First, I want to say that I did not create this piece (though I may have to "borrow" the idea at some future date. ). It is the work of a local artisan who also creates similar works with "beach glass" that she finds here along the shore. I really had a hard time choosing a piece, they were all so lovely, but in the end, this one "spoke" the loudest. :-D I really like the dimensional quality of these pieces. This one has bits of old china plates and pieces of vintage cola bottles as well as old broken medicine bottles. The frame is cut from MDF and coated with what appears to be paint which then had sand sprinkled onto it while still wet (not sure, just guessing). The shards have been glued in place with something clear and very strong, my best guess would be epoxy.
What a neat piece! I keep finding bits of broken glass while working in the garden...perhaps I should start saving them all
Could be coated with sanded grout. I'll bet Bethie will pop in and know how this was done. Don't mean to be a party pooper, but how on earth do you clean a thing with sharp bits attached to it? That aside, this is very cool!
Maybe it is sanded grout :?: , it appears to be quite a thin layer though. You're right, Mary, Bethie will know as soon as she sees it. Yup, I know what you mean, :-? that was one of the first things I wondered too, but when I got close enough, I could see that the edges have been sanded enough to make the piece safe to handle (hard to tell from the photo). Wouldn't it be great to make a piece from the bits you find in your garden, Netty? I like that idea very much.
You can buy cans of pressurised air which would clean the dust off and save your fingers from being cut. It's a really neat way of using junk. Maybe I should start saving all the pieces of broken glass and pottery I find in the garden. :-D
Neat idea. One more project to add to my list so big now I will never get a fraction of them finished...or started for that matter. I love making things from broken or discarded items so this might be a have to do project.
*jealous of people who find bits of old pottery in their gardens* I'll just have to go to a garage sale and smash my own!
MDF = Medium-Density Fiberboard, much like, but a bit denser and stronger than particle board. I don't think the sanding is too hard to do, Sharon. When I did some traditional mosaic with broken pottery I just kept a piece of coarse sand paper on my work bench and sort of brushed each broken edge across it lightly once or twice. Same thing I did with the cut glass pieces when I did stained glass. And quite a lot of what she uses she finds on the beach (especially the glass bits), so it's already "sanded" so to speak.
Yes, that probably IS sanded grout. I just love blue. I like dimensional pieces also. You can probably take that out and hose it off. I do that will all my birdcages and baskets. 8)
