Fishing in Cabo commemorates a family's annual tradition on the water in Cabo San Lucas. Warm-toned Maple burl wood inlay meets a turquoise epoxy sea, with hand-shaped contours recalling the coastline where Dorado and Marlin are the highlight of the trip. Installed in their Star, Idaho home, this custom piece turns a treasured memory into a permanent fixture — original and personal.
The gallery below documents this challenging, first-of-its-kind commission.
Our canvas for this project was MDF, carved to look like stained glass — an original technique by Rare Canvas artist, Matthew Heim.The MDF is first sealed to avoid over-absorbing the epoxy resin, and a large batch of metallic pewter epoxy is ready to pour solder lines.Our friends at Holzapple Custom Designs used their CNC machine to outline the solder lines, but hours of delicate hand-chiseling was required to remove all of the MDF.A clean epoxy structure is ready for filling each void like a color-by-number water-glass mosaic.Mixed media of crushed walnut shell form a distant beach while tumbled sea glass commemorates the family’s own private collection.Crystal aqua epoxy encases tumbled sea glass, creating a beautiful light element in the composition.Over 15L of epoxy is mixed for this initial pour, and custom-colored using epoxy dye and metallic pigments.From cobalt to turquoise, each void is colored according to the approved illustration, like a giant color-by-number exercise.Coloring the Dorado with a first layer of mostly opaque pigment will make the fish look more solid when back lit.Pouring two colors simultaneously, with a temporary damn in between, keeps liquid colors from mixing too soon.Each Maple burl inlay is stenciled, cut to fit and stained, representing the iconic Arch of Cabo San Lucas.Layering of metallic pigment gives this Marlin added detail and an iridescent, fishy coloring.The identifiable markings of the Dorado are carefully injected with partially cured epoxy, so the spots hold their shape.This Dorado was poured in two layers, but contains ten different custom epoxy colors, carefully separated by timed epoxy cures.Also poured in two layers, this Marlin contains fifteen different epoxy colors, producing a beautiful, one-of-a-kind outcome.The entire piece is run through the wide-belt sander at WoodLab to achieve precise final thickness specification.Simple LED lighting and black-out tape is custom fitted to the piece by the WoodLab team during install.Final installation above the clients indoor grill; a perfect, flush fit into the marble surround.The artist’s signature, proudly adorns the glowing surface of this original seascape.One final shot of Fishing in Cabo, designed to evoke stories and laughter in this important family space.
