Make Your Own Mosaics: Ancient Techniques to Contemporary Art

by Helen Miles

Explore the powerful medium of mosaic in this book which offers a fresh perspective on the ancient art. Packed with photographs, clear instructions, and new ideas about how to create stunning mosaic pieces for indoors and outdoors, Make Your Own Mosaics explains the principles of mosaic making as practised since Roman times.

This easy-to-follow book contains step by step instructions on how to make mosaics, covering every aspect of the process from designing mosaics to tools, adhesives, and substrates. Written for creators with all levels of experience, this book opens up a fascinating world showing how ceramic and glass alongside recycled and reclaimed materials can be used to make lasting pieces for the home and garden.

Make Your Own Mosaics offers eight unique mosaic projects and seven different approaches to this addictive skill. Chapters on Learning from the Ancients are included alongside practical tips and information on how to choose the right mosaic method for your project. From making a mosaic house number to a garden wall plaque or seasonal decorations, this book will show you how. Whether you want to make classically inspired mosaics, experiment with found materials or decorate your space with beautiful and expressive art, Make Your Own Mosaics is for you.

• ISBN13: 9781399006354
• Publish Date: 4 April 2023
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd
• Imprint: White Owl
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 120
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Make Your Own Mosaics is a tutorial guide with templates for mosaic projects by Helen Miles. Due out 30th May 2023 from Pen & Sword on their White Owl imprint, it's 176 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. 

This is a well written and logically arranged teach-yourself course for beginning to quite advanced mosaic technique. The author (a mosaic artist & teacher) puts together an accessible and graphically appealing set of learning materials. The book is arranged in chapters from a surprisingly concise and comprehensive historical background, through materials, cutting and gluing techniques, and a well ordered historical perspective for techniques. The theory chapters are followed by 8 project tutorials. Each tutorial includes introduction and explanations for the project, supplies lists, step-by-step directions and -many- photographs. Photos are clear and without hands or tools figleafing the action shots.

The book has the feel of a well arranged and led workshop/retreat with a gifted teacher. I can imagine Ms. Miles is a worthwhile and engaging learning resource. For the folks who can't take a class or workshop in person, this book could be an acceptable substitute. 

The resource/links guide in the back of the book with stockists is slanted toward readers in the UK, but most (if not all) of the supplies can be found online for readers elsewhere in the world.

Five stars. This would be a superlative choice for public or school library acquisition, home studio, makers groups, and similar. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.