Amy Marlar's daughter, Logyn, wanted to keep the family mailbox after the firestorm.  This was a challenging and fun project!

Tawnya Lively, 2018. 3411 Marlar Residence. 11x14"

Tawnya Lively, 2018. Marlar Collage. 20 x 24"

 Marlar Mailbox Planter

Firestorm Mosaic Project Montage

My colleagues Nancy and Mike lost their home in the Fountaingrove neighborhood of Santa Rosa, California. Nancy salvaged broken pieces of their botanical china set that survived the fire and I am honored that they trusted me with their treasured remnants.

Making Anthemis Landscape was truly a labor of love and was on display during the Sonoma State University Library Fall 2018 group Exhibit: Reflections: After the Fire where I also spoke on the artist panel.

Tawnya Lively, 2018. Anthemis Landscape. 10"x 20"

Original China: Villeroy & Boch Botanica - Anthemis Tinctoria.

While making this piece for my colleagues Mike & Nancy I was awestruck that in the midst of mass destruction and chaos, a calming little teacup survived. I had always thought of teacups as a dainty and valued luxury item passed down from great aunts and grandparents.  It turns out that many teacups survived the fires damaged, but intact. To me, they serve as a symbol that what is seemingly fragile can actually be quite strong.

This “collective” mosaic is now part of the permanent art collection in the Doyle Library at Santa Rosa Junior College. It was created using materials from more that 50 burned homes, many belonging to SRJC staff.

Jazella asked to have a frame made from the Noritake China that she was able to recover from her property. The way the plates were fused together by the fire looked like it's own art piece.

Tawnya Lively, 2018. Jazella's Noritake Frame. 8 x 10"

Tawnya Lively, 2018. Jazella's Noritake Trivet. 8 x 8"

Keith Diehl lost his home in Fountaingrove in October 2017. Harvest Time is a new heirloom made from the recovered pieces of his grandmother's china.

Tawnya Lively, 2018. Harvest Time. 11 x 14"

These Mosaic was also on display at the Petaluma Art Center: Sonoma Wildfires Exhibition, Renewal Through Art in Fall 2018.

In February 2018, the Graton Community Club generously donated their space to host a workshop and help fire survivors make art from their broken treasures.  

More pictures can be seen on the original Firestorm Mosaics blog at: Firestorm Mosaics.

Thank you to the Ceramic Tile Center for providing materials and to the Firestorm Mosaics GoFund me donors!

This piece is a colorful montage of pottery shards recovered from the Benoit house in Wikiup. It includes pieces from a beautiful plate that Tyra Benoit brought home from from Italy.

Tawnya Lively, 2018. Benoit Montage. 12 x 12"

This “collective” mosaic is now part of the permanent art collection in the Doyle Library at Santa Rosa Junior College. It was created using materials from more that 50 burned homes, many belonging to SRJC staff.

I was very humbled to participate in the Petaluma Arts Center group exhibition in the Fall of 2018. Many of the artists featured in this show lost their studios to the fires and their artistic responses were inspiring.

Each artist was limited to 3 pieces and the curator chose to display these Firestorm Mosaics:

Tawnya Lively, 2018. Harvest Time. 11 x 14”

Tawnya Lively, 2018. Collective Remnants, Ashen Roses. 16 x 20”

Tawnya Lively, 2018. Pagal Mosaic. 20 x 24"

On the weekend of June 2nd & 3rd 2018 the Sebastopol Center for the Arts generously donated their space for Chantal Vogel and myself to host a workshop and help fire survivors make art from their broken treasures.  

More pictures can be seen on the original Firestorm Mosaics blog at: Firestorm Mosaics.

Thank you to the Ceramic Tile Center for providing materials and to the Firestorm Mosaics GoFund me donors!

Additionally, there was a bit of press buzz about this workshop in the Sonoma West News & Times!

These mosaics were made with many special remnants salvaged from the ashes of the Pagal family house in Coffey Park. Each item has a unique story and it was a pleasure to create these new heirlooms.

Tawnya Lively, 2018. Pagal Mosaic. 20 x 24"

Tawnya Lively, 2018. St. Teresa Mosaic. 8 x 10"

These Mosaics were also on display at the Petaluma Art Center: Sonoma Wildfires Exhibition, Renewal Through Art in Fall 2018.

