VIDEO: Making of Mokuluas Mosaic

It was such an honor to have the opportunity to make such a stunning backsplash for my client in Kailua, Hawaii! This video shows the creation of the Mokuluas mosaic from beginning to end, but before iPhones took good pictures. ;)

Video transcript for deaf or hard of hearing:

 I’m going to take you way back to 2008 to one of the first major commissions of my professional mosaic career. I had done a couple small commissions before and finally got my website together when I got a call from an interior designer in the Bay area.

She wasn’t calling for a client, but for herself. She and her husband were building their dream home in Kailua, HI, and wanted me to make two mosaics for their home. Today I’m going to show you the making of Mokuluas, the Hawaiian art wall backsplash.

This was a new build, so since it didn’t exist yet, I received a pdf file with

elevations from the architect. There were still some variables, so I believe this is the image I sketched up with the red dots to let them know which measurements I needed to proceed.

The client sent me these two images of the Mokuluas islands. They are just around the cove from the new home they were building, but since they didn’t have a view from their property, they wanted this mosaic to bring the islands into their home. 

The client and I knew we wanted it to be slightly stylized, yet realistic, so I started first by showing her how an idea I had for the clouds, a motif that would carry through to the ocean waves. 

Then I sketched the ocean waves.

Again, the kitchen wasn’t built yet, so I put the measurements into a CAD program to create a layout to make sure the client understood the perspective.

Then the client wanted some palm leaves to frame the mosaic. There was also some talk at this time about adding a turtle. I believe I made some sketches with a turtle, but really felt it took away from the elegance of the design.

Then the builders sent me updated measurements, making the proportions slightly squarer.

This was the final design thrown into the CAD layout. 

The next step was to show the client the palette of glass I would use for the mosaic. I ordered samples of every color from a few different glass lines and pared them down to this. I spent a lot of time finding the perfect combos, so I remember being thrilled that the client immediately approved the glass.

Next I laid out the shifts of water color on the design as well as the backer board I would be working on. It would be easy with a free flowing, wavy design to get crooked or get carried away with one color and not leave enough room for all the transitions.

Then it was time to begin the construction.

I started with the palm fronds,

Then the stylized clouds 

And the pebble islands filled in by gold streaked glass to make sure they still catch the light.

I took some pictures for the client without the painter’s tape.

I need to leave some pieces of glass unattached so the panels can be screwed into the wall with washers, so as I’m working the blue tape is to hold them in place.

Now onto the water. I worked from both the bottom and top to make sure the colors and intensity of the waves would come together properly. 

Also as a note, I used white silicone for this project. I want it to be waterproof because it will be in a kitchen in a humid climate. Plus much of the glass is translucent, so using a white adhesive makes the glass bright and shiny.

I cut the mosaic into dozens of pieces and shipped the mosaic to Hawaii. The builder sent me these pics before lighting was installed in the home.

 The next year I went to Hawaii to grout the mosaic. I was busy working the whole time, but here are a couple pictures of the home and property I managed to take. 

And finally the mosaic was finished. This was right before inexpensive cameras and phone cameras started getting really good, so the pictures don’t quite show the movement of the mosaic.

 When you are in the room, because of all the shine and iridescence, the water appears to move and the homeowner reported that the colors change throughout the day.

Thank you for taking this trip back in time with me!

Mokuluas Mosaic

Dating back to 2008, this was one of my first large mosaic pieces I have done for my career. I received a call from an interior designer about a piece that she wanted for herself. She and her husband were building their dream home in Kailua, Hawaii, and they wanted for me to create a backsplash to be put in their kitchen.

Since the home was not yet built, I has asked for the measurements of all the walls surrounding the kitchen so that I knew what size I was going to create this piece to be. She also sent me two pictures of Mokulukas Islands that were located near their new home. Since they could not see the Islands from their house, so they wanted for me to create a mosaic in order to show the landscape in their own home.

The client and I knew she wanted the piece to be realistic, but also stylized, so when I began my drawing, I first started with the outline of the clouds. I created this motif drawing that would also carry through the whole piece. I then sketched the ocean waves and using the same technique. After my sketch design was created, I put the measurements into a CAD program so I could show the client and also so that way they knew the perspective that was going to be shown.

After the sketch was created, the client then decided that they wanted to add in some palm leaves. I was able to incorporate them on the sides of the piece, without taking away from the piece as a whole and the elegance of the overall design. After I added in the palm trees and sent it over to the designer, we then changed the sizing for the overall piece slightly so that it was more square and it would then fit better in the layout the client wanted.

Once everything was sketched out and placed in the CAD layout, I then showed the client the glass colors I had chosen and would be using on their mosaic. I ordered samples of lots of different colors and I also spent a lot of time picking combos of colors that I liked the best and thought that would be the best fit for the overall design. I was extremely happy when the client liked the glass colors that I had picked the first time!

