Crafts A mosaic, generally speaking, is a surface decoration made by inlaying adjoining small pieces of variously colored glass, marble, tile, or other materials, in such a way as to form pictures or patterns. The ancient Greeks and Romans were highly skilled in the art, bringing it to such near-perfection that much of their work had the quality of great painting. Mosaics then lapsed for several centuries but were revived in Italy during the Middle Ages with considerable success; many eminent painters designed subjects for mosaics. The mosaic art still flourishes today, and notable examples of it occur in many of the principal modern buildings in Europe and America. Mosaic has been employed in murals, on sidewalks and ceilings, and in decorative pieces of all sorts from a table top to a portrait.

The amateur using mosaic as a medium will probably not go in for murals and portraiture, yet there is very little limit to what he can do. Certainly he is free to arrange different colored pieces of material in any way he chooses. Usually he starts out with small tiles or some form of tile and experiments with small decorative objects until he has the confidence for bigger things. Mosaic kits can be bought in any art or crafts store. They are becoming increasingly popular as people discover how easy it is to make attractive ashtrays, unusual coasters, and distinctive lampshades. You may want to start out with a simple kit; this will give you confidence to go on to something that seems much more complicated, but it really isn't. The store that sells kits will also offer a vast and bewildering selection of tiles in all colors, forms and sizes. What you choose depends largely on what you want to make. There are three basic types of tile, and each may be used for slightly different purposes. The glass or vitreous type of tile is unlikely to absorb or lose moisture, and therefore can be used to make articles which are intended to be liquid-proof. Ceramic tiles offer a wider range of colors than glass but are considerably more porous; the porcelain tile often constitutes a useful compromise because it is a form of ceramic with some of the characteristics of glass.




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October 6, 2008