Project by Karen Ami from Chicago.
Not too many young mothers of five have time to make and teach ceramics and mosaics, operate a recording studio, and raise a herd of alpacas! Meet Karen Ami, multi-tasker extraordinaire. Karen has been working with ceramics for the past 25 years, and now hand-sculpts clay leaf-shaped tiles from clay and uses them to mosaic plain wooden mirrors.
Materials:
10" x 10" mirror or frame
low-fire terra cotta clay
low-fire glazes
kiln
brushes
mastic (tile glue)
spreader (ice cream/craft stick)
tile scraps (glass, ceramic, etc.)
sanded black grout
small bucket or container
rubber gloves
newspaper
paper towels
vinegar
Steps:
1. Roll out slab of clay (terra cotta) and smooth surface.
2. Cut out leaf shapes and smooth edges with finger using a little water.
3. Draw lines on leaves (with pin tool or pencil) and allow to dry for a day or two.
4. Brush glazes onto tops of leaves. Load kiln.
5. Fire kiln (approximately 12 hours) and cool overnight. Unload kiln.
6. Glue leaves to mirror with mastic. Fill in odd spaces and complete edge (if desired) with tile scraps. Let mastic set up (cure) overnight.
7. Lay newspaper down on table and mix grout with water.
8. Using rubber gloves, spread grout over mirror, doing edges last. Work into crevices.
9. Clean off tile surface with paper towel. Use pin tool or toothpick to clean details.
10. Polish with vinegar and paint back of mirror if desired.
Website: www.mudhousestudio.com
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