When unstrung beads meet stringed instruments, things can
become quite embellished...and also quiet. 
Adding beads to the strings of an instrument renders it
unplayable in its intended way, and additions to the body of an
acoustic instrument change the sound and deaden the resonance. In
our studio, we start with instruments whose sound is already
problematic--broken or misaligned necks, missing parts, and other
issues--the transition from audible to visual art insures that an
instrument isn't just thrown away once its performance days are
over. The resulting mosaic sculptural pieces sing out loudly in
their own ways.
They are examples of the blend of appreciation
for color and black/white, form and space, silence and sound that
artists and musicians share.
The violin shown here was created
for a fundraising auction that benefited out local Symphony
Orchestra. Artists and musicians can donate their work to their
communities in many forms---cash is only one form of contribution,
and artistic abilities can be a shared gift as well as a way of
raising funds. Contributing your work to a charity or organization
can be a wonderful way to meet others and to get your work seen in
a different venue.
There is a link on the Violins page to a
newspaer article that shows all 23 donated works of musical
art----each artist's work is very different!
There's a treasure trove of bits and pieces that are gathered
and evaluated before any of the applications start. Antique glass,
modern kiln formed glass and dichroic foils, polymer clay, metal,
crystals and stones, antique buttons, beads, shells, telephone
wire, colorful papers and fabrics---all sorts of things can find
their way into mosaic surfaces.
Different glues each have their place----PVA (polyvinylacrylate)
glues like Sobo and Aleene's are useful for priming surfaces for
application of polymer clay and also for adhering to many
surfaces.
Titebond glue is excellent for applying things to wooden
surfaces that are larger or meant to withstand outdoor or heavier
use. Zap-A-Gap and other cyanoacrylate glues are best for sticking
metal to plastics, and Varathane, sold as a
wood finishing product, is also very useful as glue for tiny beads,
glitter and other small decoratifs.
Varathane is also used as top coat
and helps to further bond all surfaces together. Sold in hardware
stores and now manufactured by Rust-Oleum, the Indoor Waterbased Gloss Varathane is a favorite surface
finishing agent of many polymer clay artisans.
The semi-gloss and satin finishes have an opaquing agent that
interferes with a good bond to the surface of polymer clays. There
is evidence accumulating that the aerosol spray form of Varathane
can be used with polymer clay without chemical interactions that
have formerly prevented the use of sprays--most kinds of
propellants cause the baked clay to become sticky.
However, after eight months test pieces of baked Premo clay that
were sprayed are not changing. Other artists have test pieces over
a year that they say are fine as well. If this holds up over time,
it is very good news!
Varathane in liquid form can also be sprayed from a pump
sprayer, which can be cleaned with water and soap. In addition to
supplying a glassy shine, Varathane helps hold all the thousands of
pieces onto a mosaic sculpture. It also protects the surface when
powders and metallic foils are used.
