Introduction to Smalti

This course is taught online interactive. Weekly meetings with Bonnie are part lecture, part work in progress review, group discussion, and work-along. Students should plan to spend a minimum of 2 hours per week outside of class working on their project. Any of you who have taken online learning classes with Bonnie know the caliber of instruction as well as the personalized attention given to all students during and outside of class time. This course is not recommended for total newbies. Some working knowledge of mosaic technique required.

Students are responsible for providing their ALL OF THEIR OWN MATERIALS, a supply list is below. Adhesive of choice is thin-set mortar, however you can use WeldBond. Pros and cons discussed at first class.  At the conclusion of class #1 each student will know exactly what materials they need, and how much of any given color of smalti needed based on selected design. For class #1 students should plan on having their cutting tool of choice and a small amount of smalti to begin practice.

Calculating your materials is a tremendously IMPORTANT lesson, it takes time, we do it in class and if you are not sure after class #1 instructor spends time you you out of class to ensure you have materials for class#2.  This is the only smalti workshop instructor knows of providing this lesson. The learning is essential to master if you wish to make artworks on your own in the future.  There are several preliminary steps and you will begin cutting and adhering in class #2.

Smalti is a traditional enameled-glass mosaic material with highly reflective qualities and a wide range of colors. Made from molten glass poured into flat slabs, cooled, and cut into individual pieces, smalti has been used for more than a thousand years throughout the world to produce beautiful mosaic artwork.

Week one begins with a brief history of the material and a presentation of examples of both ancient and modern smalti artworks. There are many nuances to working with this special material, which can produce many visual effects through different ways of cutting and laying. Differences and similarities among Mexican, European, and Asian smalti are discussed. Students will work on 8″ x 8″ mosaic with an eye to completing during the weeks of our classes. You are urged to use Instructor supplied images. More details below. This workshop is about smalti, not mixed media, not exterior works.

Mexican smalti is known for a painterly effect, Italian for purity of color. Students may use either or both.  Click here to YouTube video explaining the differences between Mexican and Italian smalti.

We will work from CONTOUR DRAWINGS, the completed samples in gallery are by students over the years and some of those design patterns are available to this course, but we will reduce all images to contour drawings. Smalti works are not grouted.

Student Supply List:

Students must provide a good quality mosaic wheel tool, or hammer and hardie. All tools are available from smalti.com. Recommended nippers: Sea Bell Tools, QEP Extreme Nippers.

If you are interested in purchasing a hammer and hardie there are several options detailed on the Make it Mosaics YouTube Channel and you can purchase from smalti.com.  Click here to Make it Mosaics YouTube Channel for demonstartion of all tools recommended for this course.

Class #1

• Appropriate nippers or a hammer and hardie. STRONGLY RECOMMEND SEABELL WHEELED NIPPER OR QEP EXTREME.
• 8″ x 8″ substrate: WediBoard/HydroBlock, EZY Frame, Wood Frame
•  1/4 pound of either Italian or Mexican smalti, any color or mix, for practice cutting
• Tweezers, apron, picking tools, etc.
• Colored Pencils
• Clear 8″x10″ file protector. Like this or something similiar.
• Ruler
• Black Sharpie
• Wax Paper or sheet of tracing paper
• Safety Glasses

Class #2-4

• Thin-set Mortar: either mix from scratch or for interior works use premixed: Simple Set Thin-set Mortar
• You will need approximately 2.5 pounds of smalti, regardless Italian or Mexican
• Small spatula for spreading thin-set Click here for Bonnie’s favorite spatulas.
• Black concrete colorant (if you want your thin-set mortar tinted dark). Most cost effective is this product from Lowe’s Concrete colorant.

The workshop thumbnail image is a smalti work photographed by Bonnie at the Perdomo Factory in Cuernavaca, Mexico, it is installed outside of the ladies room, artist unknown. Other gallery Photos are examples of works created in Smalti, some small personal works and several works from students in a recent workshop at Hacienda Mosaico, 2024. My apologies I do not have the names of all individual students to match up with artworks, or properly credit, but included are works by Jeanne Struck, Joan Hudson, Claire Terrell, Karen Singer, Kristi Halva, Lee Tanner and Kelly Brannock. Forgive me if I missed you! Let me know.  This exact course offering is part of the Make it Mosaics Online offerings.

In addition to information above a note will come to students one week in advance. Instructor will provide selected resource inage electronically in advance of workshop. If you wish to provide your own image please send to instructor in advance for advice how to scale, level of difficulty, etc.