Treasures from the Gulf
Commissioned by a major medical center for a new pediatric surgical waiting room, this three-panel mosaic mural was inspired by the sea life in coral reefs located in the Gulf of Mexico. Mixed media was used to create a unique and textural work of art to engage families in the waiting room.
Site-Specific & Architectural Art Segment (Site-Specific Mosaic)
48 x 216 x 1.5
Materials List
smalti, fused glass, custom glazed ceramic tiles, shell, 24k gold smalti
Installation Location
Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas USA
Collaborating Artist/Fabrication Team
Beatrice Baldwin: watercolor artist, Helios Fused Glass Studio, Montreal Tile::Lab
Artist Statement
Discovering that there are spectacular coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico while researching this project led to a unique focus for this mosaic installation. Representing sea life from the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (off the coast of Galveston) led to a beautiful collaborative effort between artists, staff at the marine sanctuary, and the medical center.
In order to convey the feeling of a sanctuary with this artwork, I designed the coral reef to rise up on both ends, like a protective embrace. It holds and envelops the many species depicted in the reef, and also the viewer, in a space of wonder and beauty.
Creating detail and texture with the sea life, water, and coral involved collaboration to help me realize my vision. I hired watercolor artist Beatrice Baldwin to create detailed paintings of the coral reef scenes I sketched, that could then be translated into mosaic. Fused glass artists, a custom-glazed tile maker, traditional glass smalti manufacturers, a team of enthusiastic assistants, and over 2500 hours of work all came together to help create this extraordinarily detailed creation.
I endeavored to create a work of art that speaks to our connection to the natural world, as well as to our families, communities, and the people we encounter in our daily lives. It is all connected. When we see a work of art that evokes wonder or awe, it can speak to us on a deeper level, and help us to feel something we might not understand on the surface. When these impressions become conscious, they can change how you view the world around you. Colors seem a little brighter. The ordinary becomes extraordinary. The journey of discovery is universal, unending and full of joy.
