May/June 2016 Issue
Beads, Baby! A Creative Way to Embellish Surfaces
May 4, 2016
Cloth•Paper•Scissors May/June 2016 issue
by Cherie Ilg Haas, Senior Online Editor
Beaded Mosaics | Three-Dimensional Art By Katherine England
Collage, die cuts with dimension, textured acrylics–the latest issue of Cloth Paper Scissors will have you stopping everything to try out the new techniques and tools we’re sharing with you. Get inspired with Seth Apter’s “The Creative Pulse” column on overcoming obstacles, see how Indira Govindan combines doodle art with wood burning, and learn how to make a beaded mosaic with Katherine England. Keep scrolling to learn more about Katherine’s three-dimensional art.
"Twelve years ago I began a journey of teaching myself a craft that was new to me–mosaics. Lacking such fountains of information as the Internet or a support group for mosaic artists, I made about every mistake possible, but then slowly gained skill and confidence. Given my short attention span, I soon moved on from colored glass to other types of tesserae and eventually started playing with beads. I had seen work by Betsy Youngquist and was so inspired I had to try making mosaics using small gems.
I often mix traditional mosaic methods with this technique I developed, which is very different from the traditional use of glues and mortars. This process allows me tight control of how close my beads are and secures them immediately, thus giving me exactly the final product I envisioned. The great thing about this method is that you don’t have to grout it afterward, since the epoxy creates a nice smooth background that complements whatever material I use. As a result, you can use a plethora of tesserae: beads, shells, jewelry, rhinestones, glass, crystals, and more.
Since developing this method I have made dozens of pieces, from tiny jewelry pieces to six-foot-tall sculptures with wonderful results. Be brave in this medium and try things you had only imagined before." ~Katherine
Learn more about other mixed-media techniques such as making charcoal drawing sticks from scratch and repurposing household items into art tools. Also, see the hand-cut stencils and artwork from our reader challenge and so much more, in the May/June issue of Cloth Paper Scissors!