Rooster Mosaic Backsplash

I have wanted to make rooster mosaics for a while. I was recently contacted by a gentleman, for whom I had made a mosaic fireplace surround 5 years ago, to create a new piece to go behind his stove. He was redesigning his kitchen in a black-and-white motif, sort of a "bistro" theme. His floor is black & white and the cupboards and walls are bright white. Well, when I Googled "bistro" a lot of rooster art came up! So I designed this piece: a simple white tile background with 6 tiles with a grey-metallic finish and 4 solid black tiles. The centerpiece is a glass mosaic rooster. I really like how this came out. 

Here are photos of the process:

First the design. I laid out the tiles on a mockup of the space. 

 Then I cut the rooster out of Wedi board. I don't like the "strings" that stick out of the sides of the Wedi but I do like how easily it cuts. 

Here it is finished in my studio and ready to be packed up to go to the job site:

  Next step, the installation! Here is the space "before".

Here is the space "after". 

You can see the substrate nailed to the wall by the contractor. I tape all around and put tarps on the floor to protect all the new white paint. 

The install begins. 

I held up the tiles with blue tape to keep them from sagging. I didnt want to use quick-setting adherent because I wanted to be able to measure and level each row and shift the tiles if necessary. 

And here it is at the end of the first day. 

 Second day - grouting!

 Again, taping everything around the piece is essential.

 Almost clean!!

I went back to seal this a few days later and the stove was in place. Here she is finished! 

I think I am going to keep making rooster mosaics. I really like the image and "feel" of roosters and chickens. 

 

Rooster Mosaic Backsplash

34" x 36"

2013

Mosaic Stairs - Dawn's Sunrise

My latest work is a mosaic on the front staircase of a home. These were the stairs before:

Here are the stairs after:

My client wanted to paint and beautify the front of her house and wanted a piece of art that would make her happy when she comes home. The design had to be easily readable "chopped up" as it would be on the front of each riser with a thick "lip" separating each image.She and I went through a few design ideas - a tree, a butterfly - but settled on a sunrise. The clients first name is Dawn so we thought this would be TOTALLY perfect!!

 I worked on mesh in my studio. I had some fits and starts at the beginning trying to figure out a lay pattern for the sun. But I was able to settle on one style for the sun (small squares of color)...

 and a more traditional pattern (triangles) for the "rays"- along with different colors of mirror for sparkle!

I finished the studio work pretty quickly but had to wait through several rainstorms for a good dry stretch to be able to do the installation and grouting. Here is my set-up for the installation...

...and for the next day's grouting.

Here are several photos of the finished piece from different angles:

 

  Dawn dropped by last evening with a wonderful heartfelt note of thanks and a little metal box shaped like a Hamsa for me. I have been very lucky with the type of people who have commissioned me to create artwork for them!!

Dawn's Sunrise 

7 separate mosaics of 54" x 4" each. 

Kim Larson   2012