Aryon.net Blog

That’s Awaken Cafe co-owner Kari C. on my right.

So I sold my car yesterday, and installed a 21′ s.f. mosaic today.

The details show the effort spent, and the pictures are the gravy!

Here is the flickr whole set.

There is a story behind the car sale, but the real deal today is the Labrynth Spiral mosaic installation:

I’ll tell a story of the journey across Berkeley/Oakland.

The first step of the journey was at the Bent Spoke, on Telegraph.

If you need a bike, go see these guys, those are the people, who get me on my way.

~ Tim & Mad Jack ~ You Rock

If you go there, talk to Tim and tell him I sent ya.

This pic features Mad Jack on the right, and Timski on the left-hand side, yo!

After this stop, I trucked down Telegraph, and raced a cop car from Ashby and Telegraph to Oxford and Hearst.

Ok, Next stop, the Potter’s Studio, at Cedar Ave. Here is their website.You can get there easily by going to N. Berkeley Bart, then cycle down the Ohlone Trail to Cedar and 4th. Danny is wearing the black shirt in the photo, his site is Centered Pottery.

The Potter’s Studio is having a new gallery show in late June.

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Then It’s time to cycle back to N. Berkeley Bart and take Bart to downtown Oakland.

And I have to make a decision on which tile to use for the mosaic.

I decide to go for a poll at the cafe, and delay choosing my favorite.

 

 

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At Awaken Cafe! 414 14th Street, in downtown Oakland. I am almost ready to rock the mosaic install. After a cup of coffee of course. Sarah made sure to insist that Cortt and Kari know that she was posing for this pic, not just standing around reading the paper;)

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Oh and if it weren’t for my pal Jeremy I would have been up a creek without thinset!

Then after the job - to go to Radio Bar, one block away.

Such style! Such wonderful people! Citysearch review.

And a final word- next door to the cafe is Joyce Gordon’s Gallery. There is a show up now, Chris Truman - who creates some of the most beautifully textured paintings I have ever seen, lovely work in that gallery.

The Opening party for Awaken Cafe is this Friday night May 2, 2008 - coinciding with the Oakland Art Murmur - First Fridays; arts and open galleries around the city - supporting arts, and a safe nightlife culture. Oakland Art Murmur Website.

They are open now, so you can go get your dream latte in downtown Oakland, at 414 14th St. near Broadway.

Here is a sneak peak of the second mosaic, working in broken stone is a new technique for me - the opus palladium; translated as the crazy-paving style of mosaic.

Yesterday I installed my Sun Mandala mosaic outside of Awaken Cafe at 414 14th St. in Oakland. If you’re in the area, come on by! They will be in opening up in a few weeks, and I must say, they make some fancy drinks!

This project was completed last week- the installation of 80 s.f. recycled glass mosaic tile on the back and side wall of the new cafe. The recycled glass tile is a fantastic if pricey tile, they purchased it from from EcoHome in Berkeley, CA.

Here is a great photo of one of the owners, Cortt - with the new cafe interior and friends. That wood counter was reclaimed redwood from the original construction, and they put it back together in such a lovely way- you can almost hear the stories that this wood can tell about history.

A closeup of the tile:

Here is a photo of me working it:

Awaken Cafe is getting ready to open in downtown Oakland, at 414 14th St, near Broadway. I have been working with them on a few projects. one was a restoration of the front facade tile, since a car wreck happened a few weeks ago and some of the front corner tile was broken off. here are some photos of the before and after on this restoration job. I restored both front corners, one on each side of the door.

Before:

And after:

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Here are a few photos of my current project. I will finish setting the white background field tile today and grout tomorrow. I saw this image in my mind complete, a true gift from the magical reality behind the visible. From the inner depths of the ocean comes a wave so strong it crashes through the East Bay Artists Community known as the Vulcan Studios. This triple sided wave brings clarity of consciousness, and freedom. The triple yin-yang symbolizes the balance between chaos and order, the energies are contained and yet fully expressed in their dynamicism.

Here are a few flickr pictures….

Here is a closeup of the triple yin-yang before putting it down on the ground.

calligrapher, artist - paint dancer. I was looking for a calligraphy poem of Rumi’s - I want to base my mosaic headboard on it for the the loft bed project…but found this amazing artist along the way!!

See the article HERE on the southasian.com

Wow, the excitement ensues! My first kiln, it’s a doozy! Electric shut off, cone ten, cress made, perfect condition and super good deal on craiglist.org. Woah!!!!I am more than a little excited to turn out some ‘real’ tile. That means I have to learn more about clay bodies, and how the clay firing process aides the material preparation - you want a material that handles frost? Fire to cone X soak for xx and voila! You want a super non-moisture absorbant tile? Well, then fire to cone X and soak for XX. Lovely.