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
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
