In the Neighborhood, by local artists Eric Rausch and Jen Kiko, consists of 3,444 pieces of hand-cut, hand-painted ceramic tiles. The energetic living scene of the natural characters found in the mosaic artwork is inspired by Valentina’s Italian flair and the few things that Ohio and Italy share - Sunflowers (Girasole in Italian) and the Brown Sparrow (Passero, Italy’s national bird) as well as other local flora and fauna.
The Process
The composition is centered around an iron gate, with local flora and fauna woven throughout. The illustration was created for this site and made into ceramic tiles. The process included the cutting and smoothing of each piece, numbering the back and bisque firing. The prominent elements were then reassembled and hand painted before the clear glaze was applied and re-fired. The were all reassembled again to their final places on the column and carefully grouted.
(original sketch by Jen Kiko shown)
Explore local flora and fauna.
Download the "In the Neighborhood" worksheet and discover all of the hidden gems in this unique mosaic artwork.