Ohio Tiles

I am fortunate that I was able to attend the magical, amazing opening reception for "It's an Honor to be Here: Ohio Nature Artists in their Natural State" in Lancaster at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio. I had never been to either the city or the museum before the show opened, but I was charmed and impressed by both. I was especially wowed by the quality of the work and the diversity of styles and mediums in the show. I only wish I had taken more pictures. Here is a complete list of the artists who participated, as well...

This year is rapidly coming to a close and I still haven't posted about the coolest project of 2021. Time to fix that! I first learned that my city was planning to build a tower to house chimney swifts way back in late 2019 when Rhonda Boyd, Kent's lead engineer, called me up to pitch the project. Rhonda explained to me that chimney swifts used to live primarily in hollow trees which are now in short supply, especially in urban areas, so the birds have adapted to live in chimneys. Unfortunately modern buildings often do not have traditional chimneys so when...

Here is a little secret: a lot of the time I think my customers are more creative than I am. They always manage to install my tiles in new and wonderful ways that I never would have thought of! Take this installation, for example: The homeowners wanted their sophisticated new kitchen to have some earthy, arty, one-of-a-kind features that reflect who they are as people. They came up with the idea to inlay a grouping of art tiles behind the sink. Each tile represents a plant or animal that has meaning in their lives. And because they are fellow Ohioans,...

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....

What a thrill it is to be part of the ninth annual artTILE extravaganza at indigenous gallery in beautiful Cincinnati, Ohio!  The show features over 1000 tiles by 30 contemporary tile artists, including yours truly. I have participated in all 9 shows, but this year I believe I sent more tiles than ever before. Above: 2"x2" tiles, Below: 4"x4" tiles. Without a doubt, I sent more "four leaf clover" tiles than ever before... The show opened on April 28th and runs until June 10th, 2018. It is open seven days a week at: indigenous gallery  2010 Madison Rd  Cincinnati, OH 45208...

It is almost time for the Holden Arboretum to begin their annual art and craft sale. When you shop at the "Gifts From the Heart of Nature" you support local artists as well as one of the largest botanical gardens in the United States.  The show runs from Nov. 18 through Jan. 3, from 9-5, seven days a week.   

A customer in Pennsylvania requested a sycamore leaf tile. Sycamore trees are prevalent where she lives, and she wanted tiles to reflect the local environment. My dad is really good at identifying plants, so I asked him there are any sycamore trees are here in Kent. It turns out sycamores are fairly prevalent here, too! There is a fine specimen just a few blocks from my house. There are some even closer, but they are in people's yards and aren't accessible. After a short walk to harvest a few leaves, I pressed them in a book for a few days, and then...

It has been far too long since I have posted installation pictures! Photographs of this lovely hearth showed up in my inbox this week, and there is no time like the present for me to share them with you.  The client sent this explanation for their choice of tiles: "We tore out our old fireplace mantel/surround and I designed and built one more to the craftsman style we like. We searched forever to find the tiles that we felt would be perfect for the job.  The leaf tiles represent the three types of trees we have in our yard.  The black...