MASTERFUL MOSAICS: THE PROCESS

Nelson Londono is having a love affair with stone, and his passion is contagious. From humble beginnings in 1998, he has created magnificent works of art that can be seen in The Mark Hotel, Sebonack Golf Club in Southhampton, West Hampton Golf Club, numerous private estates + the most famous house of all,  The White House.

Not exclusively available to the rich + famous, these pieces can be used anywhere stone is specified: a center medallion in an entrance foyer, a back splash in the kitchen, an art piece over the range, on the floor in a shower, as a border around walls, the surround of a fire place, in a swimming pool ...you name it.

Any imagery can be created.  If you have a favorite photograph, the picture can be interpreted in stone.

I recently copied a floral scene from an oil painting that my client owns + commissioned a mosaic.

We needed an interesting focal point for a column adjacent to the kitchen island - a high use area.

Instead of plain paint or more granite, the floral design added a fresh spirit to the whole room.

A lovely, hand made artisan touch.  The "Piece de Resistance".

Creating mosaics is a unique process that one can witness come to life.

Using your own design, in your custom selections of stone, the results are an unmistakably one-of-a-kind.

Nelson was gracious enough to show me around his extensive facility and explain how he works his magic.

The core material (marble, limestone, travertine + glass) gets brought into the factory in large format tiles.

Then it's cut into manageable sized pieces using special machinery.

If curved shapes are required in the design, the equipment can cleanly laser-cut the stone, with precision.

Artists work to create each sheet of tile, to specification.

When an intricate design is required, a template is drawn on an auto cad machine.

With the correct proportion + scale sketched out, the stone can now be planned.

Notice the 3-D effect of the grapes.

Stunning family crest.

Details of the work done for an outdoor pool.

If you love sea creatures, this could be on the floor of your shower!

To view more completed projects, please view his site: Artsaics.com

Special thanks to Nelson and his artists for generously sharing their craft.

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*On a personal note, my fascination with mosaics came from an innocent art project I did as a kid, with my dad. Together we made this ash tray (smoking was in vogue then).  It came as a kit that was purchased with all the necessary pieces in one box.  Although I have spent my life creating art projects, this one was somehow special.  Yes I loved Lite Brite + Spirograph, but using sugar cube pieces of tile was very different, very grown-up.

I vividly remember I couldn't wait for the glue that stuck the tiles to the metal base plate, to dry,

so we could fill in the empty spaces between the tile with the very messy grout.  So much fun.

This ash tray is a possession I will always cherish.

It  has a permanent function as a catch-all for spare change + buttons that need to be sewn back on.

Isn't that what all ash trays are used for these days?