Handmade Tile

These fun installation pictures are from California. The original stone and brick hearth had some large, square holes in it that were left over from the blower for an old cast iron wood burning fireplace. The homeowners could have torn out the whole hearth and started over from scratch, but instead they decided to make the most of what they already had and turn the cutouts into focal points by filling them with art tiles in designs that have special significance for their family. They replaced the wood burner with a modern electric fireplace made by Dimplex, which looks pretty convincing...

This lovely kitchen is right here in beautiful Kent, Ohio, just around the corner from the elementary school where I first experienced the joy of ceramics!  I realize how lucky I am; not everyone gets to try ceramics in grade school. Thinking about this fact makes me realize that my community began supporting me long before I decided to become a professional artist. This is part of the reason I always vote "yes" for school levies, even though I don't have children of my own.  Most of the tiles I make ship out of state, but I have definitely been...

The owner of this bathroom originally wanted the tiles to be glazed in white, but then switched to autumn instead after talking to a friend. I think she made the right decision! The autumn glaze really shines alongside these counters and woodwork. They all have similar variegation which makes everything pleasingly harmonious. Counters are "fired steel" by Wilsonart.  close up of the tiles before they left the studio These installation pictures appeared in my inbox within 24 hours of receiving another set of pictures of a very similar installation that used white glaze instead. That bathroom looked better with white, this one...

In honor of the new year and the fact that the days are now getting a little bit lighter, I am sharing these luminous bathroom photos. According to the homeowners, the previous décor was rather dark so they wanted to brighten things up, and that is exactly what they did!  White glaze was selected for the tiles to match the counters and cabinets. A row of four by four inch tiles is capped by a row of one by six inch ribbon tiles.  The tiles are installed over both of the two matching sinks. They add a little bit of subtle variation...

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...

So pleased that I get to see how great this installation turned out!! This project was a bit outside my comfort zone. This is the first time I have ever made custom tiles to match stained glass windows! The homeowner sent me a picture of one of the windows next to the fireplace and a drawing of what he wanted the tile to look like: And I got to work reproducing the design to the best of my ability. I am really happy with the results, and more importantly, so is the client! The homeowner did an impeccable job of...

I love this! The idea for this bed came from the mind of Gwen Waight, a fellow northeast Ohio artist. She selected and arranged the tiles, and her talented husband constructed the bed for their daughter, who lives out of state. It means a lot to me that my work has become part of their family's story. It is always a treat when a fellow artist seeks out my work. Gwen specialized in assemblage and collage. She uses recycled and reclaimed objects that would otherwise be overlooked or discarded. Her art is part of the story of my family's life,...

Over the years, a few very special customers have installed my tiles in their homes, then moved, then ordered more tiles to install in their new homes! This installation belongs to one of those select few who have installed my work at more than one address. I don't seem to have to picture on file of the first installation, but my records tell me the glaze was autumn and the designs were mostly animals. This second installation is mostly plant designs glazed in celadon, with heart tile glazed in white for a focal point. The celadon glaze looks almost white...