How I Learned to Love Tiles

Artistic expression has been the definitive element of my life for as long as I can recall. Encouraged by my mother, also an artist, I started keeping a sketchbook at an early age, working on drawings and paintings, taking every art class I could.  But as college approached art didn’t seem like a good choice for a major.  Then one day in my second year at the University of Vermont (Groovy UV!) I happened upon a ceramics class firing a raku kiln behind the art building:  smoke and fire and students moving with purpose.  One look and I was hooked!

From that moment on I focused on art, and went on to obtain a MFA from Rutgers University.  Now, how to make a living?  Fortune shined in an out-of-the-blue job offer to work at a small tile manufacturing studio in Buck’s County, Pennsylvania (tile mecca, go visit!).  I got my hands back in clay and began learning traditional tile making techniques.  So much to learn:  elements of design, glaze chemistry, kiln firing, tile and mosaic installation.  A door had opened on a whole new world, the art of tile.

Eventually I was ready to start my own studio.  I picked the name based on my love of terra cotta clay and nature:  Eartha Handmade Tile.  My little studio in Southern Maryland is located in a funky purple building outfitted with thrift store chandeliers and a deck filled with flowers. Adventure dog Finn is a welcome companion (play please).

I am inspired by my backyard, birds, bugs and other creatures, stars in the dark night sky, small bits found in the woods, the simple beauty of everyday objects, art history and poetry . . . the list goes on and on!   My tiles and mosaics are contemplative, intimate, and revelatory, engaging a strong sense of personal relevance for those who spend time with them.   They are exhibited in shops and galleries throughout the US, and are installed in many private residences. Moving into the filed of public art projects, my mosaics and sculptures enliven communities across the East Coast.

In the spirit of the words of environmentalist Rachel Carson:  “Drink in the beauty and wonder at the meaning of everything you see.”