When Fitton Center asked for a special public art design for their renovated restrooms, Jan responded with a epic interpretation of wastewater treatment and how it benefits our lives. Green Man and Mother Nature reside in the mens and ladies rooms respectively, emanating streams and blooming gardens. Cindy Dingledein of Community Design Alliance managed the overall renovation of the restrooms and gently guided the mosaic project.
Projects – Public Art – “Nature Calls!” Ceramic Mosaic at Fitton Center (2015)
Greenman is a mythological figure who, in this case, is the guardian of clean water sources.
The mirror over the sinks are incorporated in the design, reflecting the running of the stream of water as it crosses to the end wall where the City of Hamilton is mapped out in mosaics. Fitton ceramics classes participated in the project with creation of the richly textured brown framing tiles.
Passing through the city, the water begins to change from clear to dirty, until it turns the corner and tumbles into one of the urinals, designated the “water purification center.”
Greenman’s face in wet clay stage, prior to cutting into pieces for tiles.
Greenman’s tiles fired to stoneware and painted with acrylic glazes. Why not ceramic glazes? The green colors Jan wanted were easier to achieve with paint, and are easy to preserve with finishing coats of acrylic medium.
The City of Hamilton is mapped out in mosaics, with two main bridges crossing the Great Miami River.
The color sketch for the City, and full sized patterns, coded for individual tiles.
A resplendent Mother Nature presides in the Ladies Room, glass tiles glowing, painted face surrounded by handmade flowers, leaves and natural shells and stones.
The length of the Ladies Room with complimentary countertop with rainbow colored glass insets, thanks to Cindy Dingledein’s witty interior design.
This cheerful sunshine was added after the larger wall tiles had already been set into place. It is a painted and tiled applique on 1/8” wood sheeting; green tape holds glass tiles into place that cover screw heads.
Important to the story of the water cycle, glass tile rain drops fall on the Garden of Flowers.
Blooms with personality – Daisy, Sunny and Rosa – can be joined by those of little ladies who look into the mirrors of the Tulip and Zinnia. A fertile “soil bed” is made of highfired tiles fabricated in the ceramics classes at Fitton. Students pressed leaves, twigs and other natural textures into the clay.
Sunny portrait sculpture in first state of wet clay.
Daisy portrait sculpture in first state of wet clay.
Rosa portrait sculpture in first state of wet clay.
Rosa portrait sculpture in final state of highfired glazed stoneware.