Mokuluas Islands Mosaic Backsplash
Private Residence in Kailua, HI | Glass, gems, pebbles, carnelian | 69" x 89"
About Mokuluas Islands Mosaic Backsplash
This 42.5 square foot glass mosaic backsplash was created for a private residence in Kailua, Hawaii, and holds a special place in my work as my first large commission. The clients were building their dream home near the Mokuluas Islands but wouldn't be able to see the islands from the house. They wanted a mosaic that would bring that view inside, something realistic but also stylized, that would capture the landscape they loved and live with them every day in their kitchen.
Designing Mokuluas Islands Mosaic Backsplash
Because the kitchen wasn't built yet when the project began, I worked from measurements, photographs of the islands, and a CAD rendering to plan the design and show the client exactly how the mosaic would read in the space. I began sketching by establishing the cloud shapes first, developing a flowing motif that would carry through the entire composition. The palm leaves were added at the client's request and incorporated into the sides without disrupting the overall elegance of the design.
The client wanted the piece to be as detailed as my fine art mosaics. She had admired my 3D spiral work, but that isn't practical for a backsplash. Instead we found a wonderful compromise: using a mix of different thicknesses of glass, glass gems, and pebble stones to create visual and tactile depth. I spent considerable time selecting and sampling glass colors, moving through the deep blues of the ocean, the shifting greens and aquas of the shallows, and the warm sandy tones of the beach.
Creating Mokuluas Islands Mosaic Backsplash
The mosaic was built on Wedi board panels in my Los Angeles studio, using white silicone as the adhesive since waterproofing was essential for a kitchen installation. White adhesive also brightens translucent glass from underneath, which made a real difference in the luminosity of the finished piece. I mapped the color shifts onto the backer board as a guide throughout construction, and built the water sections working from both the top and bottom simultaneously so the wave colors would build toward each other and meet naturally in the middle.
The completed panels were cut into sections and shipped to Hawaii, where the builder's team installed them. A year later I traveled to Kailua to grout the mosaic in person. Getting to see the finished piece and the actual islands that had inspired it was a genuinely moving experience. The way the water and clouds seem to shift and move as the light changes on the mosaic throughout the day, and as you move around the room, is something photographs simply can't capture.
