The Power of One with Kelley Knickerbocker

Five ways to turn any material into many

  Enroll in Course

Course intro and interview with Kelley Knickerbocker and Tami Macala

Kelley shares her passion for using mosaic art materials and many of her tips and tricks on creating mosaics with them.


It's quite possible that this course will revolutionize how you choose and use mosaic art materials. As you watch Kelley analyze and process eight materials (that you probably have in your studio already) into a dozen more, you'll quickly realize that you can do the same!

Mass-produced mosaic art materials can really speed up our mosaic production, but their lack of variation in shape and texture severely limits their expressive potential. But when you know how to assess and exploit the potential of a material you can make it into many with just a few simple methods. In fact, in this course Kelley will show you how it's possible to make an entire abstract mosaic out of just one mass-produced material and have it still be diverse and expressive.

It takes a little more work to get the best out of machined materials, but not much! ANY alteration you make to a machined material immediately makes it a more interesting and original expression of your creativity.

Mosaic art materials such as: penny rounds, square glass tiles, glass blobs; these are just a few of the machined materials Kelley shows you how to transform from ordinary to amazing with simple cuts, setting tips, quick alterations, and more.

Here's just some of what you'll learn in this course as you watch and/or build along:

  • The five major factors that impact how any material presents in a mosaic
  • What to look for when assessing any material's potential
  • How to make ho-hum materials look exotic
  • How to make machined materials look more organic
  • How to cut and set ordinary materials in unexpected ways
  • How to design a mosaic to showcase multiple ways a material can be used

We're so glad that machined materials are readily available and affordable. Grab a selection of whatever you have on hand and let Kelley show you how to transform it into head-turning, expressive "new" elements and compose it into a mosaic!

Kelley has included a list of her suggested materials, tools, and resources for this course.


Your Instructor


Kelley Knickerbocker
Kelley Knickerbocker

Visual artist Kelley Knickerbocker left a 22-yr administrative career at the University of Washington in 2006 to found a mosaic studio (Rivenworks Mosaics, Seattle) and direct her accumulated skills in project management and planning toward designing/fabricating/installing mosaic artwork for public, commercial, residential and gallery environments.

Kelley’s ruggedly dimensional mosaics, in a broad range of materials, are a textural distillation of her fascination with contrast, material properties and the technical challenges of mosaic construction. Sharing that fascination and learning from other art makers are keys to the freshness of Kelley’s mosaic practice, and she travels extensively throughout North America speaking, collaborating and teaching in-depth workshops on mosaic style and technique.

Kelley’s fine art mosaic panels have been accepted to numerous national and international juried exhibitions, and many reside in private collections. She is an active member of the Society of American Mosaic Artists.


Course Curriculum


  The Power of One with Kelley Knickerbocker
Available in days
days after you enroll

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 14 days and we will give you a full refund.

Get started now!