What can't you use to mosaic???

I get this question a lot when doing classes. People want to know what they can't use to mosaic. My answer is simple for what not to use as a base. Anything that flexes is NOT good. Imagine that your flexible flower pot is an ice tray and the tiles that you meticulously set on it are the ice cubes. Now twist the ice tray/flower pot. What do you see happening??? All of the tiles/ice cubes will just pop off. That is my only rule with bases.

So what do you not want to use as tesserae? My rule is simple again. If it is going to rot, then don't use it! I have had people use some different items as tesserae besides the usual glass, porcelain, and stone. I have seen cork, plastic beads, forks, plastic fruit, napkins, metal salt and pepper shakers, legos, and on and on and on.

My favorite site to point my students to is www.jellybelly.com. Here is the direct link to their art gallery. Here they make mosaics using jelly beans. It just shows what can be done with odd material as tesserae.

So in the end, you should always be willing to try something a little different. It doesn't have to be outlandish but every once in awhile, add something off the wall to your piece!