The Shell Octopus
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PREPARing THE MATERIALS
Removing the floor and wall tile was the first step, and Iβm glad we had a pro to do it. This large, deep bathtub used a lot of water and was difficult for many of our visitors to step into.
Goodbye bathtub! Our contractor was kind enough to let me watch the steps of the remodel, and even taught me some new skills.
After removing the tub and toilet, this shower space was built with Kerdi building panels. The designer planned the dimensions of the new shower, and moved the controls to the opposite wall to make them easier to use.
Once I was given the dimensions of the space I would be working in, I drew this fern design in a digital program to use as my mosaic pattern.
Planning the mosaic
I printed out my design to scale, and traced it onto the space, surrounded by the wall tile. This was my first time working on a vertical surface, and I learned a lot.
I began the mosaic by adding a border from the darkest of the wall tiles. I then started at the bottom of the design, tiling on pieces of the pale green floor tile, mixed with other shades of green.
One tile at a timeβ¦
Progress is slow going in a tiny space, but over many hours the design crept up the wall. The tiles are adhered one by one with thinset mortar.
I tinted my thinset mortar black because I knew I would be following with black grout. With the many heights of tile combined together, excess mortar in places will be less visible.
The tiny curled leaves of the fiddleheads were made with round glass cabochons, backed with gold leaf.
The leaves were made with pieces of green wall tile, smashed into irregular shapes and mixed with tiny green pieces of mosaic tile, stained glass and small pieces of marble.
Filling in the rest of the ferns. The greens change in the room in dappled sunlight, just like the forest.
Finishing with grout
For the black background, I used a mix of black glass, iridescent dark colours and pieces of shell.
I added black grout to fill in the spaces and seal the design for use in a shower. The grout is mixed and applied to the whole piece, then polished off the surfaces of the tiles, filling in the gaps.
It always feels strange to cover a meticulous piece of art with mud. Polishing it away reveals the final design.
The Finished Mosaic
The abalone shells in the dark background give it some colour. These are from abalone sustainably farmed in New Zealand.
I like the way the iridescent pieces and gold stems catch the light in the dark.
This is the mosaic before the shower glass was added, with the black shower bench in the corner.
The Finished Bathroom
A huge thank you to the designer and contractor that put this all together, and kindly included my mosaic art in their process. If you are in BC and want to inquire about their work for your space, send us an email.