Pottery and Mosaic: Ancient Partners
Mosaic art is as old as civilization. The earliest mosaics used pieces of fired clay arranged in patterns on floors, walls, and public spaces. Roman mosaics, Islamic tile work, Byzantine churches, and Gaudi's Barcelona sculptures all use ceramic tesserae. When you make pottery mosaics, you connect to one of the oldest art forms in human history.
Stephen Jepson integrated mosaic work into his ceramics teaching because it bridges pottery and visual art. Making the pieces requires pottery skills. Assembling them requires design skills. The combination is richer than either alone.
Mosaic Methods
Handmade Tesserae
Make your own mosaic pieces. Roll clay slabs, cut into small squares or shapes, and fire them. Glaze in your chosen palette and fire again. Complete control over every color, texture, and shape — something no store can provide.
Pique Assiette (Broken Pottery)
Use broken pottery, dishes, tiles, and ceramics as mosaic material. That chipped mug, the dropped plate, leftover tiles — all become art materials. Break pieces to desired sizes with tile nippers. The variety of patterns and textures creates the richest mosaics.
Slab Mosaic on Pottery
Apply mosaic directly to a pottery form. Cover a planter, birdbath, or table top with tesserae set in thinset mortar. This combines pottery making with mosaic assembly on a three-dimensional surface.
Mosaic Tile Panels
Arrange tesserae on mesh backing or cement board. Work the design face-up, then grout. Frame and hang as wall art. Mosaic panels allow large-scale artwork from small, kiln-sized pieces.
Making Tesserae
Cutting Techniques
For square tesserae, score a grid on a slab and cut along lines. For irregular shapes, use tile nippers. For precise cuts, use a wet tile saw. Wear safety glasses when cutting fired clay.
Color Planning
Make test tiles with your glazes first. Create a sample board of fired colors. Then make tesserae in quantities matching your design — more background color, less accent colors.
Surface Texture
Smooth tesserae reflect light evenly. Textured tesserae scatter light for a more organic feel. Mix smooth and textured for visual variety. Press stamps into soft clay before cutting.
Assembling Mosaics
Adhesive and Mortar
Use thinset mortar for outdoor and wet-area mosaics — it is waterproof and incredibly strong. Use white PVA glue for indoor panels on wood. Work in sections so adhesive does not dry before you finish.
Grouting
Mix sanded grout for wide joints, unsanded for narrow. Spread over the surface, pressing into gaps. Wipe excess with a damp sponge. Allow to cure, then buff haze. Grout color is the background that ties everything together.
Learn from Stephen Jepson
Stephen's pottery video lessons cover tile making, slab work, and glazing — foundational skills for mosaic tesserae production. One-time purchase, lifetime access.