Pink Again

6 7/8″ x 1 1/4″.  Copyright 2009 by Lynn Bridge.  Integral frame by Roberta Mitchell.

After my pink adventure yesterday, I’m still making pink mosaics.

When I make mosaics by laying tesserae (little pieces of hard things) into a bed of cement, I approach the work in the same way I would a drawing- with gestures and rhythm.  After cutting the glass and tiles that I think I will need, I mix the mortar with colorant, if I am using it, then smear my substrate (the piece of stuff I’m gluing things on) with the mortar and make the layer as even in depth as I can.  Then, I pick up tesserae and start placing them.  I already have a vague idea in mind because I’ve prepared the main pieces of mosaic material.  I feel a rhythm going; faster for large pieces and slower for placing the itty-bitty pieces with tweezers and dental tools.  I examine the work at a distance quite often to see if I’m pleased with the way it is developing.  I want your eyes to travel all over the work and examine each part, so I need to create a visual pathway to make that happen. I work steadily because the mortar is setting while I’m working and my time is limited.  I like being limited in some way because I become more spontaneous.

I created “Pink Again” based on a raku frame that my mom had made me a few years ago.   I had never settled on how to use the frame until I started looking at it with a mosaic in mind.  So, thanks, Mom, for the frame!

Still Pink

6 3/8″ x 5 5/8″ x 1 3/8″.  Copyright 2009 by Lynn Bridge

“Still Pink” is the result of wanting to work on an even smaller piece to see how bold I could make a little pink picture.  Because some of the tesserae are so three-dimensional, the finished work seems weightier than its small size would suggest.