After I choose the colors, I then laid out the watercolor shifts I was going to use and I put them on the backer board as well so that I knew where to follow on this specific design in order to keep it in line so it did not go all over the place. This also allowed for all the transitions of colors and so that one color would not get taken over by another color.

Finally it was time to begin the piece and I first started with the palm leaves and then I worked my way to clouds and then the Mokulukas islands using both glass and stone so that they would stand out in the piece.

Next up was creating the water. I made sure to work from both the top and the bottom to make sure the colors and the intensity of the waves would show through as well as come together properly and not look out of place. For this project, I also used some white silicone as an adhesive because it will be located in a kitchen so I wanted to make sure that it was going to be waterproof. A white adhesive is also helpful when glass is translucent because it makes it brighter and shiny too.

When the piece was complete, I cut it into dozens of pieces and then had it shipped to Hawaii for the client. The builder then had sent me photos of it being installed into the home and a year later I got to go to Hawaii to grout the mosaic. Even though I was there for work, I got to see their property and I even got to see the Mokulukas Islands in person that I had created for the client.

When you view the mosaic, the water and clouds appear to move because of all the lights and iridescent colors that I used, however pictures do not do it justice since this piece was in 2008, before quality phone cameras were invented. The client even stated that the colors change throughout the day too!

Ombre Mosaic Fireplace

I loved making this mosaic so much! The subtle color changes and wide variety of tessera made this fireplace a work of art.

It was such a pleasure to make this mosaic fireplace for this delightful client in Akron, Ohio. She had a wonderful eye for color, design, and theme. It’s wonderful to work with someone that knows what she wants, but is open to different ideas.

The client came with images and the concept when I visited her home to see her aesthetic, and then I sketched up some ideas. We landed on this sketch to begin the process.

 
 

She then came to my studio to choose from a huge variety of glass options. She quickly picked what she did and did not want to use in the creation. It was a tough decision to go as dark, and with heavier materials at the bottom, but I really felt it would ground the mosaic to make the design pop and make the upper half more ethereal. I’m so glad she chose to go with it, and she’s very happy with the outcome, so I think it was the right move! This is my favorite mosaic I’ve made because I love when the complicated bits and decisions of making a mosaic come together in such a unified, flowing, elegant design.

Sun Kitchen Mosaic Backsplash

It was so much fun to have the honor of making this brilliant, Gaudi-inspired showpiece for a client’s home! 

My clients were building their dream pool house which was sleak, modern and minimal. It is a gorgeous home with clean lines and almost all white. They planned on doing a lot of entertaining, so they wanted a bright, bold mosaic backsplash in their open kitchen to be the centerpiece of the dining and living area. I was so fortunate that the president of an arts organization I do work for are neighbors and friends with the couple building the home. The wife told the couple about my mosaic work and we met to discuss the project.

The couple wanted something inspired by Gaudi because they loved his mosaics and wanted a special artwork to remind them of their travels to Barcelona. They also wanted cobalt contrasting with vibrant, warm colors. It’s so rare people are bold enough to put this much color in their home, so it was such a joy to work with them to make this mosaic happen.

I wanted to create a design that would match their Gaudi & color specifications while still reflecting my own style. I suggested a sun because Gaudi has made mosaic suns, but I did it my way by using geometric shapes, different levels of translucency in the glass, colored mirror, and gold smalti. I didn’t even anticipate the gorgeous reflection of the sun on the stovetop. That was a happy coincidence. For the background we wanted something swirling and magical, so I created crisp lines between the cobalt that would transition through other blues and greens before coming back to cobalt. They wanted more red and movement in the design, so I added in the red sections to reflect the movement of the background.

I also suggested to create the mosaic out of glass instead of ceramic. I was so happy they agreed because I couldn’t have created a work this intricate out of ceramic. It would also lack the shine and impact. I still used a picasiette-style andamenton traditional of ceramic mosaics to pay homage to Gaudi. The whole design and choice of glass came together beautifully and quickly because the clients were open to ideas but also knew exactly what they wanted when they saw it. It was a wonderful collaboration.

Casa de Los Robles Mosaic

I loved making this plaque for a client’s home using stained glass and 24 karat gold smalti.

It was such an honor to get to make this beautiful plaque for my client’s home. She wanted something elegant to honor her home, Casa de Los Robles (House of the Oak), that was built in 1927.

A major feature of this mosaic is the gold smalti, which is 24 karat gold leaf between layers of glass. This beautiful and coveted glass comes from the Orsoni glass company in Venice, Italy. I had the idea of working with gold smalti and the client loved it, but then we were left with the dilemma that she definitely wanted the “de” to be placed in the tree trunk. I could have used dark gold smalti for the background and yellow gold to stand out in the tree, but I personally feel that using different colors in font is less elegant. The USA supplier of the gold at the time didn’t have this darkest of colors that had a certain refraction that allowed it to stand out against both dark brown and cream glass. Fortunately, when I relayed the significance of this particular color, the supplier managed to either find some stashed away or get some from Italy before her regular shipment, which would have been several months if the factory even had any in stock. To me, this color totally makes the mosaic work, so I was elated.

