The art (and fun!) of the mosaic

One of the activities on February 3 will be helping to build a mosaic out of LEGO elements.

Every digital photograph, screen, monitor, or other electronic display uses pixels to make an image. LEGO can become the pixels in a fun way to reproduce or create artwork.

What will you make at STEM Moon Shot? You won’t know until the whole thing is made and revealed in the afternoon. I will give you a hint… it is NOT a picture of a moon rocket!

This is a small example that I made: a map of Denmark, with the Danish flag superimposed over the country. The pixels are rather large in this version, so it gets pretty blocky. Note that tile is used to give a different texture and depth.

This is a small example that I made: a map of Denmark, with the Danish flag superimposed over the country. The pixels are rather large in this version, so it gets pretty blocky. Note that tile is used to give a different texture and depth.

At the STEM Moon Shot event, kids will help build the mosaic. There are 36 plates, and teams will make each plate. They will be in random order with weird names ...so it is going to be almost impossible to guess the bigger picture based on just one plate.

At the STEM Moon Shot event, kids will help build the mosaic. There are 36 plates, and teams will make each plate. They will be in random order with weird names ...so it is going to be almost impossible to guess the bigger picture based on just one plate.

Here is another, and as you can tell, all of the plates are on a 16x16 plate. The pixels in this case are pretty small with the overall mosaic quite large.

Here is another, and as you can tell, all of the plates are on a 16x16 plate. The pixels in this case are pretty small with the overall mosaic quite large.

Well, you can tell that this project will be colorful! As with the tile of Denmark, I am using LEGO tiles to give depth and a different texture to the art.

Well, you can tell that this project will be colorful! As with the tile of Denmark, I am using LEGO tiles to give depth and a different texture to the art.

The mosaic is designed to hang on a wall. Toward the middle of the afternoon, volunteers will assemble the mosaic and we will have a big reveal. Technic bricks, pins, plates, and brick will lock everything together.

The mosaic is designed to hang on a wall. Toward the middle of the afternoon, volunteers will assemble the mosaic and we will have a big reveal. Technic bricks, pins, plates, and brick will lock everything together.

You can do some incredible things with this form of building. Here is artist Nathan Sawaya's reproduction of Starry Night by Van Gogh. Notice the use of depth and brick type to make this jump out at you!

You can do some incredible things with this form of building. Here is artist Nathan Sawaya's reproduction of Starry Night by Van Gogh. Notice the use of depth and brick type to make this jump out at you!

Here is a segment of a proposal I made to a local organization to do an event where kids would help build their logo.

Here is a segment of a proposal I made to a local organization to do an event where kids would help build their logo.

In 2015, I did a team building activity for a large group of Simplot employees and we had a blast. As a team, I had the people build portions of this and made a large monument. In this case, the bricks are in profile (side) and you get a different texture.

In 2015, I did a team building activity for a large group of Simplot employees and we had a blast. As a team, I had the people build portions of this and made a large monument. In this case, the bricks are in profile (side) and you get a different texture.

This is a mosaic by Sean Kenny, similar to the work just on display at the Boise Art Museum. Here the building technique is basic, but the patterns made are kind of hypnotic, aren't they?

This is a mosaic by Sean Kenny, similar to the work just on display at the Boise Art Museum. Here the building technique is basic, but the patterns made are kind of hypnotic, aren't they?

Leave a Reply