Mark and Margot's First Co-operative Commission!

Last fall, our friend DeEtta Demaratus commissioned us to design, create and install a fireplace facade for her home. DeEtta is an author and art collector, and we are proud to say the walls of her Seattle home primarily feature paintings by Mark and me. Her idea was to challenge us to combine our artistic styles into a colorful mosaic, which would become the focal point of her living room.

We began by observing the site and her garden. Inspired by the twining grape vines along the back fence, whose juice is celebrated at DeEtta's annual harvest party, I sketched the main composition. Then over the rainy winter, we spent many happy hours carefully cutting the glass (Mark), cracking plates and tiles into the right sizes and shapes, and fitting them into the mosaic puzzle. After very thoughtful advance planning, Mark installed the finished work, and it fit beautifully in the space.

The results surprised us, exceeding our expectations! All 3 of us are thrilled with this collaboration. The color, texture, and stories it evokes make this mosaic one of the finest things Mark and I have made. And it flowed so well, with no disagreements along the way (one benefit of mosaic-maiking is you can release frustrations in the process of smashing tiles into tesserae).

Immediately after completion of the mural, DeEtta commissioned us for 2 more works, a fountain and a bench. These will be even more challenging, requiring new combinations of materials. We'll keep you posted with the results.

Delicious Details....

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Tesserae include tile, Euros and other coins, colored and textured glass cut into specific patterns, and even a remnant of ancient pottery!

Mosaic Mural Celebrates The Mediterranean Muse