Pepper - Memorial

Commissioned for:
Megan Hulce
Los Altos, Ca
12/10/2011

Pepper is a breed of dog not widely recognized, he is a Papillon. When he was diagnosed with CHF (congestive heart failure), his owner decided when the time comes to give him a green burial instead of the alternatives and wanted a headstone for this purpose. I had the opportunity to meet Pepper - an active, well behaved and lovable dog. The outstanding characteristic, of course, are his ears! This is the trademark of a Papillon which means butterfly in French and his big expressive ears do resemble the wing span of a butterfly. When I pulled out the camera he knew exactly what to do and loves to pose for pictures.

Clients' comments:
Although I have commissioned pieces of art in the past, nothing was as important to me as finding a way to distill the life of my longtime 4-legged companion into a work of art. Xuan was referred to me by fellow artist Anne Klocko, who knows my taste and how particular I can be when I want something done right. This rock will be placed outside and it needed to be both industrial strength, easy to clean and striking. After looking at my proposed picture of Pepper, she insisted on meeting him to see his personality. Initially she chose a rock shape I didn't care for, without any sort of scorn she invited me to the rock lot to choose the perfect stone. I did and she handled the rest. From the first rendering I was blown away by the resemblance to my dog, it was almost like looking at mirror image, the likeness was uncanny. When I had tiny issues--because of my preferences, not because of her skill, she patiently listened and by the next day had fixed them to perfection. I am absolutely elated with the end result, it is more realistic looking than I would have thought possible, made especially so by the clever use of hematite for the eyes. When Pepper stood looking at the rock, his own eyes shining in the sunlight, I looked down and the eyes of the rock looked back at me, then I knew I had the the perfect memorial for my true love that will remind me of him in a most profound way every single time I look into those eyes. Thank you, Xuan, you are an incredible artist and a delightful woman with whom to do business.

Materials: Ceramics, vitreous and stained glass, glass beads, hematite
Dimensions:
. The main rock: 26"(W) x 17"(L) x 11"(H)
. The companion rock: 12"(W) x 9"(L) x 7"(H)
Weight: Approximate 180 lbs (the main rock)

Mosaic Main Entrance

(This is the artist's house, Woodside, California)
10/08/2010

Materials: Ceramic, stained glass, mirror, fused glass, glass beads
Dimensions of the landing: 56"(W) x 99"(L)

"Firework" Fireplace

(For the House in Redwood City
California, USA)
10/15/2009

The theme of this design is to exhibit the beauty of firework in abstract forms. The walls of the fireplace were restored to its original, then different tiles were added to create a more rustic look; as one would see in an old Spanish architecture house. All mosaic materials used for this work were either reused from leftover tiles or old tiles and stones removed from the remodeling work of this house.

Materials: Marble, terrazzo, and ceramic tiles, rocks

Dimensions:
. The front fireplace: 63"(W)x 47"(H)
. The hearth in front of the fireplace: 63" x 14"
. Two sides of the fireplace: 14" x 14" each

"Mosaic Bathroom Shower"

(For the House in Redwood City
California, USA)
09/25/2009

The mosaic materials used for this bathroom shower are from the leftover tiles from the remodeling work of this house. The cutting tiles for this design are only in the shapes of rectangular and square.
(Please note that there is no window in the bathroom shower. It is caused by reflection of the glass sliding door.)

Materials: Ceramic & marble tiles, glass.

Dimensions: 59"(W) x 56"(H) x 27"(D)

"Hanging Flowers in the Snow" Wall Hanging

Commissioned by:
Lynn Ngo, MD
Santa Clara, Ca
10/30/2008

Burgundy flowers, suspended gracefully and royally on the branches, instill a sense of warmth to the beginning of a snowy day.

Materials: Stained glass, mirror, marble, porcelain tiles, glass, fossils, corals, abalone

Dimensions: 48" x 22"

Weight: 36 lbs

10/30/08

"Iris" wall hanging

Commissioned by:
Lynn Ngo, MD
Santa Clara, Ca
07/26/2008

The two Iris flowers, standing out elegantly in a pure, almost sacred, background conveys a sense of tranquility. The flowing lines within the background gives this a musical feel-almost like a theatrical backdrop. One is entranced by the background and butterflies whilst the flowers themselves stand erect and add a statuesque quality to the piece.

Materials: Marbles, tiles, ceramics, tempered glass, mirror, rocks, seashells, abalone

Dimensions: 36" x 24"
Weight: 42 lbs

07/26/08

"Phil Lutz's Memorial Wall Hanging"

Commissioned by:
Garfield Middle School
Menlo Park, CA
(03/20/08)

This memorial wall hanging will be hung in the library of Garfield Charter School of Menlo Park, California in honor of the late Mr. Phil Lutz who devoted his teaching career with this school for 11 years.

Materials: Ceramic, vitreous glass, stained glass, tempered glass, vitreous glass, mirror, glass beads, milifiorie, rocks, white abalone, glass gems

Dimensions: 36" x 24"

Weight: 35 lbs

03/20/08

Please join me in "Journey of Life" in the following link:
"Journey of Life Fireplace"

Commissioned for:
The House in Stanford
California, USA
05/20/2007

This piece is featured in the book "American Art Collector", Volume 4, Book 2, published in July, 2008, by Tom Palmer, Alcove Books.

Clients' comments:
The fireplace is magnificent and is a show-stopper. The piece is inspired by the 'broken tile' technique used in homes in the 1920's in California and Florida. This style of tilework is found in homes which are classified as Spanish Colonial Revival. The use of broken tile from the homeowner's remodel was also attractive because it offered a 'green' use of materials that were discarded from the project and now could be used. The fireplace is a visual masterpiece and contains a symbolic rendering of the artists interpretation of the Journey of Life.

Materials: Majority of the tiles are Malibu and Telavera (unglazed and glazed tiles), glass shapes (hearts, stars, moons, round)

Dimensions:
. The front fireplace: Top: 86"x 16"; The sides: 22" x 42" each
. The hearth in front of the fireplace: 86" x 24"
. Two sides of the fireplace: 23" x 50" each

05/12/07

"Aqua II Mirror"

Commissioned By:
Carey Standish-White
Portola Valley, Ca
06/06/06

Experience the complexity of marine life, from the delicate fish frolicking in the shallow water’s edge to the hearty foragers at the depths of the ocean floor

Materials: Ceramic, marbles, tiles, glass beads, seashells.
Dimensions: 15" x 15"
Weight: 7 lbs

06/06/06

"Leopard" Wall

Acquired By:
My-Le Truong, MD
San Diego, Ca
(07/23/2003)

The leopard is resting on the branch while he is surrounded with the colorful forest colors. This is installed directly on the kitchen wall of a resident house.

Materials: China Ceramic, marbles

Dimensions: 48"(L) x 20"(H)

12/10/1999