This morning I woke to the birds singing, a gentle transition into the day that felt fresh and energizing. It helped focused me on all that's happening in the studio. There’s a lot going on.
In this first color sketch of the project, I'll be replacing the glaze on the right of the tree and the iris leaf color with more vibrant ones.
First is a kitchen backsplash. The kitchen design will feature a 20" X 20" mural behind the sink depicting Raleigh in the Spring, with dogwoods, iris, violets, and narcissi. A smaller mural, 6" x 18", of violets will go above the stove. Incorporated into the violet piece will be a ladybug and a bee, representing and hopefully delighting the owner's granddaughters. The homeowners discovered me a while ago at the Boylan Heights ArtWalk, a neighborhood art event that's been happening for over 25 years. ArtWalk promotes Raleigh artists and the shop local philosophy.
The customer made this mock up for the placement of the tile on the fireplace.
The second is a fireplace insert, a fun and exciting project that's off my beaten path but not out of my comfort zone.
The art tiles are for a 1920's Arts and Crafts home in Asheville, NC. The owners had vacationed at the landmark Hotel Majestic in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Built-in 1925, the hotel has several beautiful stain glass pieces; one, in particular, captures the feeling and energy of their trip and relationship.
This stained glass masterpiece greets you as you enter the Skybar Restaurant in the Hotel Majestic, overlooking the Saigon River.
They want to feel that energy in their home and commissioned me to create a version of the piece in tile. The fireplace is this room's focal point, and with this colorful mural, will make it shine. Not only will the tile work transport them back to a particular time together, but a celebratory reminder to live in the moment. I love to bring significance into every day with my work.
The imagery wasn't a perfect proportional fit for the fireplace. To create what the customer wanted, I made some adjustments to the composition. I moved the figure on the far left over to fill the space and moved the figure in the foreground higher to include the bright orange bow, trying not to break the vibration of the original piece.
The first color sketch of the project.
The commissions are due at the end of the month, and I can't wait to share them with you.
Don't forget there's a 15% off sale on the website through Mother's Day. Use the code MOM2021 at checkout.
Also under way are more lamp bases, new color combinations, more plates and I’m alway exploring new glaze colors.
Twenty inch tall lamp bases headed to the Thompson-Lynch Company for assembly and display.
When these bird plates came out of the kiln, I couldn't stop marveling at how fresh and Springish the colors felt. The honey-colored flowers are a new color that needs a coat of white underneath. You can see the white undercoat on the vases in the image on the right before the glaze is applied.
I’m so excited about this beautiful new red I’ve found, I’m already looking forward to Christmas.