Tessera Glass was recently commissioned to fabricate a mural and fountain design for a housing development in Hacienda Heights, CA. Using our 3/8″ porelain tile, one tile at a time, we are re-creating the original orchard scene artwork below.

Only finished with a portion of the sky, we can’t wait to get to the fun colors!

Accompanying this mural is a detail of a fruit tree.

With spring on the verge of cracking through winter’s icy crust, we took a little mosaic road trip around Reno. And we wanted to share with you a sampling some of the city’s recent public mosaics.

One of Reno’s local mosaic artists, Eileen Gay, was awarded a grant to re-invent the above carved fish, originally poised alongside the Truckee River. Once salvaged, Elieen got to work resurfacing and mosaicing these 6′ plus long fish now mounted in a pond at Idylwild Park. (Reno, NV – installed 9/29/09)

We were thrilled to supply Eileen with our rainbow assortment of Vitreous Glass tile for this project!

Mosaic artist and our very own mosaic instructor, Katie Packham, was hired to reproduce the logo for the Knitting Factory Concert House, opened 12/31/09.

Katie used Venetian black and white glass tile.

 Another one of Eileen’s public works, Rose Waterfall, also featured at Idylwild Park (2005).

We created this custom gradient for a new soup, salad and yogurt shop, Plum Good. If you’re ever in the Reno area, they offer a yummy selection of home made soups and all the toppings you could dream of for your frozen yogurt dessert! (12/09)

 
Tessera’s Vernon and Plum Good proprietor, Margaret Suda

It may be a snowy mess outside, but with our trusty, lucky gnome, Henry, and our human snowplow, Vernon, we’re open!

Henry on his way to work at the shop

You missed a spot...behind you!

Northern NV artists David Roberts and Bill Cook carved ”trout” from four large tree limbs, later dubbed the ”trout tree”. The tree has since been removed due to disease and insect damage. Thankfully the “trout” limbs were salvaged to be recycled for a public art piece.

In 2009, artist, Eileen Gay, was selected to work her mosaic magic. Eileen used the rainbow of Vitreous glass mosaic colors from Tessera Glass she needed to re-invent the limbs into mosaic “Rainbow Trout”.

Mosaics 101
Learn basic mosaic techniques, terminology and processes from mosaic artist, Katie Packham.
$65/person includes all materials, instruction and finished mosaic project
Create either a 10″ x 10″ framed mirror or 8″ x 8″ trivet
Dates: Feb 13th and 27th
Times: 10am-1pm
Must preregister

Accent Table Class-$175/person includes all materials
Students will be guided through a 2 day project of a 15” diam. x 20” bistro table, from design and creation through grouting and completion.
Dates: TBD
Must preregister

Address Number Sign Class-$75/person includes all materials
This is a beginner level course where students are guided in design and composition creating an address plaque.
Dates: TBA

Yvonne saved this statuette from the brink of death by filling the inside with spray foam and recrafting the outer shell out of cement clay.

We’ve finally decided to join the blog-wagon. We’re pretty new to this, so feel free to make suggestions. Our goal is to create a community with all of our customers, friends, new folks and, well, anyone who is interested in mosaic as an artform or as remodel material. Have at it!