Cascadia Mosaic Mural

This 275 s.f. stained glass mosaic covers the interior walls of a public restroom adjacent to a small park that hosts weekend art events, concerts, markets and a food truck area. It was commissioned by a private client who wanted to provide a restroom for events, and she wanted it to feel like a non-sectarian chapel inside; an homage to the beautiful natural landscape of Western Washington State. 

It took a year to fabricate this mosaic and it was extremely complex to make it appear seamless, wrapping around each section and corner so that all of the lines intersect. Each angle offers a different perspective. Looking at the north side, visitors see the Puget Sound, a large madrona tree, an octopus sneaking from behind the toilet, a fish leaping from the water, and Tahoma, a.k.a. Mt. Rainier. Turning around, the landscape turns to wetland with a heron perched on the sink, skunk cabbage, dense foliage, and then a forest of trees covered in lichen with sun rays shining through. Throughout the mosaic, visitors will find flora and fauna; a raven, tree frog, snail, slug, and more. Even the sink is covered in glass tile and stone mosaic.

The most satisfying aspect of this commission was that the client allowed me total creative freedom, to stretch and create an epic glass mosaic that is uniquely my own vision and style. She approved every sketch with no notes, then let me run with it, making decisions intuitively as I worked. This was a joy to create!