4x4 Inch Tiles
Elephant tile
This one is inspired by The Elephant Sanctuary in Howenwald, TN. I honestly can't even remember how I came across them, but once I did, I fell in love with the integrity, compassion and hard work that those people bring
to create such a beautiful place. They are an inspiration and I wish there were more places and people in the world like the ones found here.
to create such a beautiful place. They are an inspiration and I wish there were more places and people in the world like the ones found here.
Bird Tile
The original tile from the workshop that started it all! This design was created while attending a tile workshop at The Moravian Pottery & Tile Works in Doylestown, PA. It was an amazing place, from the architecture, to the people that work there, to the town itself. This is where I learned how to create and cast my tile molds (among other things) and I was able to have this mold shipped
back to me so that I wouldn't lose my first design.
back to me so that I wouldn't lose my first design.
Sea Turtle Tile
Among elephants and foxes, turtles are also one of my favorite creatures. Again, living in Florida, they have become a fascination to me, from their long journeys, to their huge flippers which appear so cumbersome out of the water, to the way the Florida beaches become so silent and dark in order to protect the nests. I didn't want to create a "cute" turtle tile here. I wanted to capture it's being, it's texture and have it come out at you through the tile itself.
Octopus Tile
My dear friend Ann is quite the fan of cephalopods. I made this for her. She inspires the creativity, livelihood and drive I would like to see in myself. The fact that she has a love for these creatures is so fitting because she is so brilliant, adaptable and flexible to her surroundings and full of wonder, much like these eight tentacled creatures. Not to mention she's gorgeous!
Sleeping Fox Tile
This tile has a bit of a sad story behind it, but one I will never forget. At work (my other job) our office backs up to a very small section of woods. One fall, there were foxes out all over town. Most of them because they had mange, so you would see them out during the day. One of them, who a co-worker lovingly named Todd, had been struck by a car and his front leg was badly injured. He took solitude in the woods behind our building with a couple of other foxes. As though the mange weren't bad enough, he obviously wasn't getting the food he needed as he was terribly thin (even compared to the others). I tried to do what I could at the time, but after a few weeks he stopped showing up. We still saw the other two from time to time, but Todd never showed his precious face. I created this tile in memory of him and the hope that his suffering was quickly laid to rest.
Koi Fish Tile
This little swimmer was inspired by the oceans, lakes and gardens surrounding our beautiful North Florida. The Koi fish was also a favorite of mine to paint onto large bowls, when I made those sorts of things. So, I couldn't very well leave her out of my new tile designs!
Oh, Possum Tile
Another dear friend, Irene, inspired this adorable little creature. When Irene and I both bought new homes within the same year, we spent most of our time helping each other fix them up. It was actually quite fun and I miss the times we spent sweating, covered in dust and paint and annoying the neighbors with power saws. We both created names for our homes and her's was The Possum Nest. Unlike with Ann and her octopus, I cannot generously compare the possum to my friend Irene. Although cute and very resourceful, she does not scare easily, play dead or smell bad. Nevertheless, this one is for her because I love her dearly!
Fiddler crab tile
My old roommate and friend, asked for this and 3 others to be created for
a collection she wanted of the local wildlife she saw in her south Florida home.
I'm so glad she asked for these too because they became a way to challenge
myself and celebrate and reflect on my Florida homeland at the same time.
a collection she wanted of the local wildlife she saw in her south Florida home.
I'm so glad she asked for these too because they became a way to challenge
myself and celebrate and reflect on my Florida homeland at the same time.
Manatee Tile
My old roommate and friend, asked for this and 3 others to be created for a
collection she wanted of the local wildlife she saw in her south Florida home.
I'm so glad she asked for these too because they became a way to challenge
myself and celebrate and reflect on my Florida homeland at the same time.
collection she wanted of the local wildlife she saw in her south Florida home.
I'm so glad she asked for these too because they became a way to challenge
myself and celebrate and reflect on my Florida homeland at the same time.
Ibis Tile
My old roommate and friend, asked for this and 3 others to be created for a
collection she wanted of the local wildlife she saw in her south Florida home.
I'm so glad she asked for these too because they became a way to challenge
myself and celebrate and reflect on my Florida homeland at the same time.
collection she wanted of the local wildlife she saw in her south Florida home.
I'm so glad she asked for these too because they became a way to challenge
myself and celebrate and reflect on my Florida homeland at the same time.
Bookshelf Tile
When I moved into my house, I'd forgotten how many books I had in storage and the lack of bookshelves I actually had. For the first couple of years, my books were stacked all around the house. They were the center piece of my dining room table, piled on end tables and stacked on my bedroom floor. I loved it! It was hard to find the book I wanted, but I thought it was charming. This tile is for all those book lovers, whether organized or not!
Ocean Wave Tile
Here comes that Florida inspiration again! Just 1.5 hours away from one of the greatest (hopefully not so well known) beaches, this tile was screaming to be made. In this example, the glaze is wiped from the raised surfaces to allow a great contrast to the pools of glaze within the design.
Moon Flowers Tile
For the love I have for nature, the moon and the stars. This tile reminds me of the magic I use to feel on sleepless nights, when I needed a break from the studio and would go out to gaze. I could gaze for hours. I always found some sort of peace out there and I think having a reminder of that could be one of the most important reminders one could have.
.
.
Mountain Sky Tile
This one was inspired by a place I've longed to see...the red mountains of the west. I blame this on all the movies that use this landscape for beautiful, thoughtful montages. The tile then morphed into a great way for me to incorporate my love of melting marbles with glazes.
Oak Tree Tile
This tile represents the southern beasts of nature I grew up with. The Great Oak Tree. They are massive, strong for playing on, but delicate in storms. Their branches sometimes get so large that they take to the ground (which makes climbing even more fun). I stood under one once that was so large and dense that while looking up through it's leaves it appeared as though it were night and I was gazing at the stars. This tile reminds me of the beauty of those moments, my wonderful childhood and the magic these trees bring to life.
Umbrella Tile
OK, so there's no sentimental story with this one. I was sitting about with my sketchbook trying to portray different textures of objects that I could make into tiles and my gaze fell upon this old paper umbrella I have. I thought, that would make a cool texture...something that could really "pop" out of a wall. So here it is! The Umbrella Tile. I thought these would look really cool in a line mixed with regular, flat tiles.
