Creating...learning...enjoying - are we having fun yet?

Friday 14 October 2011

Cave Canem

Means roughly, "Beware of the Dog".

This is the subject for my mosaic project- all the lessons are learnt, now to make something of my own choice.
First saw Cave Canem in Pompeii, in an early spring holiday to Piano Sorrento, in the south of the bay of Naples. Using the Circumvesuviana train, Pompeii can be reached quite easily.

Whereas we would put up a sign on our gate to say beware of the dog, the Pompeians and other Romans, had a mosaic depiction of a dog and the Cave Canem warning, in the entrance to the property.
I chose to use as an inspiration, a similar, but easier to construct mosaic from the Isle of Capri.

here is a picture of the dog - made of pre-cut marble tiles, ready for the background tiles to be laid and the words to be created and grouted to finish it off.

As you can see - it is a stylised dog. I did not know until using marble for the first time , that although you can cut the tiles using the nippers we use for other tiles, it takes more effort and the resulting cut tile shape is unpredictable as they shatter easily. This meant that I did not cut many of the tiles (also had just about enough to make the shape so scared to waste them) just laid them in as flowing a way as possible, so in some places there are some weird gaps. Still it should look OK when grouted.
The dog is wearing a reddish brown collar and will have a lead attached as well.

We have next week's session and a follow up session after half- term if needed  to finalise the mosaic.

Today finished the mowing strip around the lawn, so that was good- the lawn looks neater in having the edge, and also a more defined shape as when it was seeded in the spring, we made it a little wider than the original lawn that this replaced, to allow for trimming later.

4 comments:

  1. Looks good! What about a mosaic of Rosie next? :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. She would not stay still long enough to be sketched!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I stumbled upon your blog while looking for a royalty-free picture of the famous "Cave Canem" mosaic to illustrate a short story I wrote. It is already published in French in my blog (http://tinyurl.com/7p9avxx) but I am about to post the English translation as well since I've had a few requests for it. Would you mind if I used the picture of your mosaic project? My email address is geoff.hauppier@gmx.com.

    I am adding your blog on my favourite list so my readers can come and visit you as well. I find your stories and photos very interesting. I was particularly touched about your post for Remembrance Day.

    Good luck with your mosaic project and thank you for blogging!

    Geoff

    ReplyDelete
  4. Geoff,
    I have sent you a personal message and an updated photo.

    Martin

    ReplyDelete