Studio Secrets: Mosaics
Step into the studio of this mosaic maker and learn the secrets of his trade. This is a fascinating book, but it does not go quite far enough for my taste. There are not enough projects. However, armed with the knowledge in this book, you should be able to strike out on your own. Good photography, very clear instructions, history, exciting look at an artist in his workshop but only 5 projects.-Karenplatt.co.uk Learn from the master, as internationally renowned mosaicist Verdiano Marzi shares his knowledge of the history of this ancient art form before taking you through step-by-step instructions to design and make your own mosaics. His passion for the subject is evident as he encourages you to play with light, colour, shape and contrast to create stunning mosaics for your home and garden.-The Craftsman Watch a modern mosaic master in his studio and learn some of the tricks of the trade.  This book is well illustrated with lots of shots of Marzi at work and it is certainly motivating to see what a truly renowned mosaicist's workplace looks like, and how he goes about his work.  I've got quite a few books on making mosaics and invariably they show somebody having a go in an ordinary home environment, often making something fairly basic.  The projects in here are just as step-by-step, but seeing such a very different workplace and contrasting it with one's own kitchen table/garden shed etc can be rather intimidating.  Reading between all this reveals several projects demonstrating the main types of mosaic: direct method, mesh method and reverse mosaic.  A large amount of space is devoted to one project to make a brightly colored free standing bird sculpture for the garden, but you can also learn how to make a frieze, how the ancients worked and make a wall lamp.  Discover a brief history of mosaic, how to cut the tiles, see the different materials used for making mosaics and find out at least some of what you need to buy.  I would have preferred Search Press' usual illustrated list of items all carefully laid out on a table but much of the information you need is in here somewhere.  Somebody very used to a large number of craft processes or anybody who has done a small amount of mosaic work and has the tools and a little (but not much) experience ought to find it useful.-Myshelf.com This photo guide follows Marzi in his Paris studio as he works on several mosaic projects from start to finish. Readers see his extensive collection of tools and materials as well as close-up demonstrations of his techniques. Gambrelle's (coauthor, Studio Secrets: Millinery) text (translated from the French) is concise and includes step-by-step instructions for duplicating projects for plaques and a large three-dimensional bird. Because there are few projects, this is mainly of interest to studio artists.-Library Journal USA