Retro cool vintage decor everywhere you look at Lombardino’s…
like being locked in a time capsule. We were there just for some homemade ice cream,
but eye-candy was pretty sweet too! We each had a flight of three scoops… chocolate, salted caramel and sour cream flavored ice cream! Yes, SOUR CREAM!!!…. kinda tasted like New York style cheesecake!

But I couldn’t decide… if a wall is tiled and painted… is it a mosaic or a mural???

With some new textures & patterns thanks to my new Stodola rolling pins!

Lots of stamped textures. Lots of tiles!!!

Simple mosaic in the underground Jackson “L” Station
on my way home from the Shamrock Shuffle.

And then a not-so-simple mosaic ceiling in the atrium dome of Marshall Field’s…
err, I guess we’re supposed to call it Macy’s now?!

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Another batch of textured tiles drying in my studio. I love how the textures and different colored slips will all work together after soda-firing. I like to refer to them as a ClayQuilt… as though each square is a different piece of clay “fabric.”

Cranked out some more textured tiles today… kiln filler one day, tiled wall the next!!!
And by “next’ I mean somewhere down the road after my next soda kiln firing when the colored slips actually become colorful.

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Weren’t we all told as a child to “not play with your food”???
Well, my friend Allison has been playing with her food on top of one of my textured tile trivets.
And boy am I glad she is… too much fun!!!

Making more textured tiles for another wall installation. Not quite so many tiles this time. Slightly larger tiles, therefore, “fewer” tiles to make. Let’s hope the colored flashing slips “pop” a bit more after soda-firing this weekend.

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So does any one else find it slightly ironic that the mural
outside of the Chicago Mosaic School is NOT in fact a mosaic?! Odd, right?

I’ve ridden my bike past this corner for quite some time. I’ve seen this mural both coming & going. I’ve always thought it was a beautiful mosaic gracing our neighborhood. It wasn’t until I stopped by today to take a few photos that I realized it was a painting!!! Little swatches of square colors. Just like tiles. But NOT tiles!!! So much for a cool mosaic, huh???

Now don’t get me wrong, I still love it. The style, the colors, the neighborhood artwork.

After the realization that it was a faux mosaic, I turned the corner and found the “real” one. This appears to be the “prototype” mosaic that inspired the mural. It’s not very large. The tiles are pretty small. So now I guess I understand why they painted the wall instead of trying to fill it with SO MANY tiny tiles.