My workshop with Katerina Pinosova wrapped up in three days, leaving me two and a half days to explore Austin, TX for the first time. I wasn't sure where to start, so I headed to Blue Moon Glass Supply, because it came up in a search for mosaic in Austin. There, I met Jim and Rose, and they made me a list of sites to visit, along with the names and contact information for two local artists.
The first mosaic I found was in Shipe Park at a public pool. It is called "Day in the Park" and was a community project. I love the design!
From there, I drove to Deep Eddy Pool. They charged a fee to enter the pool, and I'm cheap, so I took these photos through the fence:
That was another community project commemorating the history of the park. I couldn't get close enough to the plaque to give proper credit. It is much bigger than my photos depict.
I continued to walk on the path past the pool and it led me along the Colorado River. It was a lovely walk, full of people out enjoying nature. It was there that I began to fully appreciate the city of Austin.
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| I took this from the bike/pedestrian bridge that crosses the river. |
From there, I found a sculpture called "Your Essential Magnificence" made by James Talbot. I had not felt certain how I wanted to use my new concrete sculpture skills until this point. I needed to see more work like this.
It was past lunchtime by then, so I stopped at the Magnolia Cafe, just around the corner. From there, I called the two artists on my list and left awkward messages. I had never done anything quite like it before, calling strangers in a strange town to ask if I can visit. Suvi Aika called back immediately, and she was less than two miles away, so I went in search of her home: Casa Wonderlandia.
My photos don't express the magic of Suvi's home. There are Wonderland-themed accents all around. The exterior walls of her house have large gears mounted on them. (I learned later that they light up at night.) She has landscaped the alleyway next to her house and created a little fairyland. The photos above include things around her home, and a project she created at a local elementary school for their courtyard.
When I left Suvi's house, I visited a project at Barton Springs Elementary that is fantastic. A short, but long retaining wall is covered in handmade tiles and glass celebrating Austin and the neighborhood.
I tried to find one more location after that, but a stalled train blocked my path. I was saturated anyway, so I headed back to my room in Lakeway to process my experience.
I'm stopping here for now, but the next day was even more fantastic, so stay posted!
