Crystal River Italy

created by sandra groeneveld

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Object: Italy 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: As part of cost saving, the Italian design created for the Lecanto High School Project was repurposed for Crystal River. The counter size changed from 16 feet to 6.5. Something had to change. By enlarging the red tiled duomo to balance out the presence of the Colosseum a new composition was possible while including almost all the elements of the original design.

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. This is the same basic design that was used on the Lecanto High School Project completed in 2011. The 16-foot design needed to be condensed into 6.5 feet for Crystal River.

02 Detail.

03 Detail.

04 Detail.

05 Detail.

06 Detail.

07 Detail.

Process

8 Having the duomo cover such a large area gave me the opportunity to be able to elaborate a little more than was possible with the Lecanto Project's design. Pencil lines on the drawing will keep the path of the roof tiles clear to me as I go along.

9 I was able use a slightly larger range of values for both the roof tiles and the white of the cupola to help define the shapes. The darkest greys on the cupola are actually smokey mottled grey. Since I am working in reverse on tile tape, you can't see the subtle colors in this photo.

10 The colorful side of this theme is complete.

11 Cutting the tiled tape off of the drawing and placing it on a dark surface gives you a better glimpse on how the colors will appear when grouted. Occasionally, as I work, I like to slide a thin board with the value of the grout between the drawing and the tape to check my progress plus keep me inspired.

12 A swatch with the values of the colors is like a compass. It keeps me true to my plan.

13 This might appear very repetitive but subtle changes in the mix of values makes the work on the colosseum challenging and rewarding.

14 The finished colosseum cut into 3 pieces. I certainly worked with larger sections than I had in the past. Being comfortable with the materials you are working with is gold. It lets you be more creative, lets you make the technical - second nature.

15 Fast forward to all the foreground elements having been mortared down. The rows of blue for the sky are layed out in a gradation mix and then mortared in place one by one. Even though this is a very rigid pattern, placing them by hand still gives it a softer quality than if a machine or grid template had layed out the brick pattern. Small imperfections add to the overall appeal.

16 After creating the ocean on the tile tape, I cut the excess off before mortaring. I then have the correct colors prepared to simply cut & fit during the seaming process.

17 INote how much nicer the mottled grey tiles look on the cupola's darkest areas now that you see the front of the tiles. The final touch is the flag border and my little windsurfer signature.

18 Detail.

Install

19 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.

20 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.

21 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.

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

23 I love the rich blue color of the counters.

24 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.

25 Meanwhile, on the other side of the room.

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

27 Detail.

28 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.