School mosaic projects

Adult workshops and courses

A selection of mosaics completed by adults at various venues in one day workshops and short courses.

Bedwas Junior School mosaic is a 2012 Mega Mosaic Makers prize winner

‘Mega Mosaic Makers’, celebrating creative mosaic art in primary schools, is organised by BAMM, the British Association of Modern Mosaic and sponsored by Topps Tiles. 

Bedwas Junior School mosaic has won third prize in this national competition for 2012. Both the artist and the school won vouchers to buy mosaic materials from 'Mosaic Trader' which we are going to be using to buy the necessary materials for the next mosaic.

The inspiration for this mosaic project was taken from the local school environment, in particular the Rhymney River, to celebrate the strength of the local community of Bedwas near Caerphilly in South Wales. As the children’s literacy work in years five and six had been based upon celebrating differences, Samantha Hall, the Curriculum Co-ordinator wanted this to be evident in their mosaic and was keen to infuse the design with patterns of textiles and rugs from around the world.

The design process ran over two days where the children created colourful collages based on world textiles and rugs which were enlarged and amalgamated into a final design by the artist in Photoshop, based on the river Rhymney. As an introduction to mosaic all teaching staff took part in a training workshop to learn basic techniques as well as the necessary tools.
To make the mosaic a team of sixty children, from years five and six, worked with the artist for a further ten days – working in-directly using unglazed porcelain tiles and vitreous glass – and mirror tiles for the fish. The mosaic was installed onto a prominent exterior wall in the school playground. This project was not sponsored and therefore relied upon the school’s commitment to providing creative and inspiring opportunities for the children.

We are really pleased to have won this prize amongst some stiff competition last year - Congratulations to all involved!

Cwrt Rawlin Primary School, Caerphilly

North Ealing Primary School mosaics

Mosaic seat - Garden Suburb Junior School

Mosaic tryptich in Garden Suburb Infant School - wins first prize in Mega Mosaic Makers 2011

This mosaic was inspired by the painting ‘Tobias and the Angel’ from the workshop of Verrocchio which was the focus of the ‘Take One Picture’ scheme run by the National Gallery and enthusiastically taken up by the school under the direction of the infant school art co-ordinator Sarah Jowsey. We are delighted to be awarded first prize in 2011 in the Mega Mosaic Makers competition, organised by BAMM, the Bristish Association of Modern Mosaics and sponsored by Topps Tiles. http://megamosaicmakers.org.uk

There are 270 children in the school – 3 classes in each year group – so 9 classes in total. The children in Reception, Years 1 and 2 were working on a variety of cross curricular activities based on the painting and through discussion with them and their teachers it was decided to create a whole school mosaic piece on the theme of journeys – Tobias was making a long journey with the Archangel Raphael to collect a potion for his blind father

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All the design work came from the children and each year group focused on either Land, (year 1) Sea (reception) or Sky (Year 2) and every child made a design collage or painting of one element of theme. From these I drew up the final design then, after approval worked again with each class for one lesson each, where every child made the piece they had designed for the mosaic – either a small ceramic piece or mosaic section. These were all laid out to form the design onto 3 x 1m square boards and over 6 days the children, teachers, assistant teachers, lunch time supervisers and parent helpers came to the temporary artists studio at the back of the hall to contribute to the mosaic. It was finished, grouted and installed in the newly decorated, colour co-ordinated foyer.

The piece was constructed using porcelain and vitreous glass tiles of colours in keeping with Italian renaissance– with small mirror tiles that glint under the spotlights, combined with small relief ceramic pieces of fish, coins, potion bottles and wave foam made by the children.

The piece took at least 12 days school contact then incalculable hours for finishing and grouting.