–thanks for a great party
Tracy and I had a lovely time at our Belle’s Nest Reception on September 17 in Sierra Madre. We saw lots of old friends and made several new acquaintances as well. It’s nice to know that so many interesting people can be brought together, all in the name of tile.
Thanks so much to Gloria and Elena at the “Nest” for hosting the event. It was a pleasure to share the evening with Lori Koop and Cynthia Gonzales–both lovely women with beautiful work that is unique to them. Tracy and I know Cynthia through the Monrovia studio where we fire cone 10. I have known Lori for many years and I love that our lives have continued to intersect over the years. Lori’s kiln is where we fire our cone 6 wares.
As a reference, I might add that cone 6 can be about 2165 – 2269 degrees and gives us our bright glaze colors–reds, yellows and oranges with a bit more opacity. And cone 10 is more like 2284 – 2381 degrees and allows us our earthy, translucent colors. Both temperature ranges offer us something different and beautiful.
We are currently working towards a show in early December at Wheelhouse Ceramics in Monrovia, California. Please stay tuned for more tile and information soon.
p.s. Tracy and I are very thankful for the support of our friends and family.
–a fresh crop of “littles” has sprouted
We like to call these diminutive tile “the littles”.
They may be small but they carry a big voice with their vibrant glazes.
They are all ‘of the hanging variety’ secured by an oxidized steel wire. They range in size from a 1-inch square to a 2 x 4″ rectangle.
–a new flock seeks shelter at Belle’s Nest
A new flock of birds has arrived to nest in our local foothills.
I tried some new color combinations for this grouping–a few Miami Vice colors and some autumn mixtures with a little of this & a little of that.
Little song birds–all tiles are about 3-1/4 inch square and hang from an oxidized wire.
–Tile party. You’re invited!
We are so pleased to say that a delightfully whimsical shop in Sierra Madre has given us the opportunity to present our new tile designs with an Artist’s Reception this Friday night.
Belle’s Nest
55 North Baldwin Ave, Sierra Made, CA
Artist’s Reception
Friday, September 17th, 6:00pm – 8:30pm.
We are fortunate to be sharing the stage with 2 other local ceramicists, Lori Koop and Cynthia Gonzales–both wonderful potters and darn nice women too. Pop-in to say hello.
–our birthdays and Christmas all at the same time
We opened the kiln on Monday, Sep 13 with our 2nd (ever) glaze firing completed! For Tracy and Soozee, the anticipation of seeing how the tiles came out is almost too much. When the kiln is firing during the wee hours of the night, we feel like little kids on Christmas morning, waiting to see what Santa has delivered.
By the time the glaze is finished being applied, so much patience, time and nurturing is invested in each individual piece. Hence, the best and worst part of high-fired ceramics is…opening the kiln–the results are always full of surprises.
Below are photos of this recent firing, shelf by shelf.
new tiles loaded in the kiln
We believe we have established a new tradition at Ramona Paloma Tile Studios…each time we load an entire kiln with our glazed bisqueware, we shall celebrate and set our next goal with a pint at Lucky Baldwin’s in Sierra Madre. Not a bad practice, I might say.
It is so satisfying to place those precious pieces into the kiln. We almost feel maternal towards them–as if we have nurtured their growth and now they are heading off to college where they put their final gloss on themselves before they step out into the world.
If all goes according to plan, we will be firing this weekend, then opening the kiln by Monday or Tuesday. Look for another blog entry of photos when that happens!
Hot coffee anyone?
So Soozee, why did you make a coffee cup tile?
Well, thanks for asking. A nearby shop and gallery, “Zinnia”, in South Pasadena often puts out a “Call for Artists” where they curate a themed show. Several months back, their show was “for the kitchen” which inspired me to design several images along those lines.
When I look at my coffee cup tile, I feel rather cozy inside…something about the plumes of steam rising does lend the effect of homey comfort. Who doesn’t like a nice “cuppa” in the morning? (whatever your cuppa is filla with…)
Trees from Soozee
I love trees! Who doesn’t love trees? But how to make trees that feel tree-like without looking like the trees of the Arts and Crafts movement-trees. And also, there is a woman who fires at our studio who is famous for her beautiful trees and I did not want to step on her tree-territory. I think I may have said “trees” a few too many times in those last sentences. So, I present to you some soozee trees placed in a background that has been stylized a wee bit. By the way, no real tree was hurt in this process.
Each tile is approximately 4-3/4″ square, about 3/8″ thick and has a hanging notch in the back.
Do you see what I see?
You know those ink blot tests they give people to see if they’re “normal” (whatever that is)? Well I decided to make another tile out of my rabbit doodle and in my own mind thought that it was obvious what I was depicting. A royal rabbit complete with carrot crown and carrot banner with the BIG letter R on it. It just goes to show you that things aren’t always what they seem and that the same ink blot can look like ten different things to ten different people. I love the fact that something I made can have the same affect. And hopefully it’s not because I didn’t draw a very good rabbit.
Stay tuned for even more obscure rabbit renditions from Tracy!
Each tile is approximately 4″x6″ with a notch in back for hanging. For a miniscule fee, felt or cork can be applied to the back to make it “table safe”
Tracy, what the heck is that?
Sometimes the harder I try do draw something the less it looks like the thing I’m trying to draw. That actually happens a lot, so I often find myself mindlessly doodling in my sketch book where out of nowhere something will appear…like these rabbits. I didn’t mean to draw a rabbit but there he was, you couldn’t miss it…it was definitely a rabbit. What the heck do I do with a rabbit? Well, rabbits are pretty low on the food chain so they must be clever in their disguises. So you put him in a field of grass and put a grass hat on his head. This seemed obvious at the time. It was for his own safety, like you would wear your seat belt. That is why the rabbit is wearing grass on his head. Simple yet complex.
Each tile is approximately 4″x4″, in a variety of colors (not all grass is green you know) and available with copper wire (sorry, no picture of that) or a notch in back for hanging.
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