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Meet the Maker

 Looking back over my life I see, at first glance, a lot of random disconnected and misdirected events and decisions. But on further consideration I now see a pattern or thread which has brought me to who I am and what I do today. . .


 Even as a child I loved making things and solving problems.  My father taught me basic carpentry, metalworking, and how to fix just about anything. In school I loved taking shop classes and even took them during the summer vacation.

 In college I majored in English and later on Sociology.  I started out in the 60’s, took some detours, and eventually earned my degree in the 1990’s. Over the years I have worked at many occupations.

One of the earliest positions was at the botanical/display gardens of the Doris Duke Foundation in Somerville, NJ.  People came from all over the world to visit these beautiful greenhouse gardens and I felt privileged to work there.  Being around so much beauty has had a profound and lasting effect on me.

Over the years I’ve mostly worked in construction and home building.  In 1980 I started my own home remodeling business.  The projects were varied and challenging and I have become quite skilled in a number of areas.  I love woodworking, especially in the Craftsman style. Tile work was another favorite.  Not quite as glamorous, but certainly important, are the skills I’ve learned working with concrete.  Certainly not Art – but it became the basis of today’s Craft.

In 2011 I took tile-making classes at the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works in nearby Doylestown, PA.   I was already using their tile in my planters and wanted to learn how they were made.  I had been bitten by the tile bug and studied everything I could find on the craft.  A few years later I moved to North Carolina and took more ceramic classes.  Shortly afterwards I bought my own kiln and my creativity reached a whole new level.

All of this brings us to the present.  I create my tiles and concrete planters in my home workshop here in Salisbury NC.  It's a beautiful town in the Piedmont area and home to many artists and craftspeople.  Finally I have a shop that is large and comfortable.  My ipod is hooked up to a good amplifier and large speakers.  Time disappears as I work. “Life is good.”

Edward G Tezlaf


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Avalon Rose Craftworks
420 Gates Street
Salisbury, NC 28144-2606
Edward Tezlaf
edtezlaf@gmail.com
704-431-0344
Eastern Time Zone
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