QUARRY STONE

Locally available quarry stone is not highly processed. These materials never get close to a polisher! Depending on the type of stone and the process used to extract it from the ground, these textures can be incredibly variable. Where are your fingers might slide smoothly over a polished slab of granite, a quarried piece of sandstone will offer grit and resistance.

The blue gray stone surrounding the sea turtle is quarried in Pennsylvania and has a rough, toothy texture. It is not sharp or at all dangerous, but it offers friction, where the marble and serpentine do not. The Care Takers, Ocean View Elementary School, Norfolk, Virginia

PEBBLES, FOSSILS, GEODES

Another way to add texture and visual interest to a mosaic is to incorporate other materials and details. We have used smoothed river rocks as decorative elements as well as storytelling devices.

Tiny black pebbles suggest the antenna of a lady bug. A polished, rounded piece of Labradorite creates an iridescent eye.

TESSERAE

The vast majority of my work is done in a style called opus sectile- large individual pieces are cut to shape to create a picture. A more commonly known approach to mosaic uses tesserae, smaller pieces of material assembled with intention to create patterns and/or pictures. On occasion, I will use the same technique. It offers interesting visual and also textual effects. It can also be a way to extend a limited resource.

Green Man’s eyes are made of malachite, which is not generally available in large perfect sheets. The smaller tessarae in the iris allowed me to get that intense color, but also had more of the shimmery depths of an actual eye.
The Green Man, Asheville, North Carolina

GROOVES

Sometimes I deliberately mar the surface of a stone, to create texture. This technique also allows me to play with the visual storytelling.

A series of gentle curves cut into larger pieces implies fish scales. This is also practical; these are shiny stones laid into an exterior patio. These grooves provide additional traction and slip resistance to a potentially slick surface.
Private residence, Asheville, North Carolina

Grooves in a piece of Emprador marble imply pencil lines. The cicada wing the boy draws is a reference to a larger component of this mosaic.
The Tiny Kingdom, STEM Academy at Campostella Elementary School, Norfolk, Virginia

RELIEF ELEMENTS

Small sculptural pieces that project forward from the wall attract the eye and invite the hand. A fish carved of green soapstone and a rounded scallop shell with grooves cut into its surface project forward from this ocean themed mosaic. Workshop image offers some perspective on the thickness of the fish, about one inch.

The Care Takers, Ocean View Elementary School, Norfolk, Virginia

OTHER THAN STONE

Many other durable materials can be incorporated into mosaics, offering a wealth of textures, story-telling opportunities and ways to engage an audience.

Percussion instruments mounted into the mosaic invite students to play along.
The Treehouse Orchestra, Larchmont Elementary School, Norfolk, Virginia

Fossilized coral creates the faceted pattern of a mantis eye.
The Tiny Kingdom, STEM Academy at Campostella Elementary School, Norfolk, Virginia