Peter Kelly 10/18/2022

As I begin to think about the artistic process, I first should come up with an easy, yet realistic way to represent my mosaic. I will probably use a large piece of cardboard or poster board, and I plan to use black and white dry beans. Since my mosaic is black and white, it is easier to come up with materials that match the colors, and I can focus more on the design and shapes of the image depicted in the mosaic. Beans can be easily tiled, and are similar in shape and size to tesserae used in the time period, such as glass or stones. I’ll probably use hot glue to adhere my beans to the posterboard. Here is a video that shows how to make a mosaic out of beans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa95TL-eF7s

I will most likely build this mosaic in my dining room. This is the biggest table in my house, and we have another table where we can eat meals. One problem I anticipate is having to transport my mosaic. If I have to move it while in progress, or even when it is done, I am worried that it will fall apart because beans are round, which means the surface area that is touching the glue is smaller, leading to increased chance of the beans falling off.

The aspect of the mosaic I will focus on the most are the boats surrounding a fire, with some of the rest of the pattern around it.

I’m hoping the audience will understand how important these mosaics were to commerce. They were early “billboards”, and drew many people into their store to buy their goods. Maybe, to accentuate the importance, I’ll add some stencils of boats or small drawings to further represent the industry. My own life will influence the work because we live near the Chesapeake Bay, a major marine area. I enjoy going down there and going on ferries across it, and I’ll keep this in mind while making my work.

Article on modern mosaics: https://mecartworks.com/famous-paintings-recreated-with-mosaic-tiles/