Tumbling Tesserae: My Glass on Glass Mosaic Mandala Process

I recently was asked by the Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA) to write about the process I use when I create my mosaic mandalas for Groutline, SAMA's electronic newsletter. I thought I would share here on Tumbling Tesserae.

1) First cut out a circle of 1/8" plate or window glass. Take a piece of 1/4"zinc came and bend it using a zinc came bender (found at stained glass shops). Fit the zinc came around the glass circle and cut the came so it fits snugly to the glass. Solder the two ends together to form a secure joint. Once that is complete, you will have a "glass canvas" on which to work.

2) Next cut your tesserae from selected stained glass. I like to use ring mottled glass because I love the jewel colors and combinations along with the surrounding translucent shading of glass around it

3) I cut almost all my pieces ahead of time. Clean the tesserae. Put them in a recycled margarine container with lid., add a drop or two of liquid soap and some water, and shake vigorously. Rinse until there are no more suds. Drain and let dry.

4) Put your design underneath the prepared glass substrate and tape it to the zinc edge. The pattern is directly below where you will glue your tesserae. Clean the top side of the glass before you start gluing. I clean my glass with rubbing alcohol. My current adhesive of choice is MacGlue. It dries clear in about 20-25 minutes and creates a strong durable bond.

5) Then start gluing tesserae along major design lines following the pattern. Fill in remaining areas one color at a time. As you can see. I tend to work from corners when completing a section. Once the corners have been filled in, the remaining spaces become more defined and it is easier to find a close match. I usually lay out a placement of the tesserae like I want it first. Then I take them off, spread the glue and replace the tesserae to their correct position.

6) If you look closer at the glued tesserae, you will see that the interstices are fairly tight, but like the shape of each tessera , they are far from perfect. Consistency is more important than precision in my approach.

7) Once you have finished gluing the pieces and the glue has dried, it is time to grout. Mix the grout and apply to the mosaic surface. I use sandless grout and add an acrylic mortar additive, but you can use sanded grout if that is your preference.

8) Wipe off the grout after it has started to set (usually about 20 minutes) using a circular motion. I like ot use crumpled up newspaper that serves as a paper rags. Use them and throw them away. The mosaic design should now reappear.

9) Finish polishing the mosaic by putting some dry grout on the top of the mosaic. Using a paper rag and later a well worn soft toothbrush, rub off any remaining grout residue from the surface of the tesserae. (I save the gritty grout mixture after I am finished for the next time.) You can also use a dental pick to do the final clean up as needed.

10) Solder rings or hangers to the zinc frame so that the mosaic can be hung in the window. After a day, you may want to do a quick scrub with a brush using half vinegar/half water solution to really have the mosaic sparkle. Attach a chain and enjoy your creation.