Nature in Mosaic with Joanne Daschel
Wherever we go in nature, we find more than we seek.
Enroll in Course
Are you struggling to bring more color and meaning to your mosaic designs? Unsure how to combine different materials like smalti and stained glass, or how to build a cohesive composition that tells a story?
In "Nature in Mosaic," artist and instructor Joanne Daschel guides you through the full process she uses to create rich, narrative mosaics inspired by nature. With Joanne’s expert guidance, you’ll learn how to make confident design choices, select the right mosaic art materials, and work through each stage—from layout to grout—without feeling stuck or overwhelmed.
You’ll learn how to create an 8” x8" mosaic of a canary rockfish while learning problem-solving techniques that can be applied to any nature-inspired project.
Inside this course, Joanne helps you:
- Stop second-guessing your designs by learning how to work from a reference photo and confidently transfer it to a substrate
- Avoid muddy or mismatched color palettes by building a harmonious blend of Mexican smalti and stained glass
- Work directly with thinset—Joanne shows you her hands-on method so you won’t waste time with trial and error
- Learn basic andamento and background flow with her unique approach to using two materials in one project successfully
- Grout with precision—learn how to grout stained glass while keeping smalti clean, vibrant and grout free
- Frame your mosaic beautifully with a grouted edge finish
This course also includes a bonus section, where Joanne shows you how she expanded the same fish design onto a larger substrate to build a more involved underwater scene—demonstrating how to evolve a single subject into a full-environment mosaic. Plus, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at her Northern Spotted Owl mosaic and learn the key choices that made it successful.
You’ll walk away with:
- How to create a complete nature mosaic
- A repeatable process you can apply to other animals and sealife projects
- A list of Joanne’s favorite tools and materials
- A deeper understanding of how to use your art to tell a story
If you’ve ever felt stuck in the details or unsure about how to start, this course will provide you with clarity, confidence, and creative momentum.
Your Instructor
Raised on a small farm in western Oregon, Joanne began a lifelong passion for the outdoors. Now living on the Pacific coast in Lincoln City, OR, her work aims to forge a reconnection to nature. She often shines a light on overlooked ecology, telling stories about nature subjects in mosaic artwork that sparks curiosity and memories.
Joanne creates highly detailed representational mosaics by combining traditional materials with contemporary techniques. Her style is vivid and often layered using materials like grouted stained glass and natural stone alongside glass smalti, which is hand-cut and ungrouted, producing contrasts in light, texture and dimension.
Joanne has been making mosaics since 2010, teaches for Oregon Coast Community College and Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, and is represented by Volta Gallery in Lincoln City. Her permanent outdoor installation of mosaics that depict a nearshore world is part of the newly-rebuilt Lincoln City Cultural Center plaza.
Contact info:
joannedaschel.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/jdaschel
Facebook: http://facebook.com/joannedaschelartist
Course Curriculum
-
StartIntro and personal interview with Joanne and Tami (6:14)
-
StartPDF for download. Tools, Materials, and Resources
-
StartCourse Overview (1:00)
-
StartPresentation of Nature in Mosaics (10:16)
-
StartImages for download
-
StartTemplates for download
-
StartMaterials Tour (3:04)
-
StartResearch Your Subject (1:27)
-
StartLaying the Foundation: Tracing Your Subject for a Well-Composed Mosaic (4:52)
-
StartSelecting a Color Palette That Brings Your Design to Life (4:44)
-
StartYes, You Can Cut Mexican Smalti—No Hammer and Hardie Needed! (3:36)
-
StartHow to Mix Tinted Mortar/Thinset for Your Mosaic (6:34)
-
StartCut and Place Your Mexican Smalti with Intention and Precision (8:04)
-
StartCreating the Fish Eye: Shape, Color, and Detail (6:43)
-
StartMosaicking the Fish Mouth to Highlight Its Expression (4:43)
-
StartRefining the Area Around the Fish Eye (6:03)
-
StartReviewing the Fish Face and Diving Into Stripe Details with New Colors (7:23)
-
StartCrafting the Four Distinct Fins: Shape, Texture, and Style (4:55)
-
StartDorsal Fin Detail (5:10)
-
StartBuild Joanne's Belly Fins That Create Movement (7:50)
-
StartFilling In the Rest of the Body with Basic Andamento (4:05)
-
StartAdding the Last Pieces to the Fish; Adjust or Refine Pieces Now (6:33)
-
StartReview Background Options (4:30)
-
StartCutting Stained Glass for the Background (5:34)
-
StartCutting and Placing the Kelp Glass (3:43)
-
StartJoanne's Technique for Cutting Strips to Build Out the Background (2:41)
-
StartPlacing the Background Pieces to Give Movement and Depth (4:19)
-
StartPlacing the Darker Values at the Bottom and Lighter at the Top (13:17)
-
StartNow It's Time to Adhere the Background Stained Glass-Working in Sections (15:25)
-
StartHow to Work Clean with Thin Set (7:13)
-
StartIntro to Joanne's Grout Process (4:48)
-
StartMix and Spread Tinted Grout (13:55)
-
StartGrouting the Edges (7:57)
-
StartCleaning the Grout Off the Stained Glass Surface (6:47)
-
StartReviewing Last Tips and Trick~Wrap Up and Thank You! (2:56)
-
StartBONUS: More Advanced Mosaics For Inspiration (4:53)