Article Type Making Art Together Making Art Together Categories At Home Art Studio Collage

Marvelous Mosaics

Diana MacKenzie

A mosaic is sort of like a puzzle: several smaller pieces, or tiles glued together to make one larger image. For a recent Every Day Art activity, guests created colorful mosaic patterns or pictures with shapes made from bumpy, squishy, soft and other textured materials. 

Throughout the project, the materials changed here and there, but a few standards from week to week were corrugated cardboard, padded manila envelopes, bubble wrap, textured papers, painted oak tag, foam, and fabric. Guests had fun cutting and arranging their shapes into a design.

Some guests were inspired to work representationally.

This project’s inspiration was the beautiful mosaic works by artist and Disney animator, Mary Blair. The Carle recently had an exhibition of her work in the East Gallery, Magic, Color, Flair: the world of Mary Blair, which closed at the end of February, 2016.

Authors

Diana, smiling wearing an orange scarf and brown shirt.

Diana MacKenzie

Public Art Program Educator from 2007-2016, Diana has a BFA in Printmaking from Syracuse University and creates mixed-media works inspired by her travels, combining her interests in printmaking and sculpture. She received her M.A.T. from Mount Holyoke College in June 2017, and continues teaching visual arts to children and adults.