The Creative Process In Action
How Ceramic Art Mosaics Are Made.
I often hear people ask why mosaic tiles creations seem so expensive
relative to the space they can occupy! It's true, many mosaic tile
designers charge anywhere from $150 to $200 a sq. foot installed.
The reason for this is TIME. Consider the steps needed to create one of a kind mosaic tiles:
Step 1. First, the clay gets rolled to the desired thickness appropriate for the project at hand. This can range from 1/8" for delicate ornaments to 1" for garden stepping stones.
Step 2: Next, the clay is cut, carved or otherwise shaped into the individual pieces they will become. Then each piece must dry sufficiently in order for the first coat of glaze to be applied.
Step 3: Three coats of glaze are applied to each piece for the first firing. The glazes, which are composed of finely ground glass held in suspension, will fuse into a beautiful water-color like top coat.
Step 4: The first firing is now done in a kiln reaching 2185F of heat. This takes approx. 8 hours to reach temp. and another 8-10 hours to cool sufficiently to handle.
I find that quite often I need to repeat Step 4 to touch up any background colors that might not have turned out quite right .
Step 5: Now the tile is able to be detailed, Adding lines and other delineating marks to give the piece definition and depth.
Step 6: Then the detailed piece is fired again at a lower temp. of 1830F which takes about 5 hours to heat and 8 hours to cool sufficiently to touch. If you are adding a touch of gold leaf for a rich accent, this will take another firing at a very low temp.1265F and again, more time!
Step 7: Now its time to actually install the tiles where they
are needed and grout.
If all goes well, nothing needs touching up, nothing explodes in the kiln as it sometimes does, nothing gets dropped along the way, you are looking at a good 7 days to make a 12x12 mosaic. Of course, kilns aren't fired with only a few pieces at a time, so factor in a little ore time to make a firing worth while. But when its finished....its unique, tailored to each customer and lasts a life- time!