Autumn Special

Posted on November 8, 2011

Autumn is the season for joy. Crops are picked, so people enjoy the fruit of their labour more than in any other period of the year. Nature is putting on a fantastic show, probably to not be forgotten until spring, pleasing the eye with some of the most amazing colors imaginable. Also, autumn is a perfect time for weddings. Such found a friend of mine. And, as she wanted to immortalize this special moment in her life, she thought of the art of mosaic.

After a bit of research we got settled on two intertwined trees and the colors of autumn. The intertwined trees represent, of course, the newly weds that united their destinies. The branches that wind around creating a unified crown represent the wonderful experiences they will share together, as they embark on the journey of their life. At the base, the earth is covered with a mosaic carpet of leaves in different shapes and colors, specific for autumn.

I wanted to do something special, so, for the first time, I realized the work on a cotton canvas, already stretched on it’s base. The dimensions are 80x30cm.

First step: sketching the trees.

Second step: taking care of the background. As mosaic is a mixed art, this piece will represent this better than other works by being part mosaic covered – part acrylic painting. The colors I used for the background are gold and copper.

Third step: filling in the mosaic parts. To compensate the tree trunks and branches being one color, I used 4 types of black mosaic – 2 smaller, 2 shinnier.

Fourth step: grouting the work.

Fifth, and final, part: taking care of the details. Although I did’t think of it initially, I found the grout to be too bland, although I used a nice brown. So, I decided to paint over the grout in the background colors. I also chose to give the work an antique feel by framing the edges of the individual mosaic pieces in the metal colors of the background.