Seaglass Mosaic Backsplash
Maritime Canada
Commissioned by friends to create a “whimsical and subtle” mosaic backsplash for their kitchen, I travelled to the Canadian Maritimes in August. Our under-the-sea theme for the work was inspired by all of their "finds" at the beach. Seven years of daily walks at low tide have yielded thousands of pieces of sea glass in every color imaginable, pottery shards and other odd bits of flotsam and jetsam tossed by the Atlantic's waves onto the shore of one particular beach here. My design challenge was to create a work of art that would do justice to the colors and ambience of their kitchen, perched on a craggy rock overlooking the water, and would honor their beautiful ritual of collecting the seaglass! Mosaics are perfect for this, because the process itself is slow, patient and meditative – much like long walks on the beach. The perks of this job? A whale sighting and a delicious lobster celebration!