During the summer of 2007 I spent some time working in a mosaic studio as a production artist. There I worked alongside two other artists, Mary McDermott and Lily Russo, mosaicking 4 large park benches.
Designed by Laurel True for her True Mosaics Studio, they are now in two parks in Brentwood, California, a small city in the Bay Area. These first photos are of the Rainbow Benches.
Aptly named, their tops - set by the designer herself - blend all the colors of the rainbow, from yellows to purples. The orange ball between them represents the sun as it shines through the "raindrops" on the bench seats, thereby creating the "rainbows."This set is in Rainbow's End Park on Solitude Way (near Lone Tree Way) in Brentwood, CA. The second set are the Kaleidoscope Benches.
First we mosaicked the kaleidoscope designs onto mesh. Then used thinset to adhere them to the benches. Next we mosaicked the benches themselves. And finally we did the grouting and sealing. 
The substrate for these is foam, carved to the designer's specifications, which is then covered with cement and fiberglass mesh. 
These are the size of small cars! Think cement Mini Coopers covered in tile and grout! Heavy and beautiful.These benches are in Kaleidoscope Park on Handel Street (near Lone Tree Way) in Brentwood, CA.
1 comment:
These are beautiful, Kim. I hope the park put up a plaque giving you, Mary and Lily your due credit. Your work is impeccable!
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