I was proud to show two Firestorm Mosaics at my Alma mater, Sonoma State University (SSU) during the Fall 2018 Semester. The artist reception was held on the one year anniversary of SSU reopening after the fires. No damage was done to the University but most businesses and school districts in the area were closed for two weeks due to poor air quality in October 2017.

This juried group show included 21 California-based participants documenting and responding to the fall 2017 firestorm through painting, photography video and mixed media work.

I spoke about my experience with the Firestorm Mosaic project on the artist panel that was mediated by local legend Gaye Labaron from the Press Democrat along with artist Jerry Dodrill and Emmy Award winning writer Brian Fies.

The following Firestorm Mosaic pieces were displayed next to a picture of the remnants as they laid in the ashes.

Tawnya Lively, 2018. Anthemis Landscape. 10"x 20"

Tawnya Lively, 2018.  Alicia's Flatware. 11"x 14"

A new piece of art for the Wade family, made from dishes and a flute recovered from the fires.

Tawnya Lively, 2018. Wade Family Flue. 8 x 20"

Cheryl found out about this project through social media and gave me several blue ceramic pieces that she collected from her home in Fountaingrove. In a cruel twist, Cheryl had moved into her new Santa Rosa home the day before fires.

The remnants included a baby hand print done in clay that belonged to her daughter Caliegh, who is now in college. As I was putting the pieces together, it was incredible to discover a footprint as well!

Cheryl and her daughter Caleigh were also featured in the Press Democrat collecting these pieces.

Tawnya Lively. Caleigh's Prints, 8" x 10"

This fun mosaic used salvaged pieces found in the ashes of the Pitou Family home that was lost in the 2017 Santa Rosa Firestorm.

Tawnya Lively, 2018. All Nature's Creatures. 20x24"

Tawnya Lively, 2018. Rose Garden Stone. 9x9"

Tawnya Lively, 2018. Gobble Gobble. 8x10"

Pamela and her family were very supportive of the Firestorm Mosaic project and are also highly involved in their church.  It was a pleasure to make them these two pieces using their broken treasures.

In the wake of this disaster it was amazing to watch how the community bands together. I am grateful to have connected 4 other mosaic artists who also made mosaics for fire survivors using their remnants. They are:

Artist Chantal Vogel completed the Pique Assiette wall art for Alison’s Mom, Marilyn and also co-hosted the Firestorm Mosaic workshop at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts.

Artist Frances Bringman completed the “To New Beginning” for Suzanne Carlin.

Nancy Shaffer (my mom!) completed stepping stones for Corinne Rasmussen.

Donna Sproul created a mosaic Vase for Carlin Rosset.

Claudia and her sweet doggie lost their home in Coffey Park. This lazy Susan is made with a combination of her and her mother’s wedding china. The fire melted the porcelain in such a way to create a red polka-dot effect.

The piece titled “Thou Shalt Not Steal” used to be a cookie jar in the shape of a monk. I love the irony that this piece is a mirror and that you must look at yourself while you read it. Claudia said that unfortunately they had to ward off looters in her neighborhood in the aftermath of the fire so this piece will have a meaningful place on the front porch of her rebuilt home.

Claudia also asked me to make a cross from a specific set of china that she recovered and it was a pleasure to make something spiritually hopeful out of the ashes!

Cass and Miranda were married in June of 2016 and unfortunately lost their home in the October 2017 fires. Their parents, Pamela & Taine, also lost their home in the fires and brought many remnants to make art from their broken treasures. 

This picture frame is a wedding gift from Pamela & Taine who collected pieces of Tiffany blue porcelain that included a wedding cake plate from the property of their son & "daughter in love." 

This project began when my boss showed me pictures of her house that burned down on October 9, 2017 in the North Bay Firestorms. I already make art using mosaics so when I saw the porcelain remnants I knew that we could salvage something from the devastation. So, we hopped in the car and collected various pieces of ceramics out of the ashes that she had collected from her travels all over the world.

Alicia’s Flatware was on display during the Sonoma State University Library Fall 2018 group Exhibit: Reflections: After the Fire where I also spoke on the artist panel.

Both pieces are 11 x 14”

Stay tuned….essay in progress!