I have decided to add this new section to my web site in the hope that, as well as being of interest, this section might start to give some clues to the processes and decision making behind working one of my mosaic pieces.

Donovan the Cat – direct method of mosaic

Terracotta garden ornament
Tile nippers
Ceramic tile
Glass beads
Flexible acrylic adhesive (suitable for outdoor applications)
Sealer

40cm high x 20cm wide approx.

Click on an image above for a larger version.

With his psychedelic pattern of colourful flowers this cat is strongly reminiscent of the hip and happening 60’s. Originally a gift from a now 85 year old friend this little fellow took up residence in my garden some 18 months ago. There he has remained watching the world go by, while I waited for inspiration. Based on this, the decision to cover him in a field of flowers was an easy one to make – a perfect way of adding a permanent touch of colour to my garden.

Having sealed the terracotta I have now embarked on a process of embellishing the original cat garden ornament. Using the direct method of mosaic I apply flexible acrylic adhesive to each piece and then apply the piece the to cat shape. I begin with working the field of flowers using a glass bead as the centre piece and cutting petals from ceramic tile to build up the detail. The addition of some stalks of grass sees the detailing complete.

I am now happily occupied working on filling in the background of the cat's body.

The final section to work will be the head and face of the cat. As this will be the most challenging part of the piece to mosaic I am leaving this for last. This will ensure that I have maximum “thinking” time as I develop the look and feel of the body of the cat. I find that working this way ensures that I develop a direction for the piece while working on it, rather than rushing it and potentially ruining the final piece. Mosaic really is one art form where it is worth taking the time to think things through before committing yourself to the end product – the result will be with you for a long time.