About five years ago, a friend showed me pictures of her glass-on-glass mosaic project. It was a beautiful Fall tree and the light behind it made it look like it was on fire. I was hooked. She told me about an upcoming mosaic workshop nearby and I immediately booked myself in for the weekend. My teacher for that workshop, Kory Dollar, is amazing. You can find information about her works of art and workshop schedule on her website Marvelous Mosaics Fine Art: https://marvelousmosaic.com/.

For my first project, I chose a mountain scene. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into that project. It was a learning experience for me. Kory taught us about glass selection, color theory, glass cutting and nipping techniques, project choices, and of course, lots of advice and encouragement.

I’ve since been creating my own mosaics, out in my workshop in the backyard. I only make them as gifts for friends and family (with the exception of one commission for a friend). But each one has been a labor of love.

A few of my glass-on-glass mosaic projects

My final project, a spider, turned out to be my hardest yet. The manufacturer of glass-on-glass mosaic glue, Mac Glue, ceased production due to an issue with a supplier of one of their key ingredients (as per the information I was given). So, I used an older bottle of Mac Glue that I had from a previous project. That proved to be problematic. The glue application wasn’t smooth, and when I went to grout, I had a severe case of grout bleed. Grout bleed happens when there is a gap between the glass substrate and the mosaic pieces and grout is pushed under the mosaic piece. It makes for unsightly dark spots under your glass. I quickly pried up the affected pieces and cleaned them thoroughly before regluing them. On to my next attempt at a fix.

I had heard of a technique called a “glue wash” using a different type of glue that would supposedly seal the edges. That turned out to be another disaster. The glue wash introduced moisture under the majority of my mosaic pieces…huge white splotches all over my mosaic. First, I waited a week to see if the mosaic glue would dry on its own. No luck. Then I placed it on a heating pad for several days. There was some improvement but not a complete fix. In a final, desperate attempt, I propped the piece in front of a space heater for another three days before finally admitting defeat and prying off the last few wet glue hold-outs. I then cleaned the area and reglued them with a new layer of mosaic glue. After a final grout, I was ready to clean it all up and get it off to its new owner.

I’m going to be honest. That last mosaic kinda burnt me out on the medium for a while. I might go back to it in the future, but for right now, I think I will try something different. I’ve already planned out my new project, making a traditional mosaic on a hard surface backing. I’ll keep you posted. Wish me luck!

Kind regards,

Anne