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  • The Museum
    • Mission
    • Vision
    • Values
    • Code of Ethics
    • Artist Compensation and Attribution Standards
    • Research & Publications
    • Anatomy Set in Stone
    • Galleries + Collections
    • The School of Mosaic Environments
    • Founder Field Notes
  • The Founder
    • About Rachael Que Vargas
    • Artist Statement
    • Curriculum Vitae
  • Portfolio
    • Public Art
    • Commissioned Artworks
    • Mosaic
      • Mosaic in Marble
      • Mosaic in Glass
      • Mosaic in Bottle Caps
      • Mosaic in Ceramic
    • Jewelry
    • Sculpture
      • Abstract Sculpture
      • Figurative Sculptures
      • Kinetic Sculpture
      • Narrative Sculpture
      • Masks
    • Functional Art
      • Fences, Gates and Trellises
      • Art Furniture
      • Masquerade Bell Lanterns
      • Luminaries
    • Early Work
      • Installation Art
      • Mixed Media 1995–2001
  • Press
    • Book
    • Magazine
    • Newspaper
    • Exhibit Catalog
    • Television
    • Radio
    • Podcast
    • Websites and Blogs
    • CD, DVD + LP
  • Contact
  • Help/FAQ
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Shop
    • Shop Mosaics
    • Shop Jewelry
    • Shop the Archives (Vintage Works)
    • Shop Fire Pits
    • About Hudson Valley Fire Pits
      • Fire Pit Gallery— Residential Design
      • Fire Pit Gallery— Hospitality Design
      • Fire Pit Gallery— Liturgical Design
      • Fire Pit Gallery— Custom Designed Fire Features
      • Fire Pit Gallery— Fountains + Pools
      • Press for Hudson Valley Fire Pits
      • Where to see Hudson Valley Fire Pits
  • 231-584-2710
LaSiren III Bottle Cap Mosaic

Mosaic in Bottle Caps

While bottle caps have a long history in outsider and folk art, they are generally used as texture.

I am pretty sure that I was the first to sort them by color and/or brand and do pictorial
mosaic with bottle caps— The first piece I made was La Siren, in 2000. Since then I’ve done over 50 pieces in this style, including Old Glory, an American flag created from over 20,000 Budweiser bottle caps and was commissioned by Golden Voice and Budweiser for the 2015 Stagecoach Music Festival. Measuring ten feet tall by sixteen feet wide, for a total of 160 square feet, Old Glory is my largest bottle cap artwork to date.

Originally, I was inspired by Haitian ritual flags, in which detailed images are realized entirely through the use of sequins. Each cap is sorted by brand or color, washed, dried, punched, partially crimped and finally nailed in overlapping scales to create a feeling of depth, light and shadow. Decorative nail heads emulate the texture of seed beads often used to reinforce the sequins.

LaSiren III Bottle Cap Mosaic
La Siren III, a Commission for the American Museum of Natural History

La Siren III, 2017Vitreous glass, bottle caps, stone, copper, 15.65

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Old Glory an American flag created from over 20,000 Budweiser bottle caps for Stagecoach Festival

Old Glory is an American flag created from over 20,000

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Old Glory Bottle Cap Flag Art at Stagecoach

Old Glory was a huge hit at the festival! Here’s

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Old Glory Bottle Cap Flag Art in Progress: Stagecoach Festival Setup

My step-son Don drove the flag out to Indio, CA

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Old Glory Bottle Cap Flag Art in Progress: April 4-17

The trailer is here and it’s install day! My studio

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Old Glory Bottle Cap Flag Art in Progress: March 22-28

The four main panels are finally finished! I’ll add a

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Old Glory Bottle Cap Flag Art in Progress: March 18-21

The stars are finished on panel two! A close up

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Old Glory Bottle Cap Flag Art in Progress: March 9-12

Beginning the fourth panel. The first step is lining up

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Old Glory Bottle Cap Flag Art in Progress: March 4-8

Week Three. The first panel is done and the stripes

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Old Glory Bottle Cap Flag Art in Progress: February 22-28

Marcie videotaped the first cap being nailed to the flag.

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Old Glory Bottle Cap Flag Art in Progress: February 12-21

This is how 28,000 bottle caps arrived. The three boxes

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La Siren II: A Mosaic Mermaid Sculpture in Bottle Caps and Glass, 2004

Christy MacLear commissioned this piece for her gallery, Fleur Fine Art, because people kept asking her to sell the mermaid from her private collection and she couldn’t bring herself to part with it. She gave me “total artistic freedom” to create any bottle cap mermaid I wanted to and I took that ball and ran with it. Unfortunately, this is currently the best photo I have, but I will replace it as soon as possible with one showing the mermaid straight-on. in the meantime, click here for a close-up of her face and hair.

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Atlas Mosaic in Glass and Bottle Caps, 2003

What I love most about this piece is the variety of interpretations I’ve heard— from holding up the weight of the worlds garbage, to being crushed by alcoholism, to a desire to drink in the entire world.

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Mermaid Mosaic Sculpture in Bottle Caps and Italian Glass, 2000

La Siren With her Italian glass top and bottle cap tail, LaSiren reflects not just light but a sense of humor and playfulness. Private collection.

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 55, 2011

The city of Lincoln City, OR commissioned this Fish and a 41 inch Waves O’ Fire Sculptural Firebowl as public art. I was a Featured Artist at the Art Sea Festival and gave a live demonstration of creating a Bottle Cap Mosaic.

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 54, 2007

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 54, 2007plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 53, 2011

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 53, 2011plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 52, 2011

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 52, 2011plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Fish Mosaic No. 51, 2010

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 51, 2010plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 50, 2011

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 50, 2011plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 49, 2009

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 49, 2009plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 48, 2008

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 48, 2008plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 47, 2008

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 47, 2008plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 46, 2006

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 26, 2006plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 45, 2008

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 45, 2008plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 44, 2009

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 44, 2009plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 43, 2008

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 43, 2008plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 42, 2007

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 42, 2007plywood, primer, bottle caps, recycled

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 40, 2006

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 40, 2006plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 39, 2006

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 39, 2006plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 38, 2006

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 38, 2006plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 36, 2006

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 36, 2006plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 35, 2006

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 35, 2006plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 34, 2006

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 34, 2006plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 32, 2006

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 32, 2006plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 30, 2006

  Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 30, 2006plywood, primer, bottle

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 28, 2006

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 28, 2006plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 26, 2006

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 26, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 24, 2006

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 24, 2006plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 22, 2006

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 22, 2006bottle caps, recycled roofing

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Bottle Cap Fish Mosaic No. 21, 2006

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 21, 2006 plywood, primer, bottle

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 17, 2006

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 17, 2006plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 15, 2006

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 15, 2006plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 12, 2005

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 12, 2005plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 10, 2005

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 10, 2005plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 8, 2005

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 8, 2005plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 7, 2005

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 7, 2005plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 5, 2005

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 5, 2005plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 4, 2005

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 4, 2005plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 3, 2005

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 3, 2005plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 2, 2005

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 2, 2005plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 1, 2004

Bottle Cap Mosaic Fish No. 1, 2004plywood, primer, bottle caps,

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