Prompts from the Pros - Rachel Davies - Interwoven

This prompt explores how we can take inspiration from other crafts and apply it to the process of making mosaics. Weaving is a craft that has many similarities to mosaic. At their essence, both involve putting lines together to create a finished item, whether that is lines of yarn or lines of tesserae.

There are different lessons we can take from weaving and apply to making mosaics. This prompt will explore three of these.

1: Modularity

At a very basic level, weaving produces a 'modular' piece of artwork. The criss-crossing of lines (warp and weft) creates small squares and rectangles of yarn, similar in shape to the tesserae we might use in mosaic.

Look closely at a piece of woven fabric and think about how you might recreate it in mosaic. For a challenge and a bit of Scottish inspiration take a look at some tartans!

2: Process

While there are all sorts of patterns and techniques within weaving, at a basic level, you are building line upon line to create a final piece. We can apply this method to making a mosaic.

Start at the bottom of your mosaic and build a line of tesserae. It can be any size but should go horizontally. Then add another and work your way up. You can work intuitively in this way. You do not have to plan the whole thing, although you can choose your palette of materials beforehand. Its also a great way for using up leftover materials.

As you work think about contrasts between your lines. e.g. wide vs narrow, reflective vs matt.

3: Interwoven lines

Move away from the grid/structure and go more organic. Take inspiration from forms found in nature - for example, tree branches, birds nests etc

Create some lines that move organically - that cross in front of and behind one another.

This is another good exercise in working intuitively as it can be harder to plan in advance. Start off with two lines and make them cross back and forth, a bit like a DNA strand. Then build your way up, using 3,4 or 5 lines - more if you are feeling like a challenge!