OSU Commission, № 1 of 5

So, that potential commission that I blogged about did come through after all. It was a bit of a lengthy, touch-and-go kind of process, and I actually thought it had gone and was not going to happen. But then, after another month, I heard from them and they were ready to move on it.

Oklahoma State University is developing a medical complex in downtown Tulsa. It is not complete yet, but they wanted mosaics of the skyline with the actual and future OSU buildings. It was not easy to get the right view as the complex is rather spread out. They wanted five “table top” pieces, which they defined as being as much as 24” wide. Eventually, they were able to get a couple of good Google Earth images from which I could work.

Below is the image that I used to create the to-scale drawing that follows. The Google Earth image was very small, however, and it was tricky to translate some of the buildings and/or features. In a 9” x 24” mosaic, on their time frame and within their budget, I could not get very detailed. We needed to bring out the OSU buildings and visually tie them together, even though the complex is not finished. So I honed in on the OSU orange and used it, along with more detail, to help make the OSU buildings visually prominent. So all the front buildings with the bright orange are the OSU buildings. The background buildings that look a paler orange are actually more of a terra cotta color, which you can see in the finished first mosaic.

Google Earth image

My rendering of the Goggle Earth image, created using the Procreate app. This rendering included some future construction

Initially, they wanted all five—gifts for donors—by Christmas, but I was not comfortable committing to that. So they asked for three of them by Christmas. Confident that I could do that, and with an approved budget, we signed a contract, effective Oct. 1.

I started the first one (below) before Oct. 1, as I had material on hand and really wanted to get a good idea of how much time I needed, how much detail I could manage, and generally work out any issues. I am now starting the second one.

Tulsa/OSU Skyline 9“ x 24” | 23cm x 61cm. Vitreous glass. Digitally framed.

The vitreous glass is a mix of French Opio and Italian Bisazza, and also Trend. Yes, that Bisazza is old, as well as the Opio, neither of which are available now, although Bisazza is basically Trend now, if I have that right. I priced the work for them using either vitreous or smalti and they chose the vitreous. It is less expensive, I had a good amount in inventory, and I thought it more practical for this project, considering the time issue. I knew I would be using a lot of straight cuts and thought vitreous would be a little easier—translate to faster—than smalti. Still, vitreous has its own issues, like dealing with those darned mitered edges. And the Opio is the hardest vitreous I have every worked with!

The only issue that I encountered was the grout. I was hoping to use a single color for the sky as for the non-sky, but after grouting it all in a mix of half gray thin set and half white, I thought the sky grout lines were a little too dark. However, I did not want to go any lighter for the non-sky part. I felt like it was important for the grout lines to show to help give definition for the buildings and the mid-gray works well for the buildings, whether light or dark. So I reworked the sky grout using 2-1 parts of white to gray thin set and was much happier with it.

Their initial idea was for the five smaller panels, and then a very large one to be installed in one of the buildings. I don’t think the idea for the large mosaic has been settled upon yet.

End-of-Malaise Bottle?

Since last November, I’ve been totally lacking in mosaic motivation. I attempted a couple of projects only to leave them lingering on my work table, destined to be abandoned. At first, I was a little concerned, but I decided to just go with it and see what happened. If, after some unidentified period of time, I still lacked mosaic mojo, so be it. I’ve just been living life without mosaicking for almost a year, and it has been a very productive time, just not mosaically.

Then, a few of weeks ago, I invested a good chunk of my weekend on a possible commission design. The potential client had been trying to work out a project for months. Each time I thought I would not hear from them anymore, I would hear from them. So, once again, they contacted me and I really did want to help them resolve things, moving ahead with or without me.

I prepared a design with which I could give good cost and time estimates and sent it to them. I highly suspected it was beyond their budget as well as time frame, but I gave it my best shot. Not having heard back from them, I am once again guessing that they have moved on without me.

Spending the time on that design was very good for me, however, and I think it helped to prod me back to mosaic. Well, time will tell about that. Anyway, I decided to mosaic a bottle while I was developing an art piece idea. And here is the bottle.

Amber, Copper, and Gold Bottle 8.5” x 4” | 22cm x 10cm. Vitreous, mirror and Van Gogh glass on Hendrick’s gin bottle.

