This simple tile backsplash adds flair to an otherwise unexciting kitchen. This was a low-cost addition installed for the purpose of adding resale value to a home. The owner liked it so much, she wished she had done it years before she decided to move and make the upgrade.

This intricate mosaic was created for Hummingbird Wholesale as an outdoor, walkable art piece. The design was inspired by the Native American Medicine Wheel or Four Shields, vision quest concept. We used a combination of broken salvaged tile and small colored pebbles. It had long been the desire of the owner to do this mosaic installation and with my support, we made it happen. I really enjoyed working on this project.

This kitchen back splash was created using salvaged tiles.

A passive solar greenhouse built from cob, light clay-straw and salvage materials. The existing backyard had several concrete pads for old sheds, so we cut them into squares and stacked them up for some thermal mass on the inside of the greenhouse, which are located to get direct sunlight only during the winter months. It also freed up the yard for garden space. The wood framing came from deconstructed sheds and decks on the property and we only needed to purchase a single piece of lumber! We infilled the wood frame with sculptural cob on the east and west walls, insulative clay-straw on the north wall, and reclaimed sliding glass doors as windows on the south. There are also operable … Read More »

This cob bench was built as part of a sculpture competition called "Art in the Heart of the City" on the Ithaca Commons. The foundation uses seconds stones from a local quarry. The arches were built with adobes and then cobbed together. The mosaic is set with earth plaster grout. The adobes were pre-fabricated and the bench was built during the Ithaca Festival of 2009. Hundreds of people got to watch its construction and learn about natural building. It was only intended to be on display for six months, but it has since survived several winters without a roof and remains a favorite play structure for the local kids.