The Secrets of Mosaicking with Beads
Learn how to apply beads and mixed media mosaic materials to a flat or dimensional surface in a fine art manner, with ease!
If you are interested in working with beads and mixed media materials, this is *THE CLASS* for you!
This online class will particularly benefit those who are interested in mixed media art, sculpture and mosaics and those interested in learning how to successfully incorporate beads into their mosaic work in a fine art manner.
After many years of offering this class in studios around the country, I am thrilled to finally have it available online. Students have traveled from far and wide to attend this workshop and now all of the class contents, in addition to valuable bonus material, is available your fingertips.
Sharra has taught this highly demanded class around the US since 2011 as an instructor through the Society of American Mosaic Artists annual conferences and various studios and mosaic schools.
This course was first launched online in the spring of 2018. The response was so much bigger than expected (exciting!) and so students where divided into smaller groups for personal support. Each group had their own private webinar with the opportunity to share their project hopes and dreams and receive individual feedback. We had a blast! These recorded webinars are included in the course- over 4 hrs.
This class now has open registration- which means that you can register and join us at any time. Class lessons have all been recorded in advance.
The Secrets of Mosaicking with Beads Class
Registration is open! Join us anytime and take the class is at your own pace.
Bonus!
- Students will also have access to ALL of the previously recorded student Q&A webinars!
- A private facebook group which will connect students, inspire sharing and build community.
- Downloadable Handouts, Guides and Resources
- Unlimited, Forever Access at Your Own Pace
- Inspirational Bonus Material for honing your skills and practice as an artist
One of Sharra's in-studio Secrets of Mosaicking with Beads classes!
In this workshop students learn the benefits of incorporating beads into a mosaic and how to do so successfully. The primary focus is experimenting with effective techniques to apply beads into a mosaic utilizing a variety of Sharra's favorite adhesives. Also addressed will be how to source, select, and store beads. Instruction and a demonstration on grouting beads within a mosaic is also included.
Information is shared through lecture, detailed video demonstrations, and a live group Q&A webinars where students can share their projects receive supportive and personalized feedback.
Students are encouraged to practice along with a small substrate (an object to bead and mosaic). Students will also be guided through how to first gather a selection of tesserae that inspires and excites them.
Over 4 hours of previously recorded webinars of Q&A, design coaching and customized feedback included. A private facebook group also connects students and builds community within the class experience.
This online class will particularly benefit those who are interested in mixed media art, sculpture and mosaics and those also interested in learning how to successfully incorporate beads into their mosaic work in a fine art manner.
The Secrets of Mosaicking with Beads Class and How it All Began....
Back in the early years of studio teaching, my students created their sculptures and then we prepared for the mosaic phase. The class I offered to them next was called Mosaic Design and Creativity (a future online class, perhaps?!).
In Mosaic Design and Creativity, we broke down the design process and explored the ways in which we could approach the intimidating blank canvas before us. While utilizing the Elements and Principles of Design, we created tesserae palettes, inspiration boards and sketches to develop our designs.
How did this lead to The Secrets of Mosaicking with Beads?
In the end, nearly everyone included beads in their mosaics and I noticed that a great deal of our time during this class was spent on the instruction of using beads, purchasing beads and grouting beads.
Beads, beads, beads! We couldn't get enough! 
This lead to the development of The Secrets of Mosaicking with Beads when I was inspired to submit a workshop proposal to teach a workshop at the 2011 Society of American Mosaic Artists' annual conference.
The thought of teaching at an international conference was a big step outside of my comfort zone. Turns out, the more you do that, the easier it gets!
My workshop proposal was accepted and I debuted the first ever offering of The Secrets of Mosaicking with Beads at the American Mosaic Summit in Lexington, Kentucky in 2011. This was my first time teaching outside of my local community. People were flying in from all over the country and world to be there. Talk about pressure!
The twelve seats I planned for filled within the first hour of registration opening and a waitlist grew and doubled in size. I decided to add 12 more seats to the class... Gulp.
This presented the challenge: How was I going to teach this itty bitty process with the tiniest BEADS to a big crowd?
It was then that I began filming my hands-on demonstrations so that a large group could see the delicate, little materials in action, on a big screen.
The start of The Secrets of Mosaicking with Beads was a life changing success. It encouraged me to record more of my teaching which lead to the development of the first ever online mosaic class, Jeweled Ornaments, which was the first ever online mosaic class, launched in 2012.
Over the next several years, I continued to teach hundreds of students The Secrets of Mosaicking with Beads from my studio and at more SAMA conferences and mosaic schools such as the Institute of Mosaic Art and Santa Barbara School of Mosaic Art.
It has been requested as an online class for years and now, it’s here!
My first time visiting and teaching at the Institute of Mosaic Art in 2014 with my trusty assistants, Milo, age 4 yrs and Gus, 18 mos... (baby sister, Olive, yet to come in 2016!).
What will we learn?
In this online class students will learn all about the specific benefits of incorporating beads into a mosaic and how to do so successfully. We will experiment with effective techniques on how to apply beads into a mosaic by using a variety of my favorite adhesives and tools.
Also addressed is how to source, select, purchase and store beads. In depth instruction and demonstrations on grouting beads within a mosaic is also included.
Information will be shared through lecture, detailed video demonstrations, a wide variety of project samples and a live group webinar where students can share their projects to receive supportive and personalized feedback.
We will not limit ourselves to just beads but also look at other mosaic materials that compliment them! Shells, tiles, glass, rhinestones, found objects and more!
There will be many mixed-media-art surprises along the way!
Also included in the class:
- Over 4 hours of previously recorded Q&A Webinars of technical support, design coaching and personal feedback.
- A private facebook group which will connect students, inspire sharing and build community.
- Downloadable Handouts, Guides and Resources
- Lifetime Access!
- Bonus Inspirational Material for Honing the Artist Life
In Summary,
This online class will particularly benefit those who are interested in mixed media art, sculpture and mosaics and those interested in learning how to successfully incorporate beads into their mosaic work in a fine art manner and more. Join us!
THE SECRETS OF MOSAICKING WITH BEAD CLASS CURRICULUM
Your Instructor
I kept experimenting and that lead to thrifted china, stained glass, shells, buttons, paper and beads- everything! I couldn't wait to finish school to have more time for mosaics. I eagerly started exhibiting, teaching and taking small mosaic commissions during college. My midwest art professors didn't know what to do with it (I should have gone to Italy!) so mosaics became my secret art on the side, outside of school. Then, I began sculpting and creating my own forms and surfaces to mosaic onto and the process just kept escalating, as the mosaic life tends to do!
For many years as a working artist, I focused mainly on large scale commissions for designers and art consultants, public installations with nonprofits and communities and teaching workshops around the country and online to thousands of students around the world. In 2020, I scaled everything way back for a few years to fit into a new homeschooling routine with my three children… and it was such a gift!
I found that smaller scaled work translated so effectively on social media (a 10' mosaic or 10" mosaic still looks the same size on an iphone, right?!) and this allowed me to efficiently share so much more of what I do (finishing a piece in a single week rather than months- yes, please!). I already had years of experience editing my process for online classes so making reels came naturally.
This rapidly grew my presence on IG and FB and has launched my business into creating a custom product line of mosaic frames, kits, supplies, classes and a more recently, a Mosaic Membership. If you are curious about starting mosaics and learning more with me, I have many options for you and much more to come in 2026!
If you are interested in my mosaic frames, kits, mosaic art and prints visit shop.sharrafrank.com.
Reach out with any questions. I LOVE to hear from you!
Thanks so much for your support and business!
Sharra