"Garden Koi”
2000 | Vitreous Glass Tile and Cement | 3 x 2 feet
The "Garden Koi" mosaic is a charming, intimate outdoor artwork created by artist Beverly G. McCarter in 2000, measuring 2 feet wide by 3 feet high and crafted from shimmering vitreous glass tiles.
Installed directly into a brick pathway at the gated entrance of a private garden, it serves as a welcoming, embedded feature that blends seamlessly with the natural surroundings, adding a touch of whimsy and serenity to the entryway.
The composition centers on two vibrant koi fish swimming gracefully through an underwater scene, rendered in a stylized, flowing manner with intricate tile work that captures movement and light reflection. The background is a deep, textured blue representing water, dotted with subtle waves and bubbles for depth. The koi themselves are depicted in bold oranges, yellows, and whites, with detailed scales, fins, and curving bodies—one fish arches upward from the bottom-left, while the other swims horizontally across the center, their forms intertwined with slender green aquatic plants and reeds that add organic elegance.
Encircling the scene is a decorative border of interlocking chain-like patterns in warm reds, oranges, and blues, evoking a sense of containment and harmony, much like a framed pond. The vitreous glass tiles give the entire piece a glossy, iridescent quality that sparkles under sunlight, enhancing its lively, meditative appeal.
Overall, this mosaic evokes themes of tranquility, prosperity (as koi symbolize good fortune in many cultures), and the beauty of nature, making it a perfect, understated focal point for a garden setting.