Crystal River Grains
created by sandra groeneveld
Object: Grains 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 was a new design for the schools which were getting renovated. The food group to be represented for this counter was clear as could be. Grains: whole wheat, rice, pasta, etc. The earthy colors of this food group gets a rich red background to whet the appetite and pull you in. The larger than life representation of the food items compliment the fruits displayed on the neighboring counter.
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 Detail.
07 Detail.
Process
8 The start of the Grains theme; wheat stalks.
9 The prominent colors were oranges and browns. Via color tests, I assigned the color mixes to each element early to avoid the panel from becoming a mass of orangie-brown. .
10 Detail.
11 Red is not only a color associated with appetite, it also works really well with the orange-brown of the foods in this panel. It offers up a nice richness.
12 Before starting the bread, shading and direction is added to the drawing in pencil.
13 On this project I tacked on small sections of the tile tape as needed vs preparing large sections ahead of time. This helped ensure the tape stayed clean and sticky.
14 I never work on photographs, always my own drawings. For the rice though, I enlarged a photograph to the proper scale to help inspire the placement of the kernels. I did not try to follow the photo grain for grain, rather the photo helped set the tone or spirit of the placement.
15 This is how the rice bowl started. Even with the grout color yet to come, I felt it was too much white. It needed more definition. Also the thin brown outline of the top slice of bread was changed to grey since it made no sense to have a crust color there. The tile tape gives me great editing capability.
16 I tried a rim incorporating some of the colors in the rest of the panel but tore it back out again. The inset shows a clean piece of tile tape ready for a third try. This time I used some very dark tiles with copper embelishments. The copper worked well with the color palette and provided the punch I was looking for. The true colors only show up properly once the mosaic is flipped over to its proper side.
17 I liked the coppery tiles so much, they became a central part of the finishing border.
18 I experimented with cutting the tile tape into larger sections than normal. These were roughly 1 x 2 feet. This was really pushing it. It was nice though, to only have to worry about lining up one edge to make the image seamless.
19 Every stage has rewarding moments that keeps this kind of work interesting. The step of peeling back the tape is particularly enjoyable.
20 Photoshop is used here to mess with your mind. The finished panel is composited on top of the same panel at the ungrouted stage. The grout sharpens things up and shows off the swirls in the bread nicely.
Install
21 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.
22 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.
23 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.
24 The backlit images behind the counters as well as the stainless steel kickplates are still to come.
25 I love the rich blue color of the counters.
26 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.
27 Meanwhile, on the other side of the room.
28 Yes sir, this is a hard hat zone. Fear not, mine is firmly stationed on my head.
29 Detail.
30 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.
31 One more look.
32 Detail.
33 Detail.
34 It was hard to say goodbye to my critters.
Crystal River Projects
