The Studio Journal · Commissions
In the direct method, mosaic pieces are placed face-up on mesh or board at the bench, so the artist sees the picture exactly as it builds. In the indirect method, pieces are placed face-down on paper and revealed only after installation, which produces a dead-flat face. Direct is best for framed panels and bench pieces; indirect is best for shower walls and floors where a flat finish matters most.
If you are planning around a date — a birthday, an anniversary, Christmas — work backwards from it. The Christmas order book closes on November 15 precisely because of the 30-day minimum: an order placed on the last day still needs its month at the bench, plus crating and shipping time, to be under a tree on December 25.
Most Lion & Crown panels, framed pieces and tabletops are built direct: every tessera is cut, placed face-up on fibreglass mesh or board, and checked against the reference as it goes. Values can be corrected in the moment, andamento — the flow of the pieces — stays true, and the client can see real progress photos that actually look like the finished piece.
For a mosaic that will live inside a shower, on a floor, or anywhere a perfectly flat face matters, indirect wins. Pieces are stuck face-down on paper, installed as a sheet, and the paper is washed off after the adhesive sets. You trade live visibility for geometry: no lippage, no proud edges catching toes or squeegees, and grout lines that sit exactly where they were drawn.
Choose direct for wall art, framed pieces, panels and most commissions you will view from a few feet away. Choose indirect for shower features, floors, and wet installations where flatness is safety as well as looks. Some pieces use both: a direct-built feature panel, indirect-set into a shower surround. The install decides — not habit, and not the artist's mood on the day.
When you commission a piece, the method is agreed at the drawing stage once we know where it will live. Every piece is made to order with a minimum of 30 days in the studio: small framed pieces from $650, medium panels from $1,200, murals and shower features $180–$250 per square foot. The Christmas order book closes November 15.
Direct = face-up, visible, ideal for panels and art. Indirect = face-down, dead-flat, ideal for showers and floors. To talk through which your space needs, call or text Lion & Crown Mosaics at 719-521-8312 or use the contact form. Shipping is available anywhere in the US at the buyer’s cost.
