A Glass Mosaic Wedding Gift
Updated: Mar 12, 2022
I didn't think my brother was going to get married.
He is a pretty free thinker, and I wasn't sure they needed a piece of paper, ceremony or audience to show his commitment.
They met in 2018 and have been inseparable since. They have magic; you can see it! Together they have two bright, intelligent children.
2020 was a big year for them. Their daughter received a beautiful baby brother, they adventured to upgrade to a home with a yard, and they married.
Yep in November, out of nowhere, I received a bunch of pictures over WhatsApp. My brother had intimately quietly gotten married blocks from this house. Of course, nothing too fancy, outdoors, slacks, a baby strapped to the bride and their gorgeous flower girl.
What else do you need?
They decided to have a wedding reception in August 2021 outdoors at their home in their garden. I am extremely happy for them and looking forward to watching them grow as a couple and family.
I wanted to give them something special to celebrate. So, I made a mosaic.
I wondered if I could capture their happiness, joy and the celebration of their love on the day they committed to each other.
The Photo
I decided on this photo. I wanted to get the whole family, the delicate flowers, the
closeness and the simple, beautiful intimacy of the atmosphere.
To attain the details I wanted in the mosaic, I chose to crop the image and enlarge it.
My goal is never perfection, because as Dali says, "Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it." So my goal was a family portrait, impressionistic style mosaic."
A first for me.
Glass Layed
I enjoyed making this mosaic. Laying the glass was fun as I started to recognize the characters, location and mood. I enjoyed using texture to differentiate coats, creating my nephew's sweet little booties, and the delicate glass pieces I used for the bouquet.
Grouting
As you can see, I grouted two mosaics at once. I often do this. I find it more efficient; as one is drying, I can work on the other. (Click here to learn more about the boat)
I whipped up my favourite Mapei Grout in 27 Silver and got to work. I like to tape the edges, pour the grout in the middle and work outwards. Once the mosaic is fully covered, I remove the excess with a paintbrush. As the mosaic dries, I keep pulling the extra grout and add grout where needed. Spritzing the grout with water helps keep the grout flexible to fill the grout lines flush and leave a thinner layer of grout on the glass, making it easier to pick and polish later.
Pick & Polish
This mosaic had a time restraint as, of course, I last minuted this one. Because of that, I knew it was only going to get one coat of grout. So I let it dry, hoping that it wouldn't end up with sharp glass edges. My plan did work, but it was harder to do the pick and polish phase.
Finished Product
Overall, I like it, and this mosaic accomplishes what I set out to do. It captures a particular moment in time, a portrait of a loving family, and a unique, thoughtful gift from me.
As always, incredibly grateful to continue learning, creating, teaching, and inspiring.
Jessica Fairweather
Artist and Instructor