Custom Mirrors in Blue

Green and blue are by far the most frequently requested colors for custom coat racks and mirrors in our shop. They’re such soothing colors, bringing the natural beauty of the outside world into our homes. We love them too so we’re more than happy to work with these colors. Here are a few custom mirrors we’ve made recently in blue.

First up is a mirror created using textured handmade ceramic. When a special item belonging to this client suffered an unfortunate accident, she knew the material was too gorgeous to just throw away. Johannah was honored to create a new work of art using the ceramic pieces plus memorabilia gathered by the client and a variety of blue glass.

This was also our first round mirror. We just love how it turned out!

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This next mirror was created for a bathroom vanity. The client requested smoky blues to compliment the blues and grays in their bathroom.

A lot of time and effort go into creating these custom works of art. You can be sure they’re securely shipped in heavy-duty packaging and plenty of padding to ensure they arrive in great shape.

Custom mosaic mirror color samples

Large custom mosaic vanity mirror in process

Custom mosaic mirror packed up for shipping

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Johannah loved this combination of colors so much, she decided to use them in another mirror. This one just so happens to be for sale in our shop! At 18”x24” it’s perfect for an entryway, bathroom, or over a dresser. The line of white at the top and fading out down the sides is created from ceramic shapes, vitreous glass, and reclaimed dishware.

Hummingbird Mosaic for a Kitchen Backsplash

A client commissioned these custom mosaics to honor a hummingbird-loving family member. They were renovating their kitchen and wanted to include this special memory in the new backsplash.

The client provided imagery of hummingbirds they associated with their family member, as well as fabric and tile samples related to the renovation. We ended up designing two different hummingbirds:

• one hummingbird in darker colors to match the inspiration image

• the other hummingbird in lighter colors to coordinate with the new kitchen.

You can see in the sketch we originally thought we’d create a green border around the hummingbird but ultimately decided to leave it off.

Hummingbird mosaic image inspiration

Hummingbird mosaic sketch

Lighter hummingbird mosaic material selection

Darker hummingbird mosaic material selection

Darker hummingbird mosaic in progress

Once the two mosaics were complete, we installed the darker one in a custom metal frame. We grouted the lighter mosaic, leaving a gap around outside edge to allow it to be installed in the new backsplash.

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You can see the lighter hummingbird installed in the backsplash below. It’s always such an honor to work on projects that are personally meaningful to the client.

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Blue Ridge Mountains Mosaics

As nature-lovers in Virginia, it’s no surprise we’re drawn to the iconic imagery of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Over the years Johannah has created a variety of mosaics featuring the mountains.

{Click or tap smaller images to enlarge.}

Though we don’t hike these beautiful mountains as often as we’d like, we do try to get there a few times a year. Every single visit is such an inspiring and mind-clearing experience. Returning to the studio after one hike, Johannah developed the idea for a larger landscape of the mountains. This mosaic would include three panels and feature the rocky outcroppings so common to the Blue Ridge.

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Humpback Rocks, photo by NPS

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Blackrock Summit, photo by NPS

The basic composition Johannah had in mind included an outcropping and a pine tree, with the mountains in the distance beyond. While some ideas come to mind fully-formed, this one took a few twists and turns as it came into being. First it took a few tries to land on a way to illustrate the pine tree she found satisfying. Later, once the mosaic seemed complete, something still felt missing. She decided a mosaic frame around the three panels would pull it all together.

Pine tree attempt #1

Pine tree attempt #2

Pine tree attempt #3, success at last!

Almost done but something's missing...

A border pulls it all together.

The resulting mosaic landscape was included in our exhibit as guest artists of the month at Crozet Artisan Depot a few years ago. What better place to display this piece than a little town nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge!