Handmade Tile

I am totally smitten with this modern, spacious bath with an artistic flair. Free-standing tub with wooden feet and three tiled insets on the wall behind it. I think the nooks must be set in between the wall studs, so maybe it was a lucky coincidence the lined up so perfectly? Each one is tiled with a mixture of my handmade art tiles and two inch by two inch field tiles from another source: First panel, above: 4"x4" Pine Tile, 4"x8" Heron Tile, 4"x4" Spring Oak Tile Middle panel features a 4"X4" Jellyfish Tile, 4"x4" Nest Tile & 4"x4" Turtle...

When people find out that I only have one copy of a lot of my molds, they always ask what I do if one breaks. My answer has usually been, " I hope I never find out!" Of course it was bound to happen eventually. On Monday I was finishing up an order of cat tiles, and I accidentally broke my only"napping cat tile" mold. My first impulse was to freak out, but instead I decided to brainstorm possible ways to solve the problem. I thought about the commercial slip molds I see at the ceramic supply store and how...

You may already know this, but I love-love-love to get customer installation photos! There is a real feeling of satisfaction that comes from seeing my tiles happily settled into a new home. In a way, I don't feel that the tiles are really finished until they find their place in the world. Mostly I don't get to see where they end up, and that is ok. I understand that people are busy, and home improvement can make life even more complicated. In spite of this, every once in a while a very special and wonderful customer will take the time...

The good people of "Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve" recently commissioned me to make a 4" art tile based on their logo: The logo is lovely, so I am quite excited to see the finished tiles. The image above shows what I have so far. In sculpting this design, I used two colors of clay to accentuate the raised areas, the final tile will be made from a single color of clay and glazed with just one glaze... I am not sure which one yet. If my interpretation of the design gets an "ok" I will make a plaster mold this coming week...

I am so very happy that my tiles will be on display in artTILE 2012 at indigenous gallery  in Cincinnati, Ohio. This year's exhibit runs from April 28 to June 10. artTILE 2012 will feature ceramic tiles created by 35 artists, individually honoring the tradition of American Art Tile. More information coming soon!

Autumn glaze, that is. Check out the "autumn" leaves and trees I just finished. Here is a pseudo- panoramic view of the whole set of 4"x4" Tree of Life and Double Ginkgo Leaftiles: And just a few field tiles to go with them: I haven't listed field tiles in our online store yet, but I will make them on request. If you are interested, contact me for prices and lead time.

I was thrilled when John Burdick sent me pictures of my art work hanging at his front door. Here is the view as you approach the house: See the frame to the right of the front door? Here is what it contains: An artistic arrangement of glass roses, bamboo, and my tiles :-) All different plants and animals are represented.. ...including a whole flock of wild turkeys, which John says are plentiful in his area. I love the creativity of this project! It really shows that tiles don't have to be limited to the kitchen, bath and hearth. Here is...

I love the combination of glazes on these four 4"x4" tiles. Clockwise, from top left: 4"x4" Spring Oak in Cinnamon Glaze, 4"x4" Elm in Buckwheat Glaze, 4"x4" Tree of Life in Autumn Glaze, 4"x4" Willow in Northern Lights Glaze. These four glazes play well together and with natural material like stone or wood. On these four tree tiles, they almost create a four- seasons effect, though I am not exactly sure which tile would represent which season. I am planning to use one of these four glazes on my submissions to the upcoming artTILE exhibition at indigenous gallery in Cincinnati. So excited to...