TREND's Artistic Mosaics Inspire Artist to Let it Grow
You might think that Roman frescos would be a natural starting point for creating a pictorial mosaic wall, but a supermarket parking lot and a summer beach house?
For artist Tuula Lehtinen, TREND artistic mosaics gave her the freedom to take her inspiration from both past and present, near and far. Commissioned to create the backdrop to a private pool and spa in Pikkupalatsi, Finland with a distinctly tropical feel, she explored all avenues.
The birds and leaves have a decidedly Roman feel. The trees came from her parents’ garden and a nearby supermarket parking lot, while the seaweed was from her summer cottage and the flowers from a neighbour’s garden.
Tuula took an organic approach to the project, sketching directly onto the wall allowing the image to evolve naturally. No stranger to working with mosaics, Tuula knew what could be achieved with a little creative freedom.
“I work a lot with public spaces and art I architecture and love the creative freedom of expression hand-cut mosaics allow. Feeling both rough yet sensitive at the same time, they have an amazing depth and breadth of colour and tone that play with the light to create an almost three-dimensional effect. They’re also easy to maintain and the colours stay true for years to come.”
Covering 21 sq. metres of wall space in the former cold cellar of a 19th-century palace, the project took a year and one day to complete, even with the team moving in practically next door to concentrate fully on the job.
The client was so impressed with the imagery that was literally growing before their eyes, that it was extended to cover extra pillars, arches and corners. This gave Tuula the opportunity to combine TREND artistic 1 x 1cm hand-cut mosaics with standard 2 x 2cm glass mosaics for a fully integrated finish.
The completed scene literally brings the space to life, adding interest to every angle.
