http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_30862988/mosaics-are-masterpieces

Mosaics are masterpieces

By Debbe Daley

POSTED: Friday, March 17, 2017 – 6:36 a.m.

How many times have we all been out on a drive only to gaze out the window at a beautiful mosaic on a church? Even traveling on vacation, mosaics are noticed in all sorts of places. Sidewalks, the side of a building and mostly in churches. Just recently, I had the pleasure of witnessing the very large palm mosaic design being installed on the front fascia of a new hotel building.

As beautiful as mosaics are to look at, many are unaware of the tedious labor it takes to install these masterpieces of art. Not only are they labor-intensive, but designing the perfect mosaic masterpiece for a specific space, whether in a home, religious building or commercial space, can be time-consuming — especially knowing that the beauty of such artwork may be in the eye of the beholder.

A few specifics to note before deciding to install a mosaic medallion, or even a mosaic border, in your home. If a perfect look is desired in your mosaic, keep in mind the beauty of a mosaic is that not all lines will be straight or perfect. This is the attractiveness of a mosaic, a piece of art. Some mosaic borders have very tiny pieces of stones, called pebble mosaics, that must be hand-placed to make certain designs and mitered corners.

Mosaics can be made up of a combination of stones and other materials. Usually composed of marble, in today’s creative design world, many mosaic borders can be found with a mixture of hard elements. Crushed glass, marble, metal and pearl can be used in a mosaic to bring a whole bathroom together. This combination will bring in design features such as texture, visual smoothness and design details. For example, a mosaic border with these textures will bring in the glass of the shower doors and light fixtures. The metal tile detail will tie in with the metal plumbing hardware, such as the faucet in the sink and shower. The pearl will bring together the marble countertop used in the space.

If you want to create your own mosaic medallion in a bathroom in front of a vanity or front entry hallway, many options are available to inspire your creativity, from elaborate marble and mirror florals to penny octagon tiles.

If a more dramatic option for a mosaic is desired, larger designs are more popular today than ever. Large diamond marble cutouts bordered with swerving, contrasting marble inserts would be a striking statement, embellished with a glass dot in a shower or for a focal wall in a foyer entry.

Because in today’s world of tile, mosaics are defined as masterpieces of art, when working with mosaics, the creative possibilities are endless.

 

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