A mosaic border design

Mosaics are another of the oldest forms of art. The Meditteranean countries, which are replete with ancient art works of the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans, have thousands of archealogical sites full of mosaics depicting everything from mythological figures to charming domestic scenes to the awesome religious edifices at Ravenna.

Mosaics are constructed from tiny pieces of colored clay, stained glass ,pebbles and even in some cases semi precious stones laid in pattern designs or in pictoral imagery. It is a virtually indestructible art form as it is made with these materials and then set into mortar. Modern techniques also call for grouting in some cases,as in a shower installation for further protection from water,but whatever the techniques used , mosaics look as sparkling even thousands of years later as when they were first put down.

The old techniques had to be quite time consuming and had to have the artists on site for the whole duration of the commission ,but newer methods enable a mosaic to be designed within the context of its projected place but constructed off site in a studio setting. This is because of the use of netting. A mosaic now can be constructed by the use of special adhesives to adhere the back of the small pieces(called tesserae) to the netting itself ,which also enables the artist to take the time to more carefully consider the work and make any changes deemed necessary.After satisfactorily completing the design then the entire piece can be brought to the project site and laid down in the mortar bed at the same time,cutting down interference and aggravation for the customer by about 95%.

For a one-of-a-kind look for your entry way ,your pool, or your bathroom, nothing is as beautiful or as durable as a mosaic.