My Process: How I Build a Map
When I got a request to make a front door for a house on Yarmouth, all I needed to know, at first, were the measurement, and the address. Everything begins with the measurement and the address.
This area has some fun features. Bloor, the Tracks, Christie Pits! I zoomed in and out, sketching, until I found a composition that made sense. It had enough space so people could find themselves, but it was tight enough to include personal details. I decided to embrace the world of Davenport, even though it is so different, because I want to use blocks of streamy glass.
I sketched it in many ways before I offered clients this as a starting version.
At this point, the fun started. We started talking about these blocks. What matters most? These clients soon gave me a whole list of precious places: Fiesta, PAT, the greengrocer, the LCBO, Stubbe’s Chocolates, a bus stop with special meaning. Block by block, we pinned down what we had to say. It wasn’t just my map anymore. It was theirs.
Then it became an assembly job. This kind of map is good, because it allows me to use small pieces of very special glass. Old glass is becoming very rare, so I save my good bits for special places. Here, a piece of Italian corrugated glass from the 90s forms the slopes in Christie Pits.
Completed and installed, the map plays many rolls. It is an art piece, and a jewel on the house. It is an expression of the patrons, and what they love about their home. It is also an effective screen, and a useful map. Using this, my clients can easily direct their guests to the subway, the supermarket, or the chocolate shop.