beadyeyedbrat.com

  Mosaics

Butterfly

April 2007

click on images for larger ones

please excuse lousy webcam photography

Image is from a painting found on the net. Mosaic is

for my own personal collection and not for sale.

These are 100% polymer clay and liquid polymer clay

About 5" x 5"

The cartoon

WIP April 24

The images below are full-size.

The pattern or "cartoon" is a piece of art that I printed

out in the size of the finished mosaic. See the lines

scratched into the sheet?

1. A sheet of clay is rolled out on the third thickest setting on my pasta machine in colors that I thought you'd see in the background of the field of grasses...a not-so attractive hunk of dk. green clay mixed with some scrap.
2. Strips of clay are mixed to match the colors in the piece. The butterfly colors are rolled out to #3, the background to #4 or #5. My choice to add a little depth, totally optional.
3. The sheet is trimmed to the size of the cartoon. (I call it a cartoon because my stained glass teacher did)
4. The sheet is then stuck down to the work surface; mine is a smooth 14" square ceramic floor tile. Give yourself plenty of room to work.
5. The cartoon was then laid on top of the clay and taped down. A needle tool traces over all of the outlines on the paper. This transfers the lines onto the sheet.
6. The cartoon is removed and taped onto the work surface directly above the sheet so I can see what colors go where. The remaining space on the work surface is used to for cutting pieces from each color.
7. Each section gets a very thin coating of liquid clay and the uncured, cut pieces are laid on it.  I find it easier to coat each section as I go so I can still see the outlines. I pick up the pieces on a clay blade and transfer them onto the clay with a needle tool. Fingers work, too, but I tend to texture them with fingerprints.

These pictures are taken with a cell phone camera and my webcam, so quality is poor, but better than trying to see it all in your head, right?

 

Here is my work surface.

 

You can see another sheet rolled out.

 

There is a second cartoon waiting for that piece

 

 

 

 

 

Progress April 25

around midnight.

click to see larger image

If I ever catch on to myself,

I'll stop with making all the colors

the same value. If I could redo this,

I would add a light grey to

all of the background colors

and remix.

All done April 25

8-something p.m.

click to see larger image

Wa-a-y too bright. The butterfly gets lost.

I've started mixing more muted colors for a new

one, but I was told (by persons who shall

remain nameless) that I ~had~ to finish it

and that if I don't want it, they will take it.

Other Mosaics

Puffin Tree  Welcome Sign

Note: If you are the artist, please contact me.

I have lost the information to contact you

and would like to give you credit for the artwork.