Colors of the Canyon
Broadway St., City of Laguna Beach
Commissioned by The City of Laguna Beach and the Orange County Transit Authority.
4 x 72.25 x .5 feet, stainless steel, fused glass, powder-coated stainless steel
Colors of the Canyon traces the visual and emotional journey through Laguna Canyon—from the inland grasses to the coastal tide. Installed along a sidewalk near the city’s entry point, this sculptural wave mirrors the canyon’s gentle undulations, its palette evolving in rhythm with the seasons and terrain.
The stainless steel structure rises and flows like the landscape itself, embedded with fused glass elements developed in collaboration with fellow artist Maggie Spencer. Over the course of a year, the pair crafted a technique akin to “painting with glass,” layering 26 colors to reflect the vivid transformations found in nature and town life.
Beginning with the electric green of spring grasses, the sculpture shifts through golden wildflowers, shadowy purples of Big Bend’s berries, and the festive colors of downtown—banners, cars, and summer crowds—before arriving at the ocean in shades of turquoise, sea glass, and shell.
This work is deeply rooted in place, born from years of hiking and photographing the canyon and a deep memory of its changes. Its meandering forms and glowing colors speak not only to topography but to the lived experience of moving through the space—honoring the transition from canyon to sea with every step.
