Pieces of a Pomegranate: Creating Roman Mosaic

I'll admit it. I geeked out when I saw a contest asking us to "make history". There are just so many fascinating art forms that span all of history, it was hard to narrow my interest down to just one project. However, I've always been intrigued by art that has small parts that make up a larger whole. Pointillism, mosaics, needlepoint etc. So I decided to go back to ancient Rome and dive into creating Roman-styled mosaics.

Wooden board 6 inches x 6 inches

Stone tiles – approximately .4 inches (1 cm) see notes below

Scissors

Glue (the picture shows Aleene’s Tacky Glue, but I ended up using clear glue instead. I don’t believe there’s a difference.)

Popsicle sticks for glue

Ruler (optional)

Pencil (optional)

Some more information about the tiles: I found these tiles in my local craft store. They are sturdy and have a chalk-like consistency. What’s great about them is that you can cut them with regular scissors and they don’t have sharp edges. That makes them easy to work with for adults and children.

They are similar to this: https://www.dickblick.com/products/stone-by-stone-mosaics/?srsltid=AfmBOop-qN2O-RUmD24Y5H5KdRydVhus2sQoM3IyYlK7JT10Sel-Wr1c

In choosing a design, I wanted one that would showcase the beauty of symmetrical patterns. After debating between an abstract pattern or an image, I decided on a pomegranate. I like that it has concentric circles, triangles and some decidedly asymmetrical (but still symmetrical!) aspects.

It’s also important to choose an image that has colors that you have access to. Some of the ideas I had were nixed because of the limited available color palette.

Draw two intersecting diagonal lines centered in the middle of the board. Then draw two intersecting straight lines centered in the middle of the board. This will help you to keep the design symmetrical. You can also draw a light sketch of the pomegranate. You may also want to draw an outer border that is the general width of one line of tiles.

The circle begins with one tile placed in the center of the board. Then add four tiles surrounding it on the four edges of the square. To give it an appearance of a circle, cut the next tiles diagonally in half. This will create a right triangle that fits in between the squares. Add the right triangle in between the first two squares. Continue with all four corners.

This next step includes lighter colored tiles to give the pomegranate a highlight. Line the tiles up next to the flat edges of the already glued tiles. Center the new tiles according to the grid drawn.

The key to the beauty and brilliance of the Roman mosaics is the keystones. These are similar to squares that have two corners cut off. These keystones fit in between the perpendicular squares creating a fluid effect.

Just keep putting down your circles. You can make it as large as desired, but make sure to leave some room for the leaves.

The crown is just three triangles. For it to be larger than the height of one tile, just add a base. The base of each individual “crown triangle” is three triangles and the tip is one more triangle.

The line transition here is an important principle in mosaics. The beginning of the branch has two half-keystone pieces sitting back to back. The rest of the branch follows the general diagonal gridline but with a pattern of three keystones, giving it a more branch-like feel.

The first leaf is more symmetrical than the second as it goes from the branch to the diagonal gridline in the lower right quadrant. In order to give the leaf a different visual texture than the pomegranate, cut the stones in half and make two lines of each color. The lighter green goes on the inside and the darker green on the outside.

To add some depth, try not to have the stones lined up like a brick wall.

The background should be a light color. Giving your image a border line, start to lay your tiles forming an outline for the pomegranate. Continue to use keystones as you go around the circle. When you get to the crown, you’ll want to cut small triangles but keep the height of the outline the same all the way around.

The outer border of the entire picture should be four straight lines like a frame.

The background for the pomegranate should be continuing concentric circles. Make sure to leave room for the second leaf.

The goal is to be consistent.

Note: the last image of this step highlights my mistake. In my enthusiasm to add the background, I started laying the background tiles like a brick wall instead of as a concentric circle. A reminder that nobody is perfect…

When you have finished laying down your last tile, stand back and appreciate your work! And then take a moment to think about how ancient mosaics would cover entire floors, walls and ceilings. It’s remarkable.

My first attempt was a lemon. I’m including the picture so that you can see the difference between working with and without a grid.