Making Mosaic Mirrors
Here's a peek into Johannah’s design process as it evolves through four different large mosaic mirrors.
{Click on any of the images to enlarge.}
After making several mirrors in light, pretty colors with curving lines, I wanted to create a mirror that felt more masculine. The colors in this mirror are heavier and more earthy, and the grout line is straight. The first photo shows the palette and color progression for this piece, and the second photo shows the mirror in process.
The colors and the serpentine line in this mirror are similar to earlier mirrors, but I added an inner border in flat gray unglazed porcelain.
For this mirror, I used the porcelain border in place of the sinuous grout line in the last mirror. This piece makes me think of an underwater ocean scene, with the the meandering line of ceramic against the deep blues and greens. The first photo shows the finished mirror ready for grout. The second photo shows a photo shoot in process with the mirror on our fancy rolling photo wall!
For this last mirror in the series, I wanted to work with blue and black again as I did in the first piece. I used unglazed porcelain in blue rather than the neutral grays and browns in my earlier mirrors. I created a wider and more dynamic serpentine grout line. Against the dusky blues, this grout line reminds me of a line of smoke rising from a candle or a stick of incense. The first photo shows my sketch for the grout line, and the second photo shows the piece in progress. Those cookie trays are so helpful for sorting colors.
