Cancún Ecosystem Mosaic Series

Johannah almost missed the short email that started this whole project off. As a small business, we get a fair amount of spam email from “international suppliers.” So on first glance an email requesting our work in Cancún sounded like yet another in this vein.

Good thing we took a closer look! We soon learned that yes indeed, a designer in the hospitality industry was reaching out on behalf of a Marriott hotel in Cancún. The hotel was looking to create an exhibition of work to hang in their lobby that celebrated the local native tropical environment.

The hotel requested two groupings of eight pieces each, centered on two topics: one group exploring the native environment of the region, and the other focused on the life cycle of sea turtles. They wanted the work to emphasize the connection to earth through the use of natural and reclaimed materials.

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The first set of images show preparatory sketches, a sampling of the materials, and work-in-progress shots of the two mosaic series and handmade frames we created for this installation.

Cancún, Mexico native ecosystem mosaic series

Top row (L to R) Mangroves, Keel-billed Toucan, Blue Crab Migration, Frangipani Tree

Bottom row (L to R): Whaleshark, Lagoon, Rainbow Parrotfish, Island Beach Cove

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The native ecosystem series depicts native plants, animals, and landscapes important to the tropical region of the Yucatan peninsula and the Caribbean Sea surrounding Cancún. Johannah focused on species and locations that would be familiar to many visiting tourists and represent a cross-section of the biodiversity of the region.

Nichupté Lagoon is the body of water that lies between the tourist area, a barrier island outside the city, and mainland downtown Cancun. Imagery of this lush landscape inspired the Mangroves and Lagoon pieces. The vibrant Keel-billed Toucan and Rainbow Parrotfish represent the brilliantly colors of so many tropical animals. Well-known the world over as tropical ornamentals, Frangipani Trees, also known as plumeria, are native to the Caribbean. And of course the region is known for its white sand beaches and crystal clear water.

Migratory animals are among the many important tourist draws to the area. They represent the intersection of nature’s rhythms and the encroachment of humans on native habitats. During full moons in the early fall, blue crabs migrate from the mangroves and lagoon in the west, across the busy streets and neighborhoods of the tourist area, to lay their eggs in the Caribbean Sea to the east. Just to the north, the majestic whale shark, the largest living fish species, migrates into the area in the late spring, inspiring boating and swimming tours to view them more closely.

Mangroves detail--smalti & reclaimed sea urchin spines

Keel-billed toucan detail-- smalti

Blue Crab Migration detail-- smalti & reclaimed electronic parts

Frangipani tree detail -- smalti & reclaimed wire and ceramic

Whaleshark detail-- reclaimed marble

Lagoon detail-- smalti

Rainbow parrotfish detail-- smalti

Island Beach Cove-- smalti & reclaimed ceramic and marble

Caribbean sea turtle mosaic series

Top row (L to R): Nesting Dunes, Sargassum Mat, Stove-pipe Sponge, Hawksbill Turtle

Bottom row (L to R): Hatchlings Headed to Sea, Open Sea Under Full Moon, Moon Jellyfish & Seagrass Meadow, Leatherback Turtle

The sea turtle series depicts images representing the life cycle of sea turtles in the Caribbean region. Johannah chose images representing their changing habitat over their life span, their diet, and of course the beautiful patterns of their shells.

All species of adult female sea turtles return to land to dig nests into sea dunes to lay their eggs. The baby sea turtles most often hatch at night and immediately begin their trek to open sea. They spend the first three to five years of life in seaweed mats, such as the golden sargassum seaweed. These mats provide the young turtles with food, shelter, and fresh water.

Once full-grown, sea turtles spend much of their lives closer to shore. Most adult sea turtles are omnivorous, eating a variety of plants and animals. The diet of hawksbill turtles in the Caribbean Sea consists primarily of sponges, such as the long tubular stove-pipe sponge. Green sea turtles feed on sea grass and algae, while the leatherback turtle eats mainly jellyfish.

The hawksbill sea turtle is critically endangered largely due to the use of its beautifully patterned shell for human decoration. The leatherback sea turtle is vulnerable though not endangered and is the largest and most hydrodynamic body shape of all sea turtles. Other sea turtles of the Caribbean include the green sea turtle, the loggerhead, and Kemp’s or Atlantic ridley, the world’s most critically endangered sea turtle.

Nesting dunes detail-- smalti, reclaimed ceramic, electric wire, & marble

Sargassum mat detail-- smalti, reclaimed nails, beads, & buttons

Stove-pipe sponge detail-- smalti, stained glass, reclaimed ceramic

Hawksbill turtle detail-- smalti, reclaimed nails

Hatchlings detail-- smalti, reclaimed ceramic & marble

Full Moon detail-- smalti, reclaimed electric wire & marble

Jellyfish & seagrass detail-- smalti, reclaimed electric wire & buttons

Leatherback turtle detail-- reclaimed marble

Celestial Series

The moon has had an artistic pull on Johannah for a while now. Over the years she has created a variety of work featuring the full moon. The moon is the main character in some pieces or plays a supporting role in others. There’s even a series of tiny landscapes with full moons lighting the sky.

More recently, the work expanded to include other varieties of celestial bodies: the dark new moon, a radiant sun, and the lunar phases.

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Two Moons

“New Moon”

“Full Moon in Purple Sky”

“Full Moon in Black and Green”

“Sunny Day”

“Phases of the Moon”

The largest interpretation of the moon in the more recent Celestial series features a large full moon rising over a slate blue sky. Stars sparkle softly in the distance. You can see a short video of the mosaic under construction below.

"Forest Flora" custom mosaic series

Do you remember, early in the pandemic, when the government sent checks to help us hold out through those strange and frightening times? And do you remember the discussion that it was up to us to support the small businesses we valued, like book stores and hair stylists, to make sure they lasted?

This series is an example of one couple deciding artists were the ones they wanted to support with that check they received. Their regular income continued uninterrupted and they viewed that check as a bonus. By using those funds to purchase work from artists (aka small business owners) they could both enjoy that art in their home for years to come, as well as help ensure those businesses carried on into the future.

As the recipient of a commission from this couple, this work was welcome income during those fraught days. It was also meaningful to us, as artists and as a company, to know we were valued in that way. And in the days when we were restricted to our own homes and yards, it provided an opportunity to find respite in the great outdoors we so love from the safety of a computer.

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The patrons of this set are natives of the eastern United States. In moving to the Midwest, they had discovered an appreciation for the prairie environment. But they had also found they were missing the forests of their childhoods and early years as a couple. The goal of this series was to create a tactile and visual reminder of those woods.

The first piece in the series, “Into the Forest,” is the largest. Johannah wanted to convey both the cool darkness at the forest floor as well as the bright green chaos and light looking up through the tops of a trees. This piece is created in Mexican and gold smalti in a raw maple frame.

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The next three pieces are progressively smaller. With these pieces, we wanted to represent native plants and fungi found on the forest floor, specifically a mushroom, a flower, and a fern. Johannah and the clients chose the bright orange Cantharellus cinnabarinus mushroom, red and yellow Eastern Columbine flowers, and Ebony spleenwort for the fern. These pieces were created from hand-cut stained glass set in tinted black mortar, in a style inspired by a previous series depicting endangered flowers.