Community Mural Project

At Alchemy Art Center we believe that art is essential, especially in times of crisis. That’s why we are redirecting our resources into free online art classes, as well as an ambitious community mural project, in order to best serve our community during this challenging time.

Our vision for this project began with the idea of interconnectedness. Every person, animal, plant, and environment on this earth is connected in ways that can be difficult to comprehend. Here in the islands, the delicate Salish Sea is an example of the complex interdependence we all share in.

Artist’s rendering of final 15 ft ceramic mosaic King Salmon

Our goal in creating this project is to bring our community together through art, providing a creative outlet and common goal. We also hope to provide employment to artists through the creation of this mural.

Beginning with a 15-foot King Salmon, we plan to create a rich visual exploration of the Salish Sea incorporating ceramic tile mosaics and painting. This 15 ft King Salmon will be made up of hundreds of ceramic tiles, each one created by someone in our community. Will you join us and help?

JOIN IN

If you would like to be part of this project, please email alchemyartcenter@gmail.com to register. After you register, you can pick up your tile pack (clay, tile template, instructions) from an outdoor canopy in the parking lot at 1255 Wold Rd. There is a sign-in sheet there where you will write your name and which tile pack you got. After you have completed your tile project at home, you will return your completed tiles to Alchemy and we will fire and glaze them. Installation location is TBD.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING TILES

First- look at the fish picture in your kit to see where your tiles go. You are making something with at least 40 other people!
Get a rolling pin or bottle, and roll out the clay. If you have a long tile, form your ball into a long tube and then roll it out to make it the right shape.
How thick?- Around a quarter inch. Little more or less is ok.
Put your tile shape on the clay, number (and blue chalk dust) side UP.
- My tile shape goes over the edge of my clay! What do I do? Grab some clay from another part and place it on top of the clay near where you want to make the clay bugger. Roll it out with the rolling pin.
- My Clay is all cracked and weird! What do I do? Maybe your clay is a little dry. You can add a little water by getting a washcloth damp and laying it over your clay for an hour. Then wedge your clay back together. (Find a Youtube video showing how to wedge clay)
When you have rolled your clay in a way that you can completely cut your tile shape out of it, hold your tile shape on the clay, and use a butter knife to cut out the shape. Remember, number side up.

Salmon mosaic template being created

This is your tile! Now comes the creative part. Try finding plants or fabric with interesting textures. Lay these things on you clay and roll the rolling pin over them. Even very subtle textures show up beautifully once the art is finished. Don’t press too deep, you don’t want to make you tile really thin anywhere. Another option is to write or draw on your tile with a thumb tack, sharp pencil or any pointy objects. You can even use some clay scraps to sculpt patterns onto your tile.
- I added a clay kitty cat/ fish scales/ clay ball that I made with scraps and it broke off! What should I do? To attach 2 pieces of clay together, you need to score it. This means, scratch it with a fork, and add a few drops of water, to both surfaces that need to be stuck together. Then stick em together!
When you are done, check the shape of your tile again. Cut the edges to make sure it is the same shape as your original tile. Then write your tile number on the back of the tile.
Make as many tiles as you have in your bag. This is not an exact science. If you don’t have enough clay to do all of your tiles, just complete as many as you can and return clay scraps, and extra tiles.
Wash out your plastic bag, dry it out, and spray the inside with cleaning spray. We want it back. Put your tiles on a piece of wood or cardboard. Drop off your finished tiles on the table where you picked the clay up. Write your name on the board somewhere. Please return BOTH the black tile template, and scrap clay as well.
DONATE to Alchemy if you can! We appreciate any amount you can contribute to this free community project. This is just the beginning of what we hope will become not just a community art project, but a job creator for local artists!

Salmon map included in each tile pack

Tile pack pick-up/drop-off area, 1255 Wold Rd.