Subtidal Passage | Kunamokst Mural Mosaic Project

Mural in its permanent home at Galiano Inn & Spa on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Two hundred artists from the west coast and across N. America collaborated to create a huge mural of an Orca mother and calf. The mural is a mosaic of 231 original paintings by artists neither knowing one another, nor what the final image would be. Artists as young as 16 years to over 90 years old contributed their work pro bono to be a part of this amazing project.

I may hold the award for the furthest afield artist in this mural (Stuttgart, Germany), and am forever thrilled to be a part of this project because of the theme (Orca, my marine biologist totem animal), the meaning behind the Chinook word, Kunamokst (Together, unity thru diversity), and being in the company of some amazing artists (including Robert Bateman).

I have a permanent home in Gig Harbor, Washington but as a military spouse with wanderlust, we currently live in Germany. This mural has a permanent home at Galiano Inn & Spa on Vancouver Island. It was unveiled at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.

Check out the Kunamokst website for more information and to order a limited edition print or DIY Kunamokst Mural book: www.kunamokstmural.com

Subtidal Passage © 2010 Kirsten Carlson | acrylic, unstretched canvas, 12 x 12 inches

These are familiar friends, anytime I go diving on the West coast. I sometimes glimpse Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) cruising past my bubbles, but most often I see them napping just above the waves on nearshore rocks. And, although Painted Greenlings (Oxylebius pictus) blend in unbelievably well with their surroundings, I can spy them when they dash from spot to spot amongst the swaying red algae (Rhodymenia spp). The Fish Eating Anemones (Urticina piscivora) appear like ghostly white flowers in the underwater landscape. They have an interrelationship with Painted Greenlings just like some anemones in tropical seas have with clownfish. I am grateful for each dive-adventure I take, because each time I see something new and wonderful in the underwater realm of the sea.

How was each tile made? These 4 images show the progress for tile #166. Every artist received an image (left), they were instructed to replicate the colors and pattern of the tile without knowing the final image.