Handmade Tile

You don't always have to replace everything to remodel a bathroom. Just ask J.P. who got a whole new look in both her bathrooms without replacing the solidly built vintage vanities that were already in place. Instead of tearing them out, she carefully selected and assortment of handmade tiles that enhanced what was already there. For both bathrooms, she asked me to add a light wash of black underglaze beneath the glaze to tone down the brightness and bring out detail. For the larger of the two bathrooms, the glaze is "honey:" In the words of the homeowner, "The little circles on...

A group of pictures just showed up in my inbox that demonstrate the impact of a single tile that was thoughtfully chosen and placed. The tile is a 6x6 inch sunflower in leaf green glaze, and it looks right at home in this picturesque setting in the Finger Lakes region. This looks like a magical place, and I am thrilled that one of my tiles is part of this lovely little retreat. This message was included with the pictures: "We did a total rebuild of a 600 sq ft cabin over the past couple years. My wife and I did all...

Doesn't this California pool with spa look appealing? What a magical place this must be to spend time in the water, surrounded by beauty. I made the autumn brown tiles that feature flowers approximately 2 years ago, before autumn glaze was discontinued. Here is what the flower tiles looked like before they left the studio: And here is what they look like today: I'm so glad these clients ordered the feature tiles when they did because autumn was the perfect choice for this project. It harmonizes beautifully with the commercial tiles they choose. The homeowners recently told me they still love the tiles,...

As I have said before, my customers are often more creative than I am! What proof? Take a look at these intricate, colorful mosaic projects by two different clients featuring my tiles. This lovely heron scene was created by R.M. as a gift for his nature-photographer brother: Featured tiles: 3x6 inch herons in pacific blue glaze I would give him credit using his full name, but since he does this as a hobby and isn't looking to make a name for himself in the art tile world, I will just say thank you! You clearly have tremendous patience and real talent, and...

I am thrilled to share pictures of this stunning mural in two shades of green that has been expertly installed in a kitchen in Washington state: It is accompanied by a beautiful row of "honey" glazed 3"×3" tiles under a nearby window: A vibrant row of red glazed tiles runs around the kitchen. They add a striking contrast and seamlessly tie the entire space together, creating a cohesive and visually appealing design. Here is a closer view of the honey tiles from before they were installed: The homeowners came up with the layout themselves using images from my website. Here...

I did it again. Beautiful installation pictures showed up in my inbox, I didn't post them right away, and then, somehow, they slipped through the cracks. This hearth belongs to a talented nature photographer in Montana, and as you can tell from the turkeys on the mantle, she sent these to me back in November. Oops! Better late than never, right?  I posted these to my instagram page before posting them here, and people loved how the tiles wrap around the hearth. You can see it really well in this progress photo: Here is another progress photo that shows the...

Today's the day! We are in the "path of totally," so I'm taking today (mostly) off to celebrate the last full solar eclipse over north America for over 20 years! Hoping the clouds part long enough for us the catch a glimpse, but it will still be cool even if it's cloudy.  Big thanks to those who bought all the solar eclipse tiles I made for Troppus Projects in downtown Kent. The tiles in the picture are no longer available. I spent most of the weekend in the studio, and will be shipping out many non-eclipse themed tiles tomorrow. As...

After listening to thousands of hours of podcasts while I work, I am thrilled that I get to be on a podcast about my work! Well, it's actually more like an 11 minute love letter to my hometown, with a little bit of tile talk mixed it. It was a real joy to chat with my friend, Katy Thomas, about our shared love of Kent, Ohio. Katy, your positivity is contagious! Big thanks to Main Street Kent, as well, for producing the aptly named "In Good Company" podcast. You can also listen on other platforms, as well as on the...