Our team of Imago Dei designers and artists recently completed an intricately detailed mosaic mural for an Austin, Texas client. While we’ll be keeping many of our techniques and treatments used for the mosaic closely guarded we wanted to give our readers a bit of insight into its creation. So we went straight to the artist who is partially responsible for its amazing beauty, Amanda Sisk. Following is a short interview with Amanda and images of the completed work of art.
How long did it take you to complete the mosaic?
“The design of the mosaic mural was a first for Imago Dei. Many hours of hard work went into developing the technique that would give us the amazing end result of a crisp, luminous mosaic. As with any new venture on this scope, it was a definite learning experience. The design team deserves the lion’s share of credit because the three or four days I spent painting actually comprised the easy part of the project!”
What materials did you work with?
“We often paint murals in-house on stretched and primed canvas rather than directly on the walls or ceiling of a space. Then they are installed on-site with an adhesive. Not only is this approach easier on the artist’s body – I would not wish the Sistine Chapel approach on anyone – if the client moves or experiences any damage to the work, the mural can be relocated or repaired.
“We often paint murals in-house on stretched and primed canvas rather than directly on the walls or ceiling of a space. Then they are installed on-site with an adhesive. Not only is this approach easier on the artist’s body – I would not wish the Sistine Chapel approach on anyone – if the client moves or experiences any damage to the work, the mural can be relocated or repaired.
Imago Dei strives to use materials that are non-toxic/green, high in longevity, and time-efficient; as with the majority of our murals, we used acrylic paint. Vinyl was employed to mask the grout areas in-between the tiles. Interestingly, I did less painting with a brush and more rubbing in of the paint with my fingers and rags to achieve both the uniformity of and variation in texture that we were seeking within the mosaic “tiles.”
How would you describe the colors you mixed for the mural?
“Fabric swatches were used to match our palette to existing colour themes in the client’s home, thereby ensuring harmony between the mural and its final destination. The bold red, blue, ochre, etc. referenced mosaics from antiquity quite well.
I spent some time working in Pompeii and Naples, where I studied wall paintings and viewed many mosaics, and I was pleased with the warmth of the bright colours. We do not always remember that ancient Greece and Rome were intensely colourful because very few marble sculptures and wall paintings retain the vividness of the paint once applied to them. My favourite part of painting this mural was adding a final layer of “dirt” to bring the brightness down a notch for the antiquated look. Secret recipe!”
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