Crystal River Fruits

created by sandra groeneveld

Back to Crystal River Home

Object: Fruits Theme Commission

Materials: Glass Tessarae with Medium Grey Grout on Framed Maple Plywood

Dimensions: 7 x 2 foot panel

Method: Direct and Indirect (using clear tile tape)

Design Notes: This panel originally was meant to reuse the fruits & vegetable design created for the Lecanto High School project. Its reduction in size however, from 22 feet to 7 feet, forced a fresh look at the possibilities. The luscious fruit moved front and center. Changing the colors of the grapes to work better with the addition of oranges gave this panel a complete makeover.

Commission Notes: This commission entailed the design and execution of five themes to identify the various food stations at the Crystal River High School cafeteria in Florida. It was an impressive remodeling project with longevity in mind. While much planning went into "function", "form" was by no means forgotten. Providing an inviting place to eat was certainly a big part of the mix.

Instead of permanent traditional signage, there are themed decorative mosaic panels running the length of the counters. The look of each of the stations informs you of the type of food being served, leaving the exact menus flexible.

I congratulate the vision of the Citrus County School Board. All of the students and faculty of Crystal River High School will be able to benefit from this investment in their school for years to come. I was proud to be a part of this project.

Close Ups

01 The original design at the bottom, finished work on top.

02 Detail.

03 Detail.

04 Detail.

05 Detail.

06 Some iridescent tiles are mixed in with the blue of the background. It is a subtle addition that lets itself be known only when the light is just so.

07 The orange was great fun to work on. Many shades of orange and yellow were mixed to get the right color. The color choice and the flow the tiles combine to make a nice round fruit.

08 Detail.

09 Four shades of red were used for the tomatoes. One of the brand of tiles used has a lovely melted texture, a great find to give the flat surface a little more interest.

Process

10 Cutting while laying tile is done for specific areas, but as shown here, most of the tiles used are picked from batches already precut to the basic unit size.

11 The black marker drawing was embellished with flow lines and value hints in pencil. I like to sprinkle the chosen colors on the drawing to help envision them in place. Color tests and planning gets you to this stage, but instinct and feel now drive the final decisions.

12 Working with these bright, fresh colors was a treat.

13 I base my strategy on the color tests I make early on, but as things come together adjustments are made. I place alternative colors on existing tests to help refine the direction I want to go in. A lot of squinting is needed to avoid loosing track of the values you are after to define the shapes.

14 The original design only had a sliced orange. The client requested a whole one as well which was a great improvement.

15 After the outline of the grape is completed a sprinkle of the chosen colors is evaluated one last time before diving in.

16 I elevate a working surface above the mosaic. This provides more "table" space and helps protect the work from debris or bumping.

17 Finished grapes in reverse.

18 The elevated work surface is handy during the mortaring phase. A board with the grout and tools slides along on the frame as pieces of tiled tape are mortared in place.

19 Pulling the tile tape off the grapes and orange. Practice makes perfect: you need just the right amount of fluid mortar to ensure a good bond while not letting the mortar squoosh up between the tiles.

Install

20 A hard hat construction zone greeted us on installation day. Not ideal. To the learned eye though, it is possible to see this room is close to completion.

21 One, two, three, hoist! Up they all went without issue. A french cleat hanging system holds up the panels. Tabs screwed in at the bottom are installed for extra security.

22 Undercounter LED lighting is installed. One would think in such bright rooms this detail would be overkill, but it really brightens the artwork very effectively. A wise touch.

23 The backlit images behind the counters as well as the stainless steel kickplates are still to come.

24 I love the rich blue color of the counters.

25 Again, the backlit images (where the fluorescent bulbs are on the right) as well as the kickplates are missing. This still gives you a good idea of the look of the room once it is all polished up.

26 Meanwhile, on the other side of the room.

27 Yes sir, this is a hard hat zone. Fear not, mine is firmly stationed on my head.

28 Detail.

29 Since I always look for the signature in other peoples work, I thought I would add something a little more direct to my standard windsurfer symbol.