Handmade Tile

If you have ever admired a group of turtles lined up together on a log, then you can probably appreciated this unique tile installation: What are those tiles in a contrasting color above the range? Turtles, of course! The 2"x2" turtles glazed in "pacific blue" add a sweet touch to this serene kitchen. Thank you, S.M. for including my tiles in your project and for sharing pictures! 

At first glance, it looks like the homeowners played it safe with the color scheme in this kitchen. It has lovely, neutral colored cabinets, countertops, flooring and backsplash: But look a little closer, and you will see that this kitchen has a colorful secret! The backsplash is sprinkled with an assortment of bright little handmade two inch by two inch tiles featuring leaves and flowers. Here they are before they were installed... ... and here they are after installation: I love how the red tiles pick up on the red knobs of the range. Here are some even closer views...

A couple of different people requested that I make the dandelion design in a size smaller than 6"x6", so I re-sculpted it as a 4"x4" tile and made a mold: The first few tiles are out of the kiln and I am very pleased with how they turned out. Here is how it looks in gray glaze: And here the same tile alongside its twin, amid matching field tiles: The new four inch version has been added to the online store. And, of course, the six inch version is still available as well. If you do decide to purchase one,...

Two new tile sets have been added to the online store. Both are customer-requested variations on this popular set:  (the 6"x6" Tree of Life with 1" border) The first variation is just a slightly smaller version of the original. Here is the smaller version with my hand in the frame for size reference: (The 4"x4" Tree of Life with 1" border) The original version is approximately eight inches by eight inches total, while the smaller version is only six inches by six inches, not including grout joints. The next variation is a little more daring, as it turns the 6"x6"...

This was a big project last summer, and my wonderful client sent fabulous photos as soon as her bathroom was complete in August. I simply cannot live with myself any longer if I don't post them now! As you can see, this remodel created a dramatic transformation: This serene bathroom is located in a lovely cabin which is surrounded by nature on all sides. The homeowner selected plant and animal tiles which reflect the surrounding environment, which meant she ordered one of practically everything in my entire catalog of 4"x4" plant and animal tiles: The feature tiles were interspersed among...

It is hard to believe that I have been participating in indigenous gallery's annual artTILE show for a whole decade! And it is even harder to believe that this year's show is going to be the last one. But all good things must end, so if you have been meaning to check out artTILE, this will be your last chance! It is a huge honor for me to have had work in all ten shows. I am sad to see this end, but I am also really looking forward to the grand finale. So many amazing tile artists take part...

About 10 years ago, my work used to be shown at the "Log Cabin Gallery" in Peninsula, Ohio. The Log Cabin is a small art gallery/ gift shop that hosts seasonal shows, complete with festive art openings for every event. Participating artists attend the openings and help staff the gallery on weekends. It was a great experience for me at the time, but as my business grew, I could no longer afford the time commitment involved in being a Log Cabin artist. That made me sad, because Peninsula is a neat town with a surprising amount of art for its...

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I recently remade some of my sea creatures in the 3"x3" size by request. It was not a small undertaking; I had to re-sculpt my old designs one by one, and then pour seven new plaster molds. The whole project was fairly time consuming. Here is a photo of part of the sculpting process: After I was satisfied with how they looked, I made molds of them. Making molds is always a bit stressful, because the original is usually destroyed in the mold making process. Fortunately, all the molds turned out great,...