Commissions
Public and private commissions provide opportunities for me to create site specific, collaborative, art work. Nature and ecological themes feature prominently in my recent public commissions, whether I find inspiration from the dramatic Northern California coastline, an endangered prairie flower, Bay Area wetlands, or migrating butterflies. Project research often leads me to the compelling stories of overlooked plants and animals. We already know about the bold and brilliant. In my mosaics I bring attention to the overlooked. The ones who may be concealed and modest, but have remarkable, inspiring stories of tenacity and industriousness.
I derive deep satisfaction in having the larger community experience my uplifting art in public places.
For commissions for private spaces, I work closely with clients, often incorporating meaningful found objects and personal artifacts. My collaborative style benefits from twenty years as a graphic design professional. Please contact me at wilma@wyssdesign with inquires.
I derive deep satisfaction in having the larger community experience my uplifting art in public places.
For commissions for private spaces, I work closely with clients, often incorporating meaningful found objects and personal artifacts. My collaborative style benefits from twenty years as a graphic design professional. Please contact me at wilma@wyssdesign with inquires.
Progress photos of these projects can be found on my Instagram
Outdoor Staircase / San Francisco, CA / 2023-ongoing
Mosaic risers for 60-step staircase on San Francisco City property. Approximately 150 square-feet of mosaic. Project currently in fabrication phase.
Front stairs and bathroom wall / Center for Art Esteem / Oakland, CA / 2023-2024
Mosaic risers for staircase entering building with a native plant theme. Bathroom wall mosaic with a butterfly theme. New art center for local youth in West Oakland.
Courtyard wall mosaic, Kensington, CA, 2023
Designed, fabricated and installed a 12 square-feet outdoor mosaic inspired by the dramatic sunsets seen from house. Mosaic of stained glass, high fire tile and smalti.
Kitchen stove backsplash / Alameda, CA / 2023
Designed and fabricated 4 square-feet mosaic which is inset into field tile for a remodeled kitchen.
Design inspired by ocean waves and clients' wedding bands. Stained glass.
Labyrinth focal point / Half Moon Bay, CA / 2022-2023
Designed, fabricated and installed a circular mosaic three-feet diameter with a bubble theme. The mosaic is installed at ground level in the center of a labyrinth in the clients' garden. High fire tile, stained glass and client dishes.
Curved Tree Curb / Sargent John Macaulay Park / San Francisco, CA / 2022-2023
Designed, fabricated and installed a 40 square-feet outdoor mosaic called "San Francisco Shorebirds" for a public playground. High fire tile on all sides of a curved tree curb.
Fountain / Berkeley, CA / 2021
Designed, fabricated and installed a 60 square-feet mosaic fountain that is at ground level. The mosaic is a wave design in a 5' round basin. The wave design extends in a circular pattern out to the nearby stone paving. The fountain pedestal is in similar colors, but in a bubbly circle design. The initial conceptual design Sarah Herman Landscape Design.
Stair Landing / Berkeley, CA / 2020
Designed, fabricated and installed 5 foot wide mosaic for outdoor landing depicting stylized branches bearing fruit. High fire tile with Italian smalti and millefiori.
Medallion at Sargent John Macaulay Park / San Francisco, CA / 2019-2020
Designed, fabricated and installed a floor medallion mosaic 4 feet in diameter depicting a local tide pool for a public playground. High fire tile.
Ramp wall at Sargent John Macaulay Park / San Francisco, CA / 2019-2020
Designed, fabricated and installed a 30 square-feet outdoor mosaic called "Migrating Butterflies: No Boundaries" for a public playground. High fire tile on a curved retaining wall.
Seat wall at Turk Hyde Park / San Francisco, CA / 2020
Designed, fabricated and installed a 68 square-feet outdoor mosaic for a public playground. Mosaic of high fire tile on a curved concrete seat wall. Theme of local butterflies and the flowers they pollinate. Project funded by Veritas Investments.
Seat wall in Marin Park / Mill Valley, CA / 2018-2019
Design, fabricate and install 300 square-feet outdoor mosaic on an existing circular concrete seat wall for Marin County Parks. High fire tile with glass accents.
Kitchen backsplash / Berkeley, CA / 2017
Designed and fabricated mosaic 50 square-feet large for two walls in remodeled kitchen.
Abstract design inspired by ocean. High fire tile and glass and button accents.
Grinnell Arts Council / Grinnell, IA / 2016
Created 5’ 6” tall outdoor mosaic sculpture to mark the entrance to arts center.
I found inspiration for this public art commission from Pink Milkwort polygala incarnata, a beautiful but bashful, endangered prairie flower.
Esalen Institute / Big Sur, CA / 2016
60 square-feet permanent mosaic mural for Esalen’s historic lodge
Designed a mosaic inspired by the magnificent Big Sur coastline. The large mural incorporates stained glass and ceramic tile with unique found material. It was created in a weeklong workshop setting and then permanently installed on a wall. Watch a 30-second long video of the 4-day final installation here.
