Tile Mosaics Workshop

Tile Mosaics Workshop

Adult Course | This program is completed

200 Grant Street Denver, CO 80203 United States

B5

All

3/19/2024-4/23/2024

6:00 PM-9:00 PM MDT on Tue

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$382.50

$332.55

$49.50

$15.00

Ceramic tile mosaics have been a part of our history for thousands of years. Using everyting from raw ceramic to bright colors these tiles can be oriented to create a 2 dimensional wall piece, table and counter tops, or even floor and wall tiles. This course will give the opportunity to create mosaics creating abstract designs or representational imagery, going in to depth and learning how to set, grout and seal your tiles for a wall piece. Join Vicky in this 6 week workshop to create your own mosaic work of art. 

***Please bring your ideas and images to class the first night for discussion***

- On the first night of this course, we will meet and discuss design options, ideas and examples for creating a tile mosaic piece in clay, as well as get started preparing slabs for the next class.
- During the second week, students will come prepared with an idea of an image to create in tiles. Moving forward during the next weeks, I will take you step by step through the process of making your tile work including cutting and preparing tiles, glazing, assembling, gluing and grouting the tiles onto a prepared surface.

  • Syllabus

    Night 1: Discuss project, design ideas and show examples. Roll out slabs.
    Night 2: Create template, transfer design to slab, begin cutting tiles, clean up tiles, plan decoration, apply underglaze or colored slips if necessary.
    Night 3: Prepare tiles for bisque, test glazes.
    Night 4: Trace bisque pieces onto heavy paper, cut out, glaze tiles.
    Night 5: Paint board and prepare hook on back, glue tiles
    Night 6: Color grout, apply to piece, final buff and clean up, apply sealant


    Each class includes a standard weekly lab fee which covers the cost of firing and glazing. This class has an additional clay fee, the clay used during class may only be used in class. If you would like to attend open studio, students must purchase clay through the registration office at ASLD and must be done in person: $20 for 25lbs of stoneware, $25 for 25lbs of porcelain. Please only purchase clay from ASLD, unless approved by the studio manager.  No low-fire clays may be used at ASLD.

    Currently enrolled students have access to Ceramic open studio for a $5 fee. Please see the whiteboard

  • Materials List:
  • - Fettling knife or clay knife
  • - a few different shaped wooden modeling tools
  • - Needle tool
  • - Wire carving tool(s)
  • - Small ceramic sponge
  • - Serrated rib (flexible steel)
  • - Polymer ribs: blue (firm) with a flat edge (shape 3) and red (very soft) bean shaped (shape 1) by Mudtools
  • - sketchbook or notebook/pencil or pen
  • -old hand towel
  • - apron
  • Community tools are available for student use, in exception of a small sponge. If you prefer personal tools, a basic ceramics tool kit, small sponges and large clean up sponges may be available for purchase at ASLD on a first come, first served basis. We welcome you to bring any new, used, found and repurposed tools you may have.

  • If you purchase your own tools, we suggest you assemble a basic tool kit that includes:

  • - Potter's rib (wood and or rubber)
  • - Metal rib
  • - Wood modeling tool
  • - Needle tool
  • - Trimming tool(s)
  • - Throwing sponge

  • Local Ceramic supply stores:

  • Rocky Mountain Clay 1220 W 1st Ave, Denver, CO 80223

  • Continental Clay 5303 East 47th Ave., Denver, CO 80216

  • Stoneleaf Pottery 6611 W 58th Pl, Arvada, CO 80003

  • Meiningers 499 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203

Vicky Smith is passionate about ceramics and the intersection of art, education, and the relaxing, potentially healing power of working with clay. She has taught ceramics to students of all ages in numerous educational settings that include nonprofit art centers, public and private schools, colleges and artist cooperatives. Her teaching philosophy centers on the idea that working with clay can be a positive experience that helps balance out the pressures of everyday life and can become a vehicle for accessing and using ones’ creative voice. In her own work, Smith’s focus is on hand-built organic, sculptural forms that exhibit a quiet, introspective narrative. The surfaces are layered with combinations of slip, terra sigillata, glaze, oil, and sealant. In addition to her ceramic sculptures, she produces handmade tiles and has several tile installations on permanent display. Her work has been displayed in local and national shows. She holds an M.F.A. from Rhode Island School of Design and a B.F.A. from the University of Colorado.