In September, Piece by Piece participant artists learned how to make a 3D substrate from scratch, using a polystyrene ball, fiberglass mesh, and thinset mortar to create garden spheres. Teaching artist Julie Williams led the group in the fabrication of the spheres, then shared the techniques unique to working on a 3D surface. Participants developed their own designs and then teaching artist Ellen Dinerman led the group in the mosaic fabrication part of the project.
Working on a three-dimensional project has special challenges and rewards. “I learned that on a curved surface, you have to go with smaller pieces,” says artist John V. “That, and managing the adhesive is key.” For artist Kim, the process was a great new experience: “I really enjoyed making the sphere! For some reason, my cutting was better and everything just flowed easily. I liked the process.”
Artist Vicki talked about the differences she saw in working with two-dimensional vs three-dimensional: “When it’s 2D, you can see the whole surface. With a sphere, you can’t see the whole thing, which makes it interesting as you keep turning to see what’s next.”
The themes each month at Piece by Piece help guide our workshops through inspiration and experimentation. Working in three dimensions has brought a whole new perspective to many of the participant artists. Look for some of their mosaic spheres on our website for sale!
