Custom Dragonflies

Initial Concept

I was contacted by a prospective client who was looking for a custom mosaic back splash for her kitchen renovation.  She admired the colour scheme in one of my mosaic mirrors and wanted to use something close to that palette.  (As it happens, one of my favourite palettes, as well.)

The client indicated that the property being renovated was an old cottage that had been uninhabited (by people)  for about a decade.  When she first saw it, it needed some work, but she had been struck by the fact that it was filled with dragonflies.  So, looking to pay homage to the former tenants of her cottage, she wanted to incorporate some dragonflies into her kitchen decor.

Proposed Colour Scheme

The client had some fairly specific thoughts on what she wanted in terms of design.  The project would consist of two parts, a back splash mosaic for the kitchen counter, and a matching piece for the step leading into the kitchen. She said she envisioned a colourful array of glass strips, (much like the mosaic frame sets I produce).  This, interspersed with dragonflies.  She provided the measurements and I agreed to come up with a design.  She indicated that she wanted me to feel free to add my own flair to the design and also mentioned that she was going for an Art Nouveau style.

The Practicalities

In order to get a handle on the design, it was necessary to consider how these two back splash pieces would be installed.  The counter piece would measure approximately 4 inches high and 13 feet in length.  The complementary step back splash would measure approximately 5.5 inches and 10 feet in length.  With me located in Toronto, and the client in the southern U.S., I was going to have to create something she could install herself, or have installed on site.  After a bit of back-and-forth, I suggested creating a design that could be shipped, assembled on clear adhesive, in foot long segments, or panels.  The key to the design, then, was  something that could be partitioned in this way and still look continuous. 

The Design Process

Initial layout

My first kick at the can was a very literal layout based on the client's description, but it wasn't screaming Art Nouveau at me.  The problem was the shapes, too blocky, too flat.  The design elements I felt obliged to use, weren't naturally congruent in terms of style.  I needed to find a way to marry these elements and give the whole thing an Art Nouveau feel, even if the colour elements were to be decidedly modern.  

So the question was how to give some shape to the design, while preserving the client's expectations.  First, the dragonflies needed a lift.  It occurred to me that a dragonfly might look more lively in profile.  I found this indeed gave the dragonflies more suggestion of motion. I still needed to get rid of the blocky feeling for the rest of the design without deviating too far from the client's concept.

For some further inspiration, I decided to watch a films set in France, during the appropriate time period - something where style was important to the story.  I often do this when I'm trying to get the feel of an era.  I chose Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky.  The sets and the fashion were a great visual reference. I started seeing the shapes I was looking for and my design came together quickly after that.  The strips of glass would now be longer and curved the ends.  The dragonfly would have a background shape to set it off.  The design would be comprised of three basic panel types, with a dragonfly on every other panel.

3 Basic Panels Layout

After some additional thought, the client decided that green would be a welcome addition to the original palette, so we added a rich medium green and the colour scheme was applied to the new design.

3 Basic Panels Coloured

3 completed panels (Step Back Splash)

The client gave her approval to the design and I set about selecting the glass and creating the twenty-three individual panels that would be required for the two back splash elements.

Each panel was constructed, in reverse, on clear adhesive plastic, so that the bonding agent could be applied to the back of the panel.  The clear adhesive being meant for removal, once the panel had bonded completely to the wall surface.  Once all the panels were in place, grout would be applied to the whole piece.  Each panel was labeled with respect to its order in the sequence.  My aim was to produce something with 'minimal assembly required'.