Lake Smalti

Here's the completed smalti mosaic - prior to cleaning off the excess thinset adhesive. The photo is pretty good for color rendition, perhaps a bit on the light side, but only just a bit. The photo of the mosaic after the adhesive was cleaned out did not come out very well - too dark and the colors had shifted. It's very difficult to photograph mosaics. I need to set up an area in my studio for taking photos that has the correct lighting setup.

This is a 6" x 6" mosaic that I did at the Smalti Workshop at the Chicago Mosaic School. Depending on your monitor resolution, you may be seeing it an nearly life-size.

If you're into doing mosaics and you have the chance to do a workshop or class at the Chicago Mosaic School you should, by all means, do it.

I love working with smalti, but it is an expensive mosaic material. I can get enough vitreous glass to cover a square foot for between $8 and $20. Stained glass can be more expensive, but not generally more than $25 or so for a square foot. Smalti on the other hand begins around $20 per pound and it takes roughly 3 pound to fill a square foot.

It's surely lovely stuff though. Well worth the cost. I just have to find a way to afford it - I need to find someone who would be interested in a smalti mosaic and get a commission - materials fees up front...