The main shape of the bottle was easy to work with. The 1/4” squares were cut to size by Mosaics By Maria. The top, however, proved to be a little more demanding. I ended up having to wedge most of the top pieces. It’s not my favorite palette, but I the materials left over from something else.

It did actually feel good to have a project again, and I think I am ready to move on to the art piece. Perhaps my mosaic doldrums have come to an end? Let’s find out!

Sold!

I am so pleased to have my most ardent supporter and most prolific collector add Theme and Variations: All Dreams, to their mosaic art collection. They now own three of the works from my Music To My Eyes series, along with a few other pieces.

Theme and Variations: All Dreams, in situ using Artooms app.

Theme and Variations: All Dreams, in situ using Artooms app.

Theme and Variations: All Dreams (2020) 36” x 57” | 91cm x 145cm. Mosaics gold, colored cement. Inspired by a contemporary classical piano piece by Christopher Theofanidis, titled All Dreams Begin With The Horizon, 3rd movement.

Theme and Variations: All Dreams (2020) 36” x 57” | 91cm x 145cm. Mosaics gold, colored cement. Inspired by a contemporary classical piano piece by Christopher Theofanidis, titled All Dreams Begin With The Horizon, 3rd movement.

I will certainly miss this one, but how thrilling it is to sell such a large work! It will be quite the chore to ship it and hang it, but it will be stunning in it’s new home.

all dreams final detail2 web.jpg

Theme and Variations: All Dreams, from lower front

Switching Gears

I wrote last week about how I have been in quite a creative slump, but that I was determined to finish a little, fun piece that I started at the end of last year. Well, I am out of determination. It just was not working for me. Have you ever just lost interest in a project? Silly question, right? I really hate to add another unfinished mosaic to my list but it, at least, has company.

I’m going to mosaic a pair of bottles, also started back in November before I lost interest in them. I now understand that my lack of interest was not only mosaic oriented, but more of a general malaise that spilled over into my creative drive, resulting in an existential foray into questions about life and purpose. My mind just loves that kind of stuff, and that is for both good and ill, I believe.

Time to move on! Here is a pair of interestingly-shaped tequila bottles. I don’t remember the brand. My husband brought home one bottle a few years ago. I thought the shape just called out for a mate, so I found another one. I drew the pattern on last November and then proceeded to abandon them on a work table for all these months.

I’ll be using Orsoni #10 gold for the lines, and an off-white marble for the rest (at least I think I have decided on an off-white marble). I have not decided on the andamento for the marble yet, whether I want it to be the same throughout—like vertical—or whether I will do something contrasting between the sections that will be created by the lines of gold. I’ll start with the gold and then decide. The shape of the bottles does present some challenge no matter what I decide for the marble.

So, to work!

Sales at Sky Gallery

What a great little surprise yesterday, a day otherwise known at our house as election-day-from-hell. 😎Several of my things sold at Sky Gallery, here in Tulsa on Route 66, in the last weeks. My two art pieces, No Such Thing As Time and Out! were two of the sales. Also sold were a few magnets and a notecard. Isn’t that nice!

No Such Thing As Time (2012) 8” x 22” Each panel 4” x 4” Marble, porcelain, mosaic gold, broken china, sodalite, turquoise, malachite, onyx. A 'four seasons-inspired' group. Each panel 4" x 4". Framed in a black wood floater frame.

Out! (2018) 7” x 5” Smalti.

Of course, sales are great! But some are a bit sad too. It’s really hard to part with No Such Thing As Time, as it is one of my favorites.

From West to East

My little coral heart, from the waters off the Big Island of Hawaii, has found its home in New Brunswick, Canada.

A Little Love Story (2020) 6.5” x 8.5” | 17cm x 22cm. Marble, travertine, turquoise mosaic gold, smalti, coral.

Alternate lighting

In this mosaic, the turquoise mosaic gold heart and waves represent the connection that the coral has to the water, to its beloved. The coral is forever embraced by its beloved, and the waves of this love radiate out into infinity.

Apparently, the waves radiated all the way to eastern Canada, to someone who heard this little love story and was touched by it. How perfect!