Sculpted Mosaic
Mirror Frames
Create your own one-of-a-kind Sculpted Mosaic Mirror Frame with Sharra Frank’s signature online workshop!
This intensive, self-paced course includes 10 hours of video lessons & lifetime access
Create your own one-of-a-kind sculpted mirror frame of your dreams that will become a mosaic masterpiece!
Since 2013, hundreds of students both in person and online have completed this course with many even selling their finished pieces!
Discover the trade secrets and innovative techniques that I’ve fine tuned and mastered since developing them in 2006.
My sculpted mirrors have been exhibited at esteemed shows such as the International Mosaic Art Exhibition and SOFA NY, and are commissioned by designers and collectors worldwide.
Now, you can learn my full process in this intensive online workshop.
This workshop is perfect for mosaic and mixed media artists who want to:
- Learn professional techniques for creating sculpted mosaic frames
- Gain confidence designing unique, refined, and durable bases
- Access a wealth of resources and coaching to support their project from start to finish
- Join a vibrant community of international students
What You’ll Learn
This class walks you through my complete process of designing and building a sculpted mosaic mirror frame, from start to finish.
Together we’ll cover five key phases: Pre-Workshop, Frame Building, Sculpting, Mosaic Magic, Grouting & Finishing and Master Plans.
Pre-Workshop Planning
After Registration, you’ll receive yourPre-Workshop Prep Guide, a 16 page PDF booklet featuring the following topics:
- Inspiration Boards: gather color and design inspiration for your project
- Design possibilities: consider the direction/theme of the project
- Frame Silhouettes: What shape do you want your frame to take on? Long and lean, round and curvy, geometric, representational, architectural?
- Surface Designs: Create a series of surface designs (or doodles, if that approach is less intimidating!) over your chosen frame silhouette.
- Paper Templates: Create a life size template of your final design.
- Tesserae Palettes: Curate a collection of mosaic materials (your tesserae), inspired by your inspiration board, embracing the colors, textures and design theme that you are planning to use.
- Planning Edges: My students know this: Edges are always first. I explain why and how to plan for them.
- Accent & Pattern Building Tesserae: Recommendations of specific materials to use for the foreground of your design.
- Background & Filler Tesserae: Recommendations of specific materials to use for the background of your design.
Pre-Workshop Consultation with Sharra:
A 30 minute private meeting reviewing your project plans. Before our meeting, you send in images of your prep work, questions you have and anything thing else you’d like. I’ll review this info before our meeting so that I can be best prepared and efficient with my suggestions during our call. I will make specific recommendations on the materials and approach to your project.
PHASE ONE:
Frame Building
- How to Design and Transfer a Template: Use your template, which has been planned in advance during the Pre-Workshop Prep Phase.
- Substrate Options: Optimal materials to build the frame with and what materials to avoid.
- How to use a Jigsaw: What to look for in a jigsaw, why use a jigsaw vs other saws and safety.
- How to Construct a Custom Lightweight Frame: Create a customized frame in any shape or size within 60-90 minutes.
- Hanging Hardware Options: Simple, easy and clean hardware and what to use for large, heavy frames and panels.
- How to Insert Hanging Hardware: Create a professional, finished look with this approach.
- How to Add (amazingly strong!) Curls and Extensions: Create dramatic shapes by adding sculpted elements coming off of the frame.
PHASE TWO:
Sculpting
- The Benefits of the Materials Recommended: I share the specific ingredients and how to use them with success. I also share which products I avoid.
- How to Add Volume to the Surface: Add the Wow Factor to any two dimensional surface with this method. It is applicable to mirror frames and other surfaces as well.
- How to Reinforce Curls & Extenders of the Frame: Add so much strength (but not bulk!) to the delicate sculpted elements extending off the frame that you can literally pick your frame up by them!
- How to Add Sculpted Elements: Add other Three Dimensional accents to the frame.
- *Phase One and Two can be realistically completed within a couple days time at the Online Student’s own pace.
PHASE THREE:
Mosaic Magic
- Mosaic Planning, Designing & Creating: How to map out your design, prepare your glass, tile and beads and where to start adhering them with intention and focus.
- Design Inspiration: How to approach and use inspiration from the beauty around us in our work in effective ways.
- Edges First: We begin with a simple goal of completing our frame’s edges. I explain why this is so important and is the best place to start.
- Background/Foreground Design: How to bring out your mosaic design and also use your background space in a complimentary and pleasing way.
- Varying Heights/ Levels in Surface: How to navigate the tricky spots in a surface with different heights and also use tesserae of different thicknesses on the same surface.
- Beads: How to best use beads with glass, tile and more.
- Swirls: How to cut glass and master a key-stoned swirl.
PHASE FOUR:
Grouting & Finishing
- Layering Materials: Add onto the Existing Mosaic Surface, Why and When to Layer Materials, Best Adhesives for Layering
- How to Grout: Grouting Over Beads, Paint Over Grout, Using Paint as Grout, Coloring Grout, Not Grout at All
- Finishing Steps: Following the “Master Plan for Completion”, Finishing the backside of Frame, Finishing the inner Rim & Mirror Glass.
- Interior Mirror Glass: Resources, Fitting the mirror into the Frame, Antiquing Mirror, Polishing/Cleaning
PHASE FIVE:
Master Planning
- How To Finish: Creating and Following you Master Plan
- Options for Continued Support: Final Consult with Sharra to review your project progress and Master Plan.
- Private Facebook Group for Sculpted Mirror Students
“It has been one of the highlights of my life to have met and learned from Sharra.
It has been such a worthwhile investment, and I will always be able to return to the instruction through the lifelong use of these videos.”
-Judy, Tennessee
“I’m living my best life because of what I have learned.
I hope you can begin to know how much your special brand of instruction and expertise has meant to the world. You are an extraordinary inspiration.”
-Corinne, Massachusetts
What’s Included
10+ hours of step-by-step video lessons and guided demonstrations.
A private 30-minute consultation with Sharra for personalized design coaching
Over 10 hours of recorded webinars from past student sessions
Downloadable resources, including a Pre-Workshop Prep Guide and Materials & Resource Guide
A private Facebook group for students full of inspiration and encouragement
This online intensive is like 5 classes in one, plus hours of prerecorded webinars, personal coaching and consulting and community. The years of student success and following of this course is a testimony of its rich content and superb quality. It is a one of a kind course that will feed your work for years to come, mosaic and beyond.