Introduction to Smalti
Saturday, 10/18, 10am - 4pm Sunday, 10/19, 10:15am - 4pm
In this two-day workshop, you will learn the basics of working with smalti—the beautiful Italian glass that has been used in mosaics for centuries.
You will learn about different types of smalti, how they are made, and how to cut them with nippers. Instruction includes how to use thin set mortar as a setting medium and how to work from an image. We will cover basic setting styles, both ancient and modern. There will be a demonstration of cutting with hammer and hardie.
Choose a simple design image from our collection, and leave class with a colorful, 6”x6” smalti mosaic.
If you’ve never tried smalti, this is the workshop for you!
All tools and a large selection of both Italian and Mexican smalti are included.
Instructor: Ilse Cordoni
There is a $50 materials fee in addition to the class fee.
DO NOT USE THE ADD TO CART BUTTON TO REGISTER
To register contact Ilse at [email protected]
Visiting Artist Kelley Knickerbocker. BORROWED COLOR: CLEAR/SEMI-CLEAR GLASS OVER PIGMENTED MORTAR
November 8-9, 2025
Working with a variety of textured, frosted, and iridized clear glass, our focus will be on transparency/translucence as it facilitates external color transfer. You’ll learn to custom-tint cement mortars in simple colors and more complex gradients, which will lend color to the glass pieces as we set them into a mosaic design, noting the effect of the glass surface texture on color intensity. We’ll also juxtapose sections of this technique with non-glass material to heighten its unique effect.
Students will choose from several compositions (or use their own), select/cut/shape/arrange pieces on a template, mix/apply mortar, and finally set their mosaic into mortar on a substrate.
A 50% deposit confirms your registration, with the balance due by 01 October. Cancellations before 10/1 will receive a full refund. After 10/1 no refund unless we can rebook your spot, then full refund minus a $50 admin fee.
Email [email protected] to inquire/register
(Do not use the SHOP button)