Handmade Tile

Usually I avoid talking about current events here, but the arrival of COVID-19 isn't just any event. It is THE event. Practically the only topic of discussion right now. So I feel I have to give an update about how it is affecting my business. Governor Mike DeWine issued a "stay at home" order for the entire state of Ohio which went into effect at 11:59 last night. It requires all nonessential businesses to close for at least 2 weeks. Though ceramic art falls squarely in the nonessential category, Emu Tile is exempt because it is a home based business with...

My snail and frog tiles aren't usually oriented on the diagonal. For this special request, I modified them once they were out of their molds by cutting off the corners and reattaching them to make a diamond shape. (I promise I usually don't cut corners!) Only about a week after I sent these tiles out, I received these beautiful installation pictures in my inbox: I love the contrast between the black slate field tiles and white cupboards and feature tiles. The lighting in this room must be amazingly good, because these pictures really bring out the detail in the white feature...

These tiles would have gone out in yesterday's mail if it weren't for the holiday. I never fail to forget that the post office is closed on President's day! Instead they are going out this morning.  This beaver tile is newish. It was added to the catalog about 10 months ago, but I never properly introduced it, so I am featuring it here now. It is shown above in the 4"x4" size and a special glaze called copper wash. Not a typical glaze for me, but indigenous wanted something a little different! All the tiles in this batch are glazed...

I had never heard of a snow day until one morning in January of 1986, when I was in first grade. My mom woke me up to tell me that there was no school because of the snow. My little mind was blown! Even though I genuinely loved school, the idea of a spontaneous day off because of the weather seemed like the most magically wondrous thing imaginable. Mom was a teacher, so happily she had the day off as well. She bundled my brother and me up, and we walked through knee-deep snow to the corner book store where...

This design was suggested to me years ago by the inimitable Liz Burgess, owner of Ginkgo gallery and Studio. Sometimes it takes me a while to get around to new tile requests! Since I was making a "heart in hand" tile for Valentine's day,  I figured it was time for me to make a healing hand as well. I traced my own hands to make both of these little 2"x2" tiles.  The "heart in hand" is coming soon to the online store, the "healing hand" is already there: Next time I am in Oberlin I will definitely stock up Ginko Gallery with a good number...

After years of making my ginkgo tree design as a four inch tile, I finally sized it up to six inches by six inches. It took me a long time to re-sculpt it, but I am glad I did.  The mold turned out great, and now I can reproduce the design again and again. Here are the new and old versions, side by side: Of course I will continue to make the four inch version as well. Now that I can finally make four different six inch tree designs, I decided to combine all four to make a set. The new set...

It is not an exaggeration to say this is the only table like this in existence. It is the brain child of the brilliant Julie, who commissioned me to make the tiles, and Lamar Schlabach (owner of the Village Craftsman in Atwood, IL) to make the table itself. The most unusual thing about this table is that the tiles are not permanently affixed to the top, they just slot in!  Julie said that Lamar was initially somewhat skeptical about the design, but found a way to make it work beautifully. And the really beautiful thing is that the tiles can be changed out at...

Hard to believe the holidays are upon us again! It is my honor to have work in the Holden Arboretum's annual art show and fundraiser for the 9th consecutive year.    The show opens this Friday, Nov. 15th with a party! After that, it will be open daily from 9-5 through the end of the year (closed only on Christmas eve and Christmas day.) The tiles pictured above are from last year's show. Here is some of what I made for this year: (Above: 3"x3" tiles in blue and green glazes) There will be a large selection of all different sizes and designs....