Children’s Respite Room Project

I was given the opportunity to create my first ceramic installation piece in collaboration with the Clackamas County Courthouse. The Clackamas County Courthouse had received grant funding to hire local artists, ranging in medium, to provide artwork for the new space.

I was approached to create an interactive ceramic mural for the Children’s Respite Room. It was determined that the mural’s theme would focus on the local fauna surrounding Clackamas County. This project evolved into a triptych, a three-part series that depicted the gradual ascent from the bottom to the top of the mountain.

Unfortunately, these three pieces of art are not viewable to the public.

Two murals were sized at four feet by three and half feet. The third and final mural measured at three feet by three feet. Each mural weighed between 100-125lbs. due to the clay and the additional mounting material.

Each single panel weighed at least 11-14 lbs each. Each tile took between ten to sixteen hours to create and finish before the initial first bisque firing. The dark bronze and sepia coloring was achieved by reducing the oxygen in the firing atmosphere. The reduced oxygen then interacts with the red iron oxide and causes the it to rust.

Read more about the creation process of the Children’s Respite Room Mural below.