They’re here! They’re finally here!!

Actually, they’ve been here for awhile but I’m finally getting around to posting some photos of this year’s new tiles. Every spring I try to create 3 or 4 new designs. This year was a little different than previous years because I received a couple of requests: one for a cicada and another for a lizard. I was delighted to take on these challenges and I’m very happy with the way they turned out. The Cicada is a nice addition to the hexagon insect series and the Lizard, combined with a Hibiscus flower turned out to be very flexible. It works well as an individual accent tile, a group arranged in a column or row, or as a pair of opposing accent tiles.

In addition, I’ve been wanting to make a sheep for awhile because I think it lends itself beautifully to repetition. The Grumpy Bird tile is a companion piece to last year’s Hungry Bird (formerly known as Baby Bird). I think too many Hungry Birds can be overwhelming so a more stoic counterpart was needed. While all the new designs are tessellations, I’ve been more interested in simple geometries lately. They’re a little less fussy than the more complicated tiles like the Sharks and Sea Lions but, who knows, the pendulum may swing back next year.

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything so it’s definitely time for an update.

Since I last posted, I’ve been spending most of my time making monkey tiles for my client, Susan Yeley Homes in Bloomington, Indiana. I was surprised, and delighted, to hear that the tiles will adorn the walls of what is certain to be the coolest laundry room ever imagined. Making 720 tiles involves an entirely different set of skills than the panels I typically make but it’s been a really fun challenge. One thing’s for sure, I’ve had to get a lot better at multi-tasking in order to meet my deadline. The tiles should be finished in a week or two and I’ll post more photos when the job is complete.

This year’s started off a little challenging. A few weeks ago, my kiln broke down during a firing. This was pretty stressful since the only kiln repair shop within a couple hundred miles, Seattle Pottery Supply, isn’t doing house calls due to the pandemic. If you need your kiln fixed, you have to bring it to them.  Fortunately, a really smart guy who works there was able to diagnose the problem without even looking at the kiln. With James’ help I was able to buy the parts and repair it.

With my newly repaired kiln, I’ve been able to glaze most of the tiles for my flag reclamation project. Just a few more perimeter trim tiles, and it will be ready to assemble. This month I’ve also begun to experiment with small versions of my tessellating tiles, handmade beads, and some new stamps. I’ll be posting some photos of these projects in the weeks ahead.

I’m very excited to be participating in this year’s CVG 2021 Juried Show. Each year Collective Visions Gallery in Bremerton, WA invites artists throughout the state to submit work in three categories: Photography/Digital, Two-Dimensional, and Three-Dimensional art. Black and White Llamas was selected for the Two-Dimensional category.

If you have some time, I encourage you to check out this virtual exhibit. There are so many beautiful pieces in a wide range of styles and mediums. https://www.cvgshow.com/gallery

There wasn’t much to celebrate this past year. No live music or theater. No art shows, museums, or galleries. For the most part it’s been a pretty solitary year. I was able to get in a pottery class before things shut down in early March but aside from that I’ve just continued with tile making and I’ve started to design fabrics. Making things has been somewhat inconsistent because I’ve been largely distracted with politics throughout the year. My final piece of 2020 is a large tile panel of the American flag. One of the most upsetting things to see this past year was how this symbol of freedom and democracy has been co-opted by a political party that has done nothing but undermine these values. With new leadership in Washington, I’m optimistic that things will get better in 2021. Happy New Year.

So I took the advice of my husband and finally started listing ready-to-ship tiles on my Etsy site. I have to admit, he was right – they’re drawing a lot of interest. If you’re looking for a lovely little handmade gift for a friend or family member, be sure to check them out.

www. Etsy/shop/goodpressceramics

I don’t know if it’s just me, or all tile makers, but I love the relationship between hexagons and right triangles. The geometries are simple but so versatile. In this series of tiles, the softness of the insects is a nice contrast to the rigid geometry of these two shapes.

I started this blog over seven years ago and, in recent years, have tried to post something at least once a month.
It’s been really nice having this journal to look back on. A few of my old projects are a little underwhelming to me now [for example, some of my early tessellation tiles, furniture pieces, and jewelry ideas] but many still give me a real sense of accomplishment. It’s also great to look back at things with a fresh eye and think about how I would do them differently a second time. This blog has been a very useful tool and I hope to continue posting regularly.
In addition to this blog, I plan to start posting images on Instagram. I’ve hesitated to take on this task because I’d rather spend my time doing things other than looking at my phone. However, I do find myself using this app more often these days as I look for inspiration in ceramics, tessellations, and nature photography. I think I’ll be posting mostly process photos to start as these are some of my favorite posts from other people. This app also allows me to post short videos which might be a fun thing to try. I hope you’ll consider following me. 🙂