Here’s a quick run-down of my work in 2022. The year started out so busy, it hurt – literally. My winter project had a steep deadline that forced me to work 10-11 hour days nearly every day, causing shoulder impingement and rendering my left arm almost useless. I tried a cortisone shot, then did physical therapy through late spring through mid-summer. When I was on vacation, the pain decreased significantly, so it was clear I needed to slow down. My schedule lightened up in the fall and there were delays with my current commission, and at this point, the pain is entirely gone.
That first project was the Studio Azul mural for a certain ubiquitous corporate giant in Redmond, WA. I am not allowed to tell you which one. This is a wayfinding artwork located across from the 3rd floor elevator. The theme of this floor is “garden studio” and the image is of my very own garden studio, which gave it an extra level of meaning for me. This is 5′ x 10′ and represents many, many hours of intricate work. I am especially proud of the foxgloves, with the pine tree above it coming in second.
In January of 2022, I was part of a group residency at Centrum (Port Townsend, WA) with the Cascadia Mosaic Collective, where we shared a large studio, cooked and ate meals together, and took nature walks.
Next up was a sculptural project to celebrate the Edmonds Floretum Garden Club’s 100th anniversary. For this, I teamed up with metal sculptor Abe Singer who forged the steel frames. Each of 3 floral shapes has 3 petals, and each set of petals features a vignette with a garden scene. This project is now part of the Edmonds Arts Commission collection.
My little egg sculpture, Fertility, was awarded “People’s Choice” on Bainbridge Island, and I participated in a group mosaic exhibition at the Washington Center Gallery along with the rest of the Cascadia Mosaic Collective.
In July, Mike and I traveled to Mexico and explored Zacatecas, Cuernavaca, Tepoztlan and Toluca. I wrote a quick blog post here: https://jenniferkuhnsmosaic.blogspot.com/2022/12/summer-2022-in-mexico.html *I post my travel pics on instagram as @folkartadventures. Our travel style focuses on art, culture, history and natural wonders.
In August, I got to work on the next commission, which was completed and ready to install just in time for Olympia’s fall Arts Walk. Childhoods End Gallery is the oldest gallery in the state of Washington. I visited Olympia as a teen and loved this gallery, and I always hoped to someday have artwork for sale there. I actually sold a body of work there last year, and now I have permanent art installed in the threshold. The center medallion is a stylized version of the Hokusai wave that is a painted mural in the side of the building.
Also in the fall, Christopher Gerber completed the soycrete background for the Tentacles mural embellishing an exterior wall on a private home in Olympia, and I did some finish work to make sure it is completely weatherproof because it overlooks Bud Inlet on the Puget Sound. This stained glass mosaic is entirely hand-cut and designed to suggest kelp and/or octopus tentacles without being a literal representation of either. *The owners’ combined initials are incorporated, but you have to know to know.
One of the highlights of my year was the unveiling of the mosaic portrait of Nat and Thelma Jackson at the Lacey Community Center in Lacey, WA. This portrait was commissioned by the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art for a Black Lives Matter exhibition that took place in 2021. The ultimate goal of the artwork was to become permanent public art in Thurston County to bring attention to the lifelong contributions of these two sweet, accomplished people. In October 2023, it was installed in its permanent location very near the Jackson family home. An informational marker was also unveiled on the Karen Fraser Evergreen Trail that is accessible from the community center and explains how the land is connected to the Jackson family. It was such an honor to work with Nat and Thelma to make this possible.
Over summer, Mike built an outdoor fireplace from cinderblocks in our back yard. I did the finish work, using tinted thinset to create a stucco finish, sculpting a sun face and adding glass mosaic flames around the opening.
In late October, I flew to Santa Barbara to film two new courses for Mosaic Arts Online. A family friend let me stay on her boat in Ventura Harbor, which was a unique and special experience. It was so fun to sleep on the water and to take evening walks around the harbor while the sun was setting. The first course, Glass on Glass Mosaic, went live in December and has already received enthusiastic feedback.
In May, I was awarded my next contract, a community-engagement project on entryways of a new low-income housing project in lovely Port Townsend, WA. I had cleared my fall schedule because I expected to be starting work in October. However, there have been delays, leaving those months for me to focus on home and family. I cleaned my studio and held an open-house in early December, which was a surprising success! So many people stopped by, some from as far as Portland and Tacoma. I am very, very grateful to all of you who made the trip. It meant a lot to have the support and connection. I am hoping to do it again in spring or summer when the garden is blooming.
And now I’m actually getting started on my winter project. I’ll be participating in a group residency at Centrum again, and while there, I’ll work with local kids to create the mosaic portion of the artwork. My 2023 schedule is already shaping up with actual in-person workshops in Las Vegas and Buffalo, NY and a summer trip to Nepal and Thailand and being the featured artist for Olympia’s Fall Arts Walk.
Many thanks to everyone who actually opens and reads my posts. I’m sorry I write such lengthy screeds! There are a handful of people who almost always comment and it makes my day. Extra special thanks to you – you know who you are. I hope you all have had a great year and that 2023 brings you peace, good will, fun, and fulfillment. Happy New Year!