Commissioned mosaic pillow / Concord, CA / 2016
Hand-built concrete and mosaic pillow for outdoor bench incorporating client’s foreign coins
Mosaic Mural, Esalen Institute / Esalen Institute and Arkin Tilt Architects / Big Sur, CA / 2015
Inset gold mosaic accents for new restrooms at Esalen’s historic lodge
Designed and installed deceptively simple, unique and cost effective gold accents, which are integrated into the field tile of washroom and three bathroom stalls
Kaiser Permanente Hospital / Oakland, CA / 2013
Three-panel wall mosaic for waiting room in new hospital building
"Sonoma Coast" landscape incorporates a wide selection of materials and found objects
Exterior stair risers / Berkeley, CA / 2013
Mosaic panels to inset into exterior stairs
Commissioned mosaic pillow / Berkeley, CA / 2012
Hand-built concrete and mosaic pillow for outdoor bench incorporating family mementoes
Commissioned mosaic pillow / Berkeley, CA / 2012
Hand-built concrete and mosaic pillow incorporating client’s foreign coins
Commissioned mosaic pillow / Montclair, CA / 2010
Hand-built concrete and mosaic pillow for outdoor bench
Outdoor Staircase / San Francisco, CA / 2023-ongoing
Mosaic risers for 60-step staircase on San Francisco City property. Approximately 150 square-feet of mosaic. Project currently in fabrication phase.
Front stairs and bathroom wall / Center for Art Esteem / Oakland, CA / 2023-2024
Mosaic risers for staircase entering building with a native plant theme. Bathroom wall mosaic with a butterfly theme. New art center for local youth in West Oakland.
Courtyard wall mosaic, Kensington, CA, 2023
Designed, fabricated and installed a 12 square-feet outdoor mosaic inspired by the dramatic sunsets seen from house. Mosaic of stained glass, high fire tile and smalti.
Kitchen stove backsplash / Alameda, CA / 2023
Designed and fabricated 4 square-feet mosaic which is inset into field tile for a remodeled kitchen.
Design inspired by ocean waves and clients' wedding bands. Stained glass.
Labyrinth focal point / Half Moon Bay, CA / 2022-2023
Designed, fabricated and installed a circular mosaic three-feet diameter with a bubble theme. The mosaic is installed at ground level in the center of a labyrinth in the clients' garden. High fire tile, stained glass and client dishes.
Curved Tree Curb / Sargent John Macaulay Park / San Francisco, CA / 2022-2023
Designed, fabricated and installed a 40 square-feet outdoor mosaic called "San Francisco Shorebirds" for a public playground. High fire tile on all sides of a curved tree curb.
Fountain / Berkeley, CA / 2021
Designed, fabricated and installed a 60 square-feet mosaic fountain that is at ground level. The mosaic is a wave design in a 5' round basin. The wave design extends in a circular pattern out to the nearby stone paving. The fountain pedestal is in similar colors, but in a bubbly circle design. The initial conceptual design Sarah Herman Landscape Design.
Stair Landing / Berkeley, CA / 2020
Designed, fabricated and installed 5 foot wide mosaic for outdoor landing depicting stylized branches bearing fruit. High fire tile with Italian smalti and millefiori.
Medallion at Sargent John Macaulay Park / San Francisco, CA / 2019-2020
Designed, fabricated and installed a floor medallion mosaic 4 feet in diameter depicting a local tide pool for a public playground. High fire tile.
Ramp wall at Sargent John Macaulay Park / San Francisco, CA / 2019-2020
Designed, fabricated and installed a 30 square-feet outdoor mosaic called "Migrating Butterflies: No Boundaries" for a public playground. High fire tile on a curved retaining wall.
Seat wall at Turk Hyde Park / San Francisco, CA / 2020
Designed, fabricated and installed a 68 square-feet outdoor mosaic for a public playground. Mosaic of high fire tile on a curved concrete seat wall. Theme of local butterflies and the flowers they pollinate. Project funded by Veritas Investments.
Seat wall in Marin Park / Mill Valley, CA / 2018-2019
Design, fabricate and install 300 square-feet outdoor mosaic on an existing circular concrete seat wall for Marin County Parks. High fire tile with glass accents.
Kitchen backsplash / Berkeley, CA / 2017
Designed and fabricated mosaic 50 square-feet large for two walls in remodeled kitchen.
Abstract design inspired by ocean. High fire tile and glass and button accents.
Grinnell Arts Council / Grinnell, IA / 2016
Created 5’ 6” tall outdoor mosaic sculpture to mark the entrance to arts center.
I found inspiration for this public art commission from Pink Milkwort polygala incarnata, a beautiful but bashful, endangered prairie flower.
Esalen Institute / Big Sur, CA / 2016
60 square-feet permanent mosaic mural for Esalen’s historic lodge
Designed a mosaic inspired by the magnificent Big Sur coastline. The large mural incorporates stained glass and ceramic tile with unique found material. It was created in a weeklong workshop setting and then permanently installed on a wall. Watch a 30-second long video of the 4-day final installation here.
Commissioned mosaic pillow / Concord, CA / 2016
Hand-built concrete and mosaic pillow for outdoor bench incorporating client’s foreign coins
Mosaic Mural, Esalen Institute / Esalen Institute and Arkin Tilt Architects / Big Sur, CA / 2015
Inset gold mosaic accents for new restrooms at Esalen’s historic lodge
Designed and installed deceptively simple, unique and cost effective gold accents, which are integrated into the field tile of washroom and three bathroom stalls
Kaiser Permanente Hospital / Oakland, CA / 2013
Three-panel wall mosaic for waiting room in new hospital building
"Sonoma Coast" landscape incorporates a wide selection of materials and found objects
Exterior stair risers / Berkeley, CA / 2013
Mosaic panels to inset into exterior stairs
Commissioned mosaic pillow / Berkeley, CA / 2012
Hand-built concrete and mosaic pillow for outdoor bench incorporating family mementoes
Commissioned mosaic pillow / Berkeley, CA / 2012
Hand-built concrete and mosaic pillow incorporating client’s foreign coins
Commissioned mosaic pillow / Montclair, CA / 2010
Hand-built concrete and mosaic pillow for outdoor bench