A path home
Recently, I was creating some mosaic stepping stones for a garden path and it struck me how good it felt to fashion something so beautiful from the remnants of brokenness. Tiny broken pieces of glass once belonging to something perfect and complete, through the process of mosaic, can be re-imagined and returned to their usefulness. And it also struck me how similar life can be.
The root of the word “mosaic” means “Work of the Muses” in Medieval Latin. I like the idea that there is something so spiritually connected to this art form. My family is full of modern-day muses; lovers of music, art, and the written word. My father, a teacher, a painter, a poet and a dreamer, has been fighting the fight of his life against cancer. Watching his courage through the progression of this terrible disease has been humbling and has also rocked my world to the core. At times, my heart has been heavy and burdened and I am left with so little I can do. Show up. Be present. Hold his hand. Laugh. Cry. And love him with all my heart.
As in so many families affected by cancer, I’m left wondering how you recover from this uncharted and arduous journey. Perhaps you never do. Maybe all you can do is collect the pieces along the path and craft them into a new pattern held together by cherished memories and shared history, all the while knowing that it is forever changed. No matter what the path holds for my father, his journey continues to be full of color and light. The rich tapestry of his life forms a colorful sort of mosaic fashioned with humor, colorful stories, shared memories, deep conversations, and a rich history. I would not have expected anything less.
My favorite mosaic piece was crafted by my fellow artist and friend, Katherine Cleland. Katherine is a talented mosaic artist and offered to collaborate with me on an upcycld project. I live on a rural country road and visitors often have a difficult time locating my house. I wanted to create a sort of marker with house numbers to help friends easily find me. While shopping at a local antique store, I discovered a beautiful cast iron fireplace screen. Although I had no traditional use for it, I made the purchase knowing that it still had usefulness and I was determined to find it. Katherine created a beautiful mosaic plaque in craftsman colors to match my home and I used the fireplace screen to display her talents.
Some basic tips for creating a mosaic.
Step 1. Develop a template for the overall design. You can locate patterns online or draw a simple design to create your own. Simple graphic images work best for beginners.
A beautiful marker for my home.
A beautiful marker for my home.
Step 2. Find a surface you want to mosaic. Use your imagination. You can mosaic flower pots, mailboxes, tables, frames, mirrors, etc.
Step 3. Locate glass pieces to use in your mosaic. Again use your creativity. I have a drawer full of broken glass pieces, pieces I purchased at yard sales and purchased glass tiles and marbles that can be used.
Step 4. Using tile adhesive, brush the surface and arrange glass pieces as desired to create your design. Allow some space between the glass pieces to fill with grout later.
Step 5. When fully dried, mix up grout in a complementary color, according to manufacturers’ instructions. NOTE: Grout is much cheaper at hardware stores than craft stores.
Step 6. Wearing gloves, spread the grout over the entire surface making sure to fill in between glass pieces. Smooth the grout over the surface so the glass shines through. Let set for about 10 minutes then wipe lightly with a sponge to remove any grout from the surface of the glass.
Step 7. Let dry overnight. Spray grout sealant over the top to protect the surface.
Note: This article was first published on my blog, Upcycld on September 9, 2014. My father, Spencer McMurray, lost his fight with cancer on January 26, 2015. He lived his final days with the same humor, grace, dignity and courage that he lived his entire live. I will miss him all the days of my life.
