My latest mural is called "Jazz Cats".
It is on a small backyard garden wall and measures about 10 feet long.
My clients told me they love cats and music so I designed this for them. They let me create it and install it sight unseen. Gotta love clients like that!!!
A finishing touch were the musical notes I added at the end. I happen to know that their third love is baseball so those are the opening notes to
"Take Me Out To The Ball Game". A little subtle humor!
I created the mural on mesh and Easyboard in my studio then installed it in a few hours on site. The process begins with tracing the design onto the wall.
All the pieces are stuck with Thinset and held in place with tape for a little while so they don't slip.
After the Thinset has set - about 24 hours - the next
step is to tape off the entire piece for grouting.
This is my least favorite step!
It is a painstaking process on an intricate design like this.
But once the grouting is done and somewhat set, the "reveal" begins.
Peeling away the tape is my favorite step!
I use a small knife to get into the smaller spaces.
The grout can be left rough by this procedure so I sometimes smooth it out with a popsicle stick.
Here are the "figures" close up:
Two cats and the notes:
The third cat and one of the two guitars:
And Voila!
"Jazz Cats"
Ceramic tile and glass
10 Feet x 1 foot (approx)
2009
It is on a small backyard garden wall and measures about 10 feet long.
My clients told me they love cats and music so I designed this for them. They let me create it and install it sight unseen. Gotta love clients like that!!!A finishing touch were the musical notes I added at the end. I happen to know that their third love is baseball so those are the opening notes to
"Take Me Out To The Ball Game". A little subtle humor!
I created the mural on mesh and Easyboard in my studio then installed it in a few hours on site. The process begins with tracing the design onto the wall.
All the pieces are stuck with Thinset and held in place with tape for a little while so they don't slip.
After the Thinset has set - about 24 hours - the nextstep is to tape off the entire piece for grouting.
This is my least favorite step!
It is a painstaking process on an intricate design like this.
But once the grouting is done and somewhat set, the "reveal" begins.
Peeling away the tape is my favorite step!I use a small knife to get into the smaller spaces.
The grout can be left rough by this procedure so I sometimes smooth it out with a popsicle stick.
Here are the "figures" close up:
Two cats and the notes:
The third cat and one of the two guitars:
And Voila!
"Jazz Cats"Ceramic tile and glass
10 Feet x 1 foot (approx)
2009
3 comments:
This is wonderful Kim! And thanks for the step by step. I know what you mean about the blue tape when it's time to grout. I started to do that with a recent installation with weird edges and I got fed up after 10 minutes of it. I decided to do without and just touch up with paint afterwards. Ended up not needing to paint as the grout easily wiped off this particular wall. So I completely admire your tenacity and patience in taping this one off!! Really nice job. :-)
I can practically hear the music, Kim! You have such a distinct mosaic voice...elegant, graceful, whimsical, beautiful, fun...I could go on and on. Again, you've accomplished a gorgeous work of art. Your clients are very lucky to have hired you, because they won't find anyone else who creates classy mosaics quite like you do!
S.
That is amazing!
Post a Comment