Introduction to Smalti

This course is bing offered at the request of many students, it will be 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.

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. Instructor supplied images, both abstract and figurative images available.

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 smalti they need based on their selected design. For class #1 students should plan on having their cutting tool and a small amount of smalti to begin practice.

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.

Design options will be provided to students mid-July. If student wishes to provide their own image must have instructor approval 1 week in advance. Samples in gallery are by students over the years and some of those design patterns are available to this course. 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 purcahse from smalti.com.  Click here to Make it Mosaics YouTube Channel for demonstartion of all tools recommended for this course.

• Appropriate nippers or a hammer and hardie.
• 8″ x 8″ substrate: WediBoard/HydroBlock, EZY Frame, Wood Frame
• 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 tis product from Lowe’s Concrete colorant.
• Tweezers, apron, picking tools, etc.

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 Joan Hudson, Claire Terrell, Karen Singer, Kristi Halva, Lee Tanner and Kelly Brannock. Forgive me if I missed you! Let me know.  The Yellow Bunny is by Karen LaVerne, The “Statue of Liberty” can be found at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. The extraordinary “Food Face” is a mosaic created by Michele Falvo, using Mexican Smalti based on a Renaissance painting by Giuseppe Arcimboldo.

This exact course offering is part of the Make it Mosaics Online offerings.