Mosaic Masterclass with Oliver Budd: New Solutions for Seeing, Setting & Siting
In this four-day masterclass at Mosaic & Glass English mosaic artist and craftsman Oliver Budd will guide you to transpose an artwork or design into mosaic!
About Mosaic Masterclass with Oliver Budd: New Solutions for Seeing, Setting & Siting
In this four-day masterclass, located in a brand-new Mosaic & Glass workshop space in Falkirk, Central Scotland, English mosaic artist and craftsman Oliver Budd will guide you to transpose an artwork or design into mosaic, either one of your own or an interpretation of another artist’s design (or a section of it). He’ll explain how he works with artists and designers, to interpret their design, transpose it to the language of mosaic, and fabricate it to a high level of craftsmanship. Following the creation of your mosaic onto a 30x30cm panel, Oliver will teach you a unique setting technique suitable for all installation situations – external, internal, wet areas, but predominantly a technique that’s portable yet secure for public display.
At every level of our art journey we, as mosaicists, see the world around us as a mosaic challenge. Objects, scenes from nature, captured images, and the artworks of others demand that we attempt to recreate them in a tessellated form. Oliver will guide you how to achieve this, drawing on his lifetime experience of mosaic art, learning at an early age from his father Kenneth Budd, master mosaicist of huge public art commissions for over four decades from the 1950s to the 90s.
In this masterclass, you’ll:
Choose a design to realise in mosaic and learn the techniques to transpose that artwork to the language of mosaic. To ensure you maximise your learning time during the masterclass, Oliver will work with you on the design via the internet prior to the course start date.
Learn about scaling and colour/tone selection, to ensure your work has integrity and impact.
Use a mixture of vitreous glass tiles and smalti to create your mosaic, with Oliver guiding you on the best tools and techniques for cutting these materials.
Learn a setting technique devised by Budd Mosaics 20 years ago, which is proven for its permanence and resilience to harsh external settings. You’ll bond your finished mosaic into a bespoke aluminium tray (provided to each student), grout it, and finish it, ready for installation. Oliver will also demonstrate how to create the aluminium tray, showing the tools and methods he uses to shape the metal into the desired end format.
Find out about each stage of the process (including the pre-manufactured aluminium trays) in detail, supported by printed notes that you can take away with you, reiterating the process.
Gain an understanding of all materials involved for each stage of this process along with technical specifications and setting applications.
Throughout all stages of the course Oliver will impart his years of knowledge, cutting tips, material knowledge, design suggestions, and experiences essential to the professional development of mosaicists who desire to progress to a higher level of practice from small works to large public artworks.
This masterclass is aimed at those with prior experience of mosaic, who are seeking to learn how to transpose and fabricate designs/artwork into mosaic, and to learn a technical solution for sustainable and portable mosaic displays that are suitable for all settings.
Important notes:
Bring your own lunch or buy something from the local shops / sandwich bars / restaurants.
The maximum number of students is eight.
In case of insufficient registrations, the workshop will be cancelled and you’ll get a refund of your workshop fee. We do expect this workshop to run, however, and we will liasie with you on when to go ahead and book flights/accommodation if you’re travelling from abroad.
If you wish to cancel your place, a refund (minus bank charges) will only be possible if someone else takes your place.
About your tutor:
Oliver Budd is a second-generation English mosaic artist and craftsman who graduated in fine art painting in the early 1980s and then apprenticed at his father Kenneth Budd’s studio Budd Mosaics. Famed for their prodigious output and massive mosaic and three-dimensional public artworks worldwide, the partnership of Kenneth and Oliver Budd has dominated the mosaic artworld since the 1950s, culminating in the recent energetic and vibrant Ruby Hotel mosaics (designed by the artist Zac Ove) and completed at Notting Hill Gate in London in the summer of 2024. Since Kenneth’s death in 1995, Oliver has developed the studio to accommodate many new areas of mosaic work. These include research and design advancements, new technology setting techniques, development of working with community involvement, and mosaic practice education from early age to adult tuition. Oliver is a member of the prestigious Art Workers’ Guild, Bloomsbury, London, a visiting lecturer at Chelsea College of Art, and is universally recognised as a contemporary master of mosaic.
About Mosaic & Glass masterclasses and workshops
Nestled in Falkirk in the heart of Scotland, this new space will open in early 2025 and be run by Mosaic & Glass magazine editor and mosaicist Rhona Duffy. It will offer the perfect setting for mosaic and glass enthusiasts to immerse themselves in hands-on learning in a welcoming and well-equipped environment. Designed for comfort and creativity, the space will be thoughtfully arranged to accommodate both mosaic and glass creators, making it an ideal venue for both beginners and seasoned makers to learn from visiting tutors from across the world. The venue is located in Central Falkirk, with free on-street parking nearby. It’s a five-minute walk from Grahamston Station, which is 30 minutes from Edinburgh and Glasgow by train. It has train routes heading to the north of Scotland too. With plenty of accommodation options and eateries nearby, students can easily settle in for multi-day workshops, and its central location makes it a convenient gateway for exploring Scotland’s rich cultural and scenic attractions, turning every visit into both an educational and inspirational journey. Look out for pictures of the new space coming in early 2025. Plus keep an eye on our social media for progress updates!
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