Architectural
Architectural mosaic work can compliment or accent the structure and environment it is placed in. Commissions of this nature typically involve submission of material samples and mock ups for approval in the design phase of the project.
St Wilfred’s Garden Altar
St Wilfred's is a Sarasota Episcopalian church surrounded by charming wooded grounds. Mother Joyce, the parish priest there, had a vision of a garden worship area where her congregation might gather among the trees and shrubs. Her committee reached out to Splashmosaic to design a mosaic themed altar and aisle.
International Stone was selected to fabricate a limestone altar with carved insets to receive glass mosaic pieces, while McCall Contracting was chosen to lay the concrete with 1/2 inch inserts for an ornate mosaic aisle and a 3 foot by 3 foot mosaic cross that we called the mat.
My goal was to honor the traditions of the Episcopalian church and at the same time create a space that felt natural and uplifting.
The work features 14 floral inserts corresponding to the 14 Stations of The Cross of a typical Episcopalian church.
The altar feature mosaic is a triptych in stained glass recalling the three crosses on Calvary set against a pure white limestone.
To the front of the Altar is a stained glass and brick paver piece we called the mat, from which the priest can deliver a sermon or dispense the holy communion. The entire pad was given a brownish stain.
All in all, everyone agreed the mosaic was a considerable improvement over the bare concrete pad. It was a very great honor for me to be chosen for this project and to see the local bishop invoke a special blessing on it.
St Wilfreds is at 3773 Wilkinson Rd, Sarasota 34233
Warm Mineral Springs 60 year old tile monument restoration.
[caption id="attachment_738" align="alignnone" width="300"] OLD AND NEW[/caption]
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60 YEAR OLD TILE MOSAIC[/caption]
This restoration of this 60 year old tile mosaic monument at the Warm Mineral Springs park was commissioned by the City of Northport Florida. About 75% of the original tile had to be replaced with new tile in as close a color match as could be found today. The mini (mosaic) tiles could not be replaced and so some of the lettering was rescaled and converted to ships lettering with black perspective lines. This created enough spare mosaic tiles to repair the letters with missing tile. The entire monument was sealed with a durable epoxy grout.
The Beachcomber Seahorses
The 60 year old Beachcomber resort in Venice Florida has its two 6 foot mosaic seahorses restored. The two seahorses adorning the beach facing side of the two story resort building had deteriorated over the years and required some urgent attention. The job required all chipped tile to be removed down to the substrate and replaced with custom made tile to match the old colors from the 1950's. Much of the surrounding stucco had detached from the wall and had to be replaced, textured and painted. The custom tiles were made locally by noted Florida ceramicist Nancy Goodheart Matthews.
The Y
This piece is entitled “The Y”. Broken ceramic tile and glass on a concrete Y form. Dimensions: 6′ x 2′
Mable Ringling Memorial Fountain
The Mable Ringling Fountain mosaic was commissioned by the Sarasota Alliance for Historical preservation to restore the disused fountain in Luke Wood Park Sarasota originally commissioned in honor of the wife circus tycoon John Ringling in 1936. The outer 80 foot, outer perimeter mosaic was required to be made from sliced paving brick tesserae to match the brick theme of the four stairways. The four sectioned Vitruvian Wave motif includes a rose centerpiece on each facade. The entire piece was cut and assembled on mesh segments at Splashmosaic Studios...
Cortez Fountain Restoration Finished
Three weeks of brushing and scraping with muriatic acid, replaced over 100 tiles and a glass water spout, grouted and sealed. My work here for the Florida Maritime Museum is done..!
Cortez Fountain Restoration
This is how it looked at the start, lots of loose tiles, staining and lime efflorescence oozing out of the cracks.
The Isles of Sarasota HOA
When The Isles HOA of Sarasota decided they wanted a mosaic to adorn the side of their clubhouse they contacted Splashmosaic to discuss some designs. The neighborhoods residents got to cast votes on which of the colored sketches submitted to use. The result was this colorful 20 sq/ft waterbird in a Florida setting. The piece is some 40 foot in the air on the side of the buildings center tower and is floodlit at night so it can be seen from a great distance.