Intarsia is an art form dating back into the Renaissance in Italy. Early intarsia consisted of fitted pieces of colored wood into murals gracing the walls of churches. Recently intarsia has been enjoying a revival, with today’s intarsia artists making free form projects that are smaller in size, fitting better in modern homes. There are murals that exist today too in a few commercial buildings. The Holiday Inn on Galveston island has one of pelicans and sea gulls.
The word “intarsia” means a mosaic of cut pieces of wood fitted together to create an image.