
Welcome to something truly different at Mosaic Arts Online.
This isn’t just another online course—it’s part in-depth learning experience, part living collaboration, and part creative experiment that you get to make on your own.
“You Are Here.”
Three small words, that hold so much meaning. They mark a place on a map, but they can also signal the beginning—or the culmination—of a path or journey.
In this unique course, Rachel Sager invites you into her world of mosaic art and community. Unlike her other Ruins projects, this collaboration doesn’t require you to ship your work to her. Instead, your piece stays with you—anchored exactly where you want it to live.
When you order your custom handmade clay circular tile stamped with “You Are Here,” Rachel will guide you through three separate projects designed to spark your imagination and help you create mosaics that are deeply personal, meaningful, and connected to your place.
With this course, you’ll step into a global movement of artists exploring the power of place through mosaic art.
What you’ll discover inside the course:
Rachel organizes your learning around three powerful, creative entry points:
- SHAPE – Ground your mosaic in form, line, and structure.
- SIGNS / SYMBOLS / MAPS – Weave in visual language that carries story and meaning.
- INTUITIVE MEDITATION – Slow down, listen, and allow the process to guide you.
Step by step, Rachel will show you how to:
- Discover your personal “You Are Here” and let it guide your design.
- Select the appropriate adhesives for various projects.
- Work on fiberglass mesh so you can build on your studio table and install it later.
- Create vibrant gradations with Italian smalti as a “map pin.”
- Learn about the simple power of the silhouette.
- Place your tag within a larger mosaic for maximum impact.
- Design an animal mosaic using unexpected materials.
- Work intuitively on a large rock or in situ in the landscape.
- Mix materials in surprising ways around your “You Are Here” tag.
And that’s just the beginning. The true gift of this course lies in Rachel’s endless inspiration—she shares sketches, cartoons, and lists of fresh ideas to help you find your own voice in this work. You’ll discover how to choose color combinations that make your mosaics sing, how to set your clay tag seamlessly, and how to think like a designer while still working intuitively.
By the end, you won’t just gain skills and techniques—you’ll be part of something bigger. You’ll carry forward a message that is both timeless and deeply personal, a piece of art that connects your art to a worldwide community of mosaic artists.
Inside the course, you’ll find a direct link to purchase your handmade “You Are Here” tag from Sager Mosaics.
Your Instructor

-- Rachel Sager: Artist. Teacher. Speaker. Writer. Rachel works on the cutting edge of the contemporary mosaic fine art movement—her innovative work has been represented in cities throughout the US and internationally, and has been awarded multiple bests of show in juried exhibitions. Her Marcellus Shale Series stands as a true Pittsburgh success story, and her work is collected with passion by private clients and corporations all over the world. Rachel’s commitment to the classical language of mosaic paired with her intuitive andamento style has shaped a strong voice in the mosaic world. She brings these classical techniques home to the “here and now” of the present American mosaic movement. Rachel proudly hails from the foothills of Appalachia and passionately preserves her storytelling, hillbilly roots as she weaves the colorful tales of family, nature, self-reliance, humor, and the legacy of coal through the lens of mosaic. Whether she is digging into the earth of her native Pennsylvania or traveling the world as a teacher and speaker, her mission to “build the line” in mosaic continues to inspire new generations of mosaicists. http://www.rachelsagermosaics.com
Course Curriculum
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StartIntro and personal interview with Rachel and Tami (11:02)
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StartPDF for download: Suggested Tools, Materials, and Resources. The link to purchase the You Are Here tag
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StartA Message that’s always true (2:53)
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StartThe First Messages of Inspiration (16:31)
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StartThink like a designer (9:54)
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StartFinding Your Here (4:12)
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StartInspiration for Signs/Symbols/Maps (9:47)
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StartThe Map Pin intro (8:32)
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StartThe first project (You are the cartographer) (5:17)
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StartTreating the tag (6:21)
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StartSetting the tag (6:54)
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StartGradation tips (5:33)
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StartDeep work on the map pin (24:46)
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StartFinishing the Map Pin (14:52)
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StartThe first YOU ARE HERE, finished (1:04)
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StartInspiration for Shape/Silhouette (9:32)
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StartThe Compass Rose Bear (1:54)
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StartThe Bear’s Materials (2:34)
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StartUsing Apoxie Paste (14:35)
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StartThe Contorni Outline (8:38)
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StartThe Bear’s Layers (6:25)
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StartThe Bear’s Bandana (13:54)
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StartFinishing up the Bear (12:13)
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StartInspiration for Intuitive Meditation (8:52)
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StartThe Very Heavy Rock (5:06)
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StartMaterials for the Rock (7:12)
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StartBuilding the Mandala Circles (12:16)
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StartThe Next Right Color (14:14)
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StartThe Intuitive Legend (4:41)
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StartCutting mesh to prep for installation (7:13)
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StartClarity, Form, and Instinct (2:33)
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StartClarity, Form, and Instinct (0:59)
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StartBONUS: Outtakes of Tami and Rachel~What it's really like behind the scenes! (2:07)
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StartMosaic Atlas: Please post your You Are Here images and messages!