, I am fortunate beyond measure.

As many of you know, earlier this year

I was diagnosed with cancer and under-

went major surgery at the same time as

the Chicago conference. The good news is

I’m cancer free. The bad news is I missed

seeing folks I’ve come to care about

deeply. Many of you were with me, sending

your thoughts, prayers, cards, flowers, tile

samples, photographs and e-mails during

my recovery. Simply put, I could not have

made it through the experience without the

generosity of people who are no strangers

to me now. Thank you.

Now, go out there and make some magic!

Nancie Mills Pipgras

The kindness of strangers

president’s letter

10

t hanks !Thanks to all of SAMA’s financial backers!

GOLD CIRCLE SUSTAINING CONTRIBUTORS

MosaicTile.com/Opiocolor MosaiqueOrsoni Smalti Veneziani

SILVER CIRCLE SUSTAINING CONTRIBUTORS

Laticrete Internationalpo2 Associates, Inc.

BRONZE CIRCLE SUSTAINING CONTRIBUTORS

Artful CrafterdiMOSAICO

Institute of Mosaic ArtKP Tiles

Milestones Amazing ProductsMosaicArtists.OrgMosaic MercantileMosaicSmalti.com

Mosaic Studio & GalleryProPak, Inc.

Venture Tape Corp.WeldBond Adhesives

Wits End Mosaic

SAMA BENEFACTORThe Chicago Mosaic School

SAMA ADVOCATEMonster Mosaics

SAMA PATRON MEMBERSKaren Ami

The Chicago Mosaic SchoolTimothy FalbdiMosaico

Gina HublerDesign Impact/Mosaictools.com

Sonia KingSonia King Mosaics

Mary Ann MooreOklahoma City College

Artha JacksonArtha’s Mosaics and Supplies

Michael YablonMosaic Mercantile

Teresa SullivanXanadu Collection

Barbara VargasMosaic Basics

11

PAYMENT TOTAL AMOUNT: Membership dues + Donation =PAYMENT METHOD: Check enclosed Credit card (information below) Card Type (circle one) • VISA • MasterCard • American Express • Discover

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NOTE: Annual memberships run January through December. Sorry, no pro-rated memberships.

Corporate Corporate membership for suppliers and other businesses includes:•• All of the General Membership benefits•• Website link from SAMA’s Suppliers Page

Patron Patron membership includes:•• All of the General Membership benefits•• Special mention in each Groutline•• Special acknowledgment on the website

General General membership is available to individuals and includes: •• Groutline, SAMA’s quarterly newsletter •• Annual conference with show, speakers, workshops and more•• Exhibition opportunities•• Opportunity to submit questions to ‘Ask the Professional’ column•• Possible inclusion in the Members Gallery on the web site•• Opportunities to network with other artists

Professional Professional membership is a self-selected membership level for individuals and includes:•• All of the General Membership benefits•• A link from the SAMA web site to member’s website

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Join the Society of American Mosaic Artists and begin receiving Groutline! Please print and complete this membership form and send it, along with a check or credit card information to the address below. Please allow 3-4 weeks for membership processing. You can also join online at http://www.americanmosaics.org/shop.cfm

MAIL OR FAX TO: SAMA MEMBERSHIP • PO BOX 624 • LIGONIER, PA 15658 • FAX 1.724.238.3973QUESTIONS, CALL: TOLL-FREE: 1.866.902.SAMA • DIRECT: 1.724.238.3087

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www.americanmosaics.org

Tunisia’s Mosaics Are Coming This Fall!

Actually, JeanAnn Dabb’s report of her

study trip to this treasure

land of Roman-era mosaics will

feature beautiful photos and an

enticing account.

Check this (cyber) space!SAMA’s web site is undergoing major upgrades. Our in-house guru and board member Bill Bucking-

ham is working with site designer/programmer Ken Purcell to make the web site serve you — the

members -- with grace and power! Once it’s fully operational this summer, there will be several

feature enhancements and much more frequent updates. The members-only area (behind the

velvet rope) will provide exclusive benefits and allow you to easily revise your own profile data and

images. Look for full functionality in August. Meanwhile, keep checking the “classic” page for news,

information and to buy stuff!

Sousse-Leopard Hunt, detail

www.americanmosaics.org