Mosaic Inspiration: Column from Monreale, Sicily

I couldn't resist. We have seen lots of mosaics from Monreale Sicily this last week from D&G's extraordinary Tailored Mosaic Winter 2014 collection that today - still wanting to remain within the theme of mosaics from Italy - I'm sharing this gem of inspiration. How you use this ...it's up to you. I would definitely consider (if I was to make mosaics) creating a mirror using this golden/turquoise pattern as a border.

image credit www.viaggiestate.com 

Random mosaic mirror #2

Marble and smalti mosaic mirror made by Vivi and Evi, two girls of an elementary school

You won't believe if I told you this mirror was created by children of Elementary school. I actually got this from their school's website HERE where you will see more of their work. They have an amazing mosaic teacher but, beyond that, the talent of these kids is incredible. The site is in Greek (the school is on the outskirts of Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city) but all you need to do is look at the pictures of the mosaics to realise that mosaic art, when possible, is a great way to help children develop their skills of understanding and shaping the world and of being creative while learning to be patient. Really patient.

I adore the combination of blue and brown. Blue is elegant and calm and it goes everywhere. It's the colour of "trust" and often chosen by businesses and corporations. Brown means stability; it connects us with the earth and nature. The two colours together give a message of wholeness with blue being the colour of the sky and brown the colour of the earth.

Mosaic mirrors are popular objects for mosaic decoration. They give a special sparkle. They are easy to make which is one of the reasons why those wanting to begin learning mosaics could start with a small mosaic mirror project.

Chi è la più bella del reame? (Who's the most beautiful of all?)

This is not the first time I feature a mosaic mirror on Mosaicology. Mosaic mirrors are a particular case as they combine small dimension, art and functionality in ways that no other medium can. Why? Only mosaic can "play" with the reflections of light. And this mirror here is the perfect demonstration of this. Notice the glimmering effect of the golden tiles and tell me if this can be achieved by another artistic medium (oops, does that sound too challenging?)

This stunning mirror is a work by mosaic artist Ariel, one of my twitter followers. She has two children.

This mosaic stands out for the wise combination of colours and the curved surface that makes this mirror an absolute stunner for your wall in any room of the house but especially the bedroom considering the combination of dark tiles and shiny ones that would add sparkle to a dimly lit room.

The tiles she used are of various sizes and she has managed to achieve wonderful light reflections by setting the tesserae (tiles) on a curved surface. This is an intelligent way to actually "make up for" the compromised effect of a mosaic made the direct way where there's no play with light. The Byzantines made spectacular glimmering mosaic vaults and walls in their basilicas because they mastered the technique of setting the tesserae (tiles) in ways to reflect light from the windows.

I have a penchant for anything unusual as long as it's pleasing to the senses and provided it embodies the aesthetic values that we have inherited throughout the ages. This mosaic fits the pattern.

I hope you will like this mirror as much as I do. Comments more than welcome. I will make sure Ariel gets them!

Ariel's website HERE

Mirror inspired by Miro signed by Christian Astuguevieille

couturelab.com

We love all things inspired by the Arts and this one here is a stunning embellishment / mirror. 

An artist as opposed to a designer, Christian Astuguevieille’s work reflects a philosophical view that perceptions should be challenged. The motifs in his work have been cultivated through his travels, his observation of different cultures and traditions.

For more things inspired by Miro here's the link.

Seeing yourself (in fab mosaic mirrors)

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Seeing yourself for who you are at a given moment or a certain phase in your life is the first step towards any kind of change or improvement or simply appreciation for the gift of life and creativity.

ps> smitten by the last mirror