Creating mosaics is an addictive pursuit and once exposed to its possibilities, every object is viewed as a possible receptacle for a new project. As with photography, each person's vision is interpreted differently, fashioned by taste and life experience.
Mosaics are assembled on a substrate (base) using tesserae (small pieces of irregular or regular shaped glass, stone, ceramics, pebbles, and many found materials). When constructed using glass or ceramics, the pieces are cut and sometimes filed in a variety of shapes using special tools.
The tesserae may be applied to a variety of substrates (bases) using adhesive and finally secured using grout. The adhesive used is dependent on whether the design will be displayed inside or outside. The grout also serves the purpose of highlighting the design elements by outlining each of the components.
The laying down of the tesserae is known traditionally as the "opus". Different opus produce a different flow or appearance.
