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Azulejos Tiles

Back in 1977, unable to find any interesting tiles I could afford for my own house, I got the idea of making the tiles I had in mind. To start off with, I knew from my travels that there were some great old classic tiles still existent out in the world just waiting to be recreated. The first ones I did (after some struggle) I call Azulejos, the Spanish word for tiles. I found the originals in a palace in Mexico City built in 1570, some of the oldest tiles in the New World. They're quite different from the Mexican tiles commonly available today. I make various border tiles which can be used to frame panels of individual tiles, grouped to form interesting patterns themselves. I also have a selection of solid colour tiles which can be arranged to create a field in which accent tiles can be featured or outlined again with border tiles. The design possibilities are virtually limitless.

Dutch Tiles

My next project was to create a series based on Old Dutch Tiles. I've done over a dozen recreations of actual antique tiles of Holland, including some nice border tiles, and I've also made up a few "Dutch" images of my own. If your preference is toward the clean, fresh northern European look of white tiles decorated with blue patterns, my Old Dutch line might appeal to you. They make a stunning kitchen splash back just mixed randomly with perhaps a few plain white or white, except for the little corner dogwood blossom details, stuck in here and there. The Old Dutch tile images are great around a fireplace, too.

Victorian Tiles

In a similar vein, I did several recreations of Victorian designs that in turn have inspired some Whimsical ideas of my own, such as the full colour Peacock series and fish tiles, with carp chasing each others tails. These can be used as accent tiles in a field of solid colour tiles or, again, as border tiles.

Terra Cotta Tiles

Another line I've designed on my own I just call the Terra Cotta series. I silk screen print a number of images directly onto plain terra cotta (quarry) tiles, resulting in a very distinctive kind of southwestern look. There's a vine/ floral border available to go with the individual images, and plain terra cotta quarry tiles provide an appropriate (and inexpensive) field with which to surround and feature them.

Face Tiles Solid Color Tiles French Nude Tiles

Finally, have a look at my Face tiles and at the ones I've done from turn-of-the-century French Postcard Tiles,100 years ago, which customers seem to like to use around hot tubs and such. In fact, I do a number of whimsical tiles which people often buy with no intention of ever laying them to practical, functional purpose. They simply lean them on window sills, kitchen stoves, toilet tank lids, wherever. Maybe they make coasters or trivets out of them. A lot of people, myself included, collect particularly interesting ones. Tiles are aesthetically pleasing, flat, shiny, rock-like little objects, often made by people in far away places. Whether imprinted with the face of an icon or the image of a seahorse, they will last just about forever -- unless dropped and broken.

Azulejos Face Tiles
Old Dutch Series Solid Color Tiles
Whimsical Series French Postcard Tiles
Terra Cotta Series *
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