Then I had to sculpt this thick glass using andamento that keeps the script lettering light and consistent. Instead of recessing this glass that is slightly thicker than stained glass, I kept its depth so that it rose above a bit to stand out and reflect the light cleanly. I also used this bronze gold smalti in addition to a more traditional yellow gold smalti for the acorns and the border. The rest of the mosaic is stained glass.

I created the Casa de Los Robles mosaic in one piece on Wedi board. I grouted it and shipped it to California to be installed, recessed, into the wall of the client’s butler’s pantry. The client was kind enough to send along this picture after the installation.

Bodhi Tree Mosaic

The client for this mosaic came to me after she had purchased pottery from an artist in Africa. Unfortunately, the pottery broke during shipping, so she wanted me to make a mosaic artwork with the shards as a memory of her trip.

My client told me about her amazing trip to Africa (it’s been several years so I forget which country) and how she buys local artwork every time she travels. She was very excited to have this gorgeous pottery set as a memory of her time. The artist offered to ship it to her, and sadly it arrived with almost every piece broken. Her friends suggested she make a mosaic out of the shards. She decided that she wanted something more “fine art” than what she could do herself, so she asked me to help.

The pottery was beautiful, as was her story, so of course I wanted to help. I asked if she wanted to incorporate other glass or tile too, but she wanted to use exclusively the ceramic pottery. I came up with the idea of the design, which she liked. Then I found these Walker Zanger pop art porcelain tiles and realized how amazing and special they would look in this mosaic. I told the client I absolutely understood why she wanted to use only material from her trip, but offered her these as an option in case she wanted to reconsider. She loved the way they looked and how they organically fit with the pottery, so we went for it!

When I created the mosaic, I used the rims of the cups, bowls, and plates for the leaves and branches. I layered the ceramic for a three dimensional effect. For the background, I used the centers of the pottery. I decided on a simple brickish type pattern to give a sense of zen and to make a distinct change in andamento between the background and foreground. I loved how in the background, the different thicknesses between the dinnerware provided depth and texture.

I developed achy hands and a lot of blisters trying to cut this very hard, thick ceramic. It also had a tendency to crumble, which was incredibly frustrating. I stilled loved the opportunity to make this very special artwork, and the client loved it. So overall, absolutely worth it!

Fireplace Rugs Mosaic

I was so lucky that Jordan Design Crew approached me to make these decorative mosaics for their clients’ outdoor living room.

 
 

If my memory serves me correctly, one of the founders of Jordan Design Crew, Courtney, created this design. In addition to being a fabulous interior designer, she’s also an amazing artist. The design fit beautifully into her design for this outdoor living area.

 
 

Cherry Blossoms Mosaic

Here’s a delicate little mosaic I made when I was inspired by the elegance of cherry blossoms.

 
 

I made this mosaic as a feature piece for a line of tile I wanted to make. I made these tile samples with the intention of making them to be placed on backsplashes embedded within other tile.

 
 
 

I made samples with different colors of grout and tile beds to show how they would look, but the idea didn’t catch on.

I even tried making some mosaics with a poppy theme.

Some students that came to my studio saw them sitting around and suggested to just sell them as regular hanging artwork. I did that, but they still didn’t sell. Oh well, it either wasn’t a good idea or not good in execution, but people do like my cherry blossoms mosaic and so do I, so it was worth the experiment.

Secret Spa Mosaic

I made this mosaic mostly out of Sicis Neoglass for a spa at the same home as the Mokuluas art wall. 

I created this mosaic before the actual spa was built, so I had to put the builder’s measurements into a CAD program to make sure the glass would fit once it was built.

The client is an interior designer and fell in love with Sicis Neoglass. She wanted me to use this glass for the spa. Neoglass is about 1/4” thick and comes in 3 shapes: Cube, Barrel, and Dome.

Cube

Barrel

Dome

The client wanted a design to reflect the local surroundings, so I created a ginger flower embellishment pattern to work into the waves of the mosaic.

Originally the mosaic was going to cover the whole spa, but because of concerns about the surface being slippery, she requested I just mosaic the sides and an interior wave. They would top the spa with stone. These were the options for the original design.

With the design locked down, I started creating the mosaic in reverse on heavy kraft paper so that it could be easily shipped and installed by her builders in Hawaii.

And then the mosaic was finally installed and grouted in its home in Kailua, Hawaii.

TBT! Mirror Feather Mosaic Cabinet Collab

Here’s a gorgeous collaboration I had the opportunity to work on with John Strauss Furniture a few years ago. John created this beautiful cabinet to house this beautiful inset mosaic mirror feather that is inset within the doors. It was so fun to collaborate with John & Carisa on this and so many other furniture/mosaic works!