I have taught mosaics for several years, and find that each course I take raises new points of interest and more varied pieces of work, from evening classes, block courses and summer schools.

In all of these you could expect an introductory talk on the use of mosaics with visual references, followed by a guide to materials and tools, and discussion of the possibilities of design. Many courses are for beginners as well as people with some experience, and a step-by-step demonstration of cutting, bonding and grouting is given. Students work at their own pace and are encouraged to develop their own interests, whether these are abstract, pictorial or a simple love of colour. The introductory courses are always about Direct Mosaics, that is cutting and directly bonding to a surface such as a wall panel, tabletop, clock face or outdoor feature.

A range of commercial and natural materials are covered. A popular summer school in recent years has been the Oxford Summer School run by its Director Richard Speed and held at different venues in Oxford each year. A small group can work on mosaic projects in a vibrant overall environment for a week in July, when about thirty Art, Music and specialist tutors get together to take courses, culminating in a concert on the Friday night.