With my square mirrors, I imagine I am walking the middle path; I am centered between my edges. Establishing the edge provides security that it will all fit. If I let the glue dry before moving onward, then I don’t have to worry about nudging a piece out of alignment. With this one, I chose the outer tiles first, with their creamy tangerine smoothness. They are made from recycled broken bottles and windshields. They are orange, through and through. Then the innermost tiles, smalto from Italy, with a creamsicle swirl. Then I anchor the corners before traveling that middle path, less orderly than the edges, but still more linear than some of my other work.
When I first took a mosaic class and began a project making coasters, I started in the middle and didn’t give myself enough room for the edges. Not every project requires an edge or an anchor, but I am grateful for learning when to make it easier on myself. This happens in my life as well as in my art.