Floral Garden Mosaic

December 29, 2023 by Johannah Willsey in Mosaic

Like collaborating with friends and colleagues, connecting with repeat clients is one of our favorite ways to create work. The relationship is established and comfortable, and everything seems to flow a bit more easily.

We created this exterior mosaic in exactly those conditions. The client is a great enthusiast and collector of craft and art, and owns several of our mosaic wall pieces. When it came time to replace the lion’s head fountain in their backyard garden, they reached out to Johannah to create a custom mosaic for the space.

Exterior abstract floral mosaic in reds and oranges

The first step in this project was to remove the lion’s head fountain and create a template of the space for the shape of the mosaic.

Kyle in safety gear while removing the original wall sculpture

Opening in the wall with the original sculpture below

Opening with the template for the new mosaic

The client requested abstract flowers in warm tones for the design of the mosaic. Green stems and leaves add visual variety and contrast. The tulip-like shape of the overall mosaic inspired the background design.

Like any exterior art, it’s important to consider how weather will affect the finished piece. The substrate on which the mosaic is made, the materials it’s created from, and the adhesive should all be able to withstand changes in moisture and temperature. Freeze-thaw cycles are especially important in some areas. In Virginia we’re lucky they’re not too dramatic but should still be kept in mind.

For this mosaic, the roof overhanging the wall will provide some additional protection over the years.

Below you can see Kyle and Johannah installing the finished mosaic. Johannah left openings in the mosaic to allow the piece to be screwed into the support structure behind it. Once it was installed, pre-cut mosaic tesserae were set in place to cover the screw heads.

Installing blocking to support the mosaic

Such a lovely outdoor room! This mosaic was a dream to create from start to finish, and we’re honored to be a part of this space.

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"Envisioning Change" mosaics

January 03, 2020 by Johannah Willsey in Mosaic

This is a two-part mosaic series Johannah created as part of an effort to visualize and make more tangible the idea of “change.” How do we change our culture? What happens when we change our minds? What does that process look like? What do the results look like? Specifically these pieces relate to the idea of social justice, but in a broader sense they might apply to any inner change that affects personal relationships, whether with oneself or between two or more people.

{Click smaller images to enlarge.}

The first piece is a triptych titled “Change the Pattern, Change the World: The Sacred Space of Change.” Beginning on the left with a simple, unchanging pattern, the narrative of the piece moves to the center panel. Here the pattern is interrupted by a sacred, protected space where deep, lasting change is fueled and created. In the final panel, this deep change moves out of the sacred space and into the broader outside world, disrupting and changing the established pattern.

Process shots filling in the third panel above and a few of our favorite details below.

Oblong circles in black and multicolor expand outward from the center.

The second piece in this series about change is called “Through Diversity, We Expand.” This was inspired by the question “what value does diversity bring to our lives?” One answer to that question is that exposure to new experiences, especially new people, cultures, and worldviews causes us to grow as individuals and broaden our understanding of the world. And just as our bodies are composed of the elements of the universe, the lines of this artwork mimic those of our expanding universe, reflecting our personal experience in the greater universal experience.

"Through Diversity" mosaic art in process 1

"Through Diversity" mosaic art in process 2

"Through Diversity" mosaic art in process 3

"Through Diversity" mosaic art in process 4

"Through Diversity" mosaic art in process 5

"Through Diversity" mosaic art in process 6

"Through Diversity" mosaic art in process 7

"Through Diversity" mosaic art in process 8

"Magic Carpet Ride" custom mosaic

July 13, 2018 by Johannah Willsey in Mosaic

This client reached out to us about creating a custom mosaic for a specific location in their kitchen. We used colors and nature themes found throughout their house in the design of this piece.

{Click any smaller image to enlarge.}

A series of process shots from idea sketches to color palette, through the creation of the finished piece. We used Italian smalti, an opaque glass and traditional mosaic material, for the leaf silhouettes and various glass and porcelain tiles for the background.

The finished piece in our studio...

... and some detail shots plus the piece installed in their kitchen. The rippling background plus the night sky feeling of the gold-sprinkled blue inspired us to call this piece “Magic Carpet Ride.”

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