Come visit my studio and see how I make my tiles and planters. And you can see in real-life how these items look ...... the images in this website don't really convey their true beauty. Stop by just to talk. If you want to buy something, that's fine.
I'm usually around but it's a very good idea to call and be sure. 704-431-0344
I'm usually around but it's a very good idea to call and be sure. 704-431-0344
My tiles and planters are created by hand in the Arts & Crafts Tradition and no two are exactly alike. I learned my tile making techniques at The Moravian Pottery and Tileworks in Doylestown Pennsylvania.
How I do it: I carve my designs into a plaster block which is then pressed into rolled-out clay. I immediately take that first tile ... place it on a smooth surface.... surround it with 2 inch high walls (cottles)......and pour potters plaster into the enclosure. Once it hardens I remove the original tile, which gets destroyed in the process, and now I have my production mold. It's also called a cavity mold or an open-faced mold. It takes about a week until the plaster has cured and the mold is usable.
Once ready I press moist clay into the opening. I pound it with a mallet and cut away the excess clay with a wire tool. After about an hour enough moisture has been absorbed by the plaster and the tile is ready to be removed. Then begins a week of careful, controlled drying out.
I then load up my kiln with these bone dry tiles and fire it to over 2000 degrees (cone 05). This is called the bisque firing and takes about 8 hours. The kiln cannot be opened for another 12 hours and even then the tiles are too hot to handle.
I then hand paint glaze onto each tile...3 coats. On most of the tiles I then I scrub the colored glaze off the high relief surfaces to reveal the cream or brownish color beneath. Once dry I apply 2 coats of clear glaze. I am now ready for the glaze firing. Loading the tiles on the shelves is very critical: no tiles can touch each other. This firing is even hotter: to cone 5, and takes even longer to achieve and cool down.
Everything is very low-tech. Even my kiln. I use a 1970's Gare kiln with manual switches. It's all very relaxing.
The concrete planter production is also very low-tech. I use my self designed bolt-together molds and a wheel barrow to mix my concrete.
How I do it: I carve my designs into a plaster block which is then pressed into rolled-out clay. I immediately take that first tile ... place it on a smooth surface.... surround it with 2 inch high walls (cottles)......and pour potters plaster into the enclosure. Once it hardens I remove the original tile, which gets destroyed in the process, and now I have my production mold. It's also called a cavity mold or an open-faced mold. It takes about a week until the plaster has cured and the mold is usable.
Once ready I press moist clay into the opening. I pound it with a mallet and cut away the excess clay with a wire tool. After about an hour enough moisture has been absorbed by the plaster and the tile is ready to be removed. Then begins a week of careful, controlled drying out.
I then load up my kiln with these bone dry tiles and fire it to over 2000 degrees (cone 05). This is called the bisque firing and takes about 8 hours. The kiln cannot be opened for another 12 hours and even then the tiles are too hot to handle.
I then hand paint glaze onto each tile...3 coats. On most of the tiles I then I scrub the colored glaze off the high relief surfaces to reveal the cream or brownish color beneath. Once dry I apply 2 coats of clear glaze. I am now ready for the glaze firing. Loading the tiles on the shelves is very critical: no tiles can touch each other. This firing is even hotter: to cone 5, and takes even longer to achieve and cool down.
Everything is very low-tech. Even my kiln. I use a 1970's Gare kiln with manual switches. It's all very relaxing.
The concrete planter production is also very low-tech. I use my self designed bolt-together molds and a wheel barrow to mix my concrete.
Speaking of Low-tech:
If you want to discuss or place your order over the phone or by email that's okay.
If you want to pick up your order at my studio that's okay too.
My email is edtezlaf@gmail.com My phone is 704-431-0344 calling hours 9AM to 9PM Eastern Time zone.
I am in Salisbury, NC which is about 35 miles northeast of Charlotte. Please call before your visit or pickup.
Methods of Payment. I accept cash, checks and VISA or MasterCard.
If you want to discuss or place your order over the phone or by email that's okay.
If you want to pick up your order at my studio that's okay too.
My email is edtezlaf@gmail.com My phone is 704-431-0344 calling hours 9AM to 9PM Eastern Time zone.
I am in Salisbury, NC which is about 35 miles northeast of Charlotte. Please call before your visit or pickup.
Methods of Payment. I accept cash, checks and VISA or MasterCard.
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