ABOUT SWEETBRIAR STUDIO:
Sweetbriar Studio is located on beautiful Whidbey Island. The owner/artist, Roxallanne Medley, began designing and making ceramic tiles in 2008, when she decided to create all the tile work for her new home, "Sweetbriar". After completing hundreds of tiles for the house, she continues to design and make tiles for sale to the public. Her unique 3-D tiles are carved, using both the additive and subtractive process. Her passion for watercolor painting has been adapted to applying the technique to 2-D hand-cut tile.
INSPIRATION FOR TILES:
Roxallanne is inspired by the flora and fauna of the Northwest and the cultural, historical and physical lands landscapes of Central Whidbey Island. Her designs, painted and carved, feature a variety of birds, which inhabit Whidbey Island: Great Blue Herons, ravens, owls, woodland birds, raptors and shorebirds. She paints and carves the trees and plants native to the island: fir, cedar, madrona, snowberry, alder, fern, huckleberry and many more. In addition, she has a love of boats and the architecture of her hometown, Coupeville. Frequently, the subjects of her tiles include ferries, sail and fishing boats, historic homes and buildings.
Sweetbriar Studio is located on beautiful Whidbey Island. The owner/artist, Roxallanne Medley, began designing and making ceramic tiles in 2008, when she decided to create all the tile work for her new home, "Sweetbriar". After completing hundreds of tiles for the house, she continues to design and make tiles for sale to the public. Her unique 3-D tiles are carved, using both the additive and subtractive process. Her passion for watercolor painting has been adapted to applying the technique to 2-D hand-cut tile.
INSPIRATION FOR TILES:
Roxallanne is inspired by the flora and fauna of the Northwest and the cultural, historical and physical lands landscapes of Central Whidbey Island. Her designs, painted and carved, feature a variety of birds, which inhabit Whidbey Island: Great Blue Herons, ravens, owls, woodland birds, raptors and shorebirds. She paints and carves the trees and plants native to the island: fir, cedar, madrona, snowberry, alder, fern, huckleberry and many more. In addition, she has a love of boats and the architecture of her hometown, Coupeville. Frequently, the subjects of her tiles include ferries, sail and fishing boats, historic homes and buildings.
After designing the piece, I cut off a large chunk of clay and run it through the slab roller, which is nothing more that a pair of rollers that the clay is squeezed between-like the wringer on an old-fashioned washing machine. My tiles are 1/2" thick, which helps to prevent warping while drying. Once the slab is rolled out, I cut each tile to the desired size and place it on drywall boards to dry overnight. I place a layer of newspaper on top of the clay tiles and add 4 additional boards on top to weight down the tiles and minimize warping.
Now the fun begins. When the clay is "leather hard", I begin carving the tiles, using two different techniques: additive and subtractive. The additive process is exactly what it sounds like. I add clay to the design on the tile, building it up in places and giving it height. The subtractive technique is easy to describe: remove (subtract) clay from the design, carving deep into the tile while being careful not to carve too deeply. After all, the tile is only a 1/2" thick. Once the tiles are carved, I place them on the drywall board, cover them with newspaper, and add a board to the top to help prevent warping.
Once tiles have been bisque fired, glazed and fired again, it is time to apply adhesive to the backs and when that is set the fun begins...grouting the tiles! This is actually the hardest part of the entire process. The spacing between tiles varies and the grout dries quickly. I apply blue tape to protect the tiles from grout outside of the grooves. It's tricky to know when to peel off the tape...too early and the grout is too soft and there are gaps left that have to be refilled. Too late and the grout that has seeped under the tape is almost impossible to remove.
The entire process from design conception to finished sculptural wall art averages three weeks. After the tiles are
mounted on the backing board and grout applied, a wire for hanging is added to the back of the finished piece. Smaller pieces can be displayed on a table or shelf.
mounted on the backing board and grout applied, a wire for hanging is added to the back of the finished piece. Smaller pieces can be displayed on a table or shelf.
This is a good example of the use of both additive and subtractive techniques used to carve tiles. The sculptural ceramic wall art measures 12"x12". It was made using a low-fire clay, fired to cone 04 and painted with underglazes. Three coats of clear glaze complete the piece.
This sculptural wall art is titled "Under The Salish Sea." Its overall size is about 18"x18". It was carved using a medium fire clay. The center tile is a low fire clay (04) painted with underglazes and fired to cone 04. The rest of the tiles are made using a medium fire clay, and glazed with glazes fired to cone 6. The two types of clay and glazes cannot be put in the kiln together. They must be fired separately.
"A Life Without Dreams" measures 17"x17" and is shown here displayed on a table stand. It has wire on back for hanging, if desired.
"Great Blue Herons-Nesting, Feeding, Flying"
Size: 12"x12"
Sculptural wall art featuring additive and subtractive techniques to create
3-D relief tiles
Size: 12"x12"
Sculptural wall art featuring additive and subtractive techniques to create
3-D relief tiles
Birds and blooms wall art
The poppies send up their
orange flares; swaying
in the wind, their congregations
are a levitation
of bright dust, of thin
and lacy leaves.
Excerpt from "Poppies,"
by Mary Oliver
orange flares; swaying
in the wind, their congregations
are a levitation
of bright dust, of thin
and lacy leaves.
Excerpt from "Poppies,"
by Mary Oliver
Monks in the marsh wall artA blue preacher,
flew toward the swamp, in slow motion. On the leafy banks, an old Chinese poet, Hunched in the white gown of his wings, was waiting... The preacher made his difficult landing, his skirts up around his knees. They greeted each other, rumpling their gowns for an instant, and then smoothing them. They entered the water, and instantly two more herons- equally as beautiful- joined them and stood just beneath them in the black, polished water where they fished all day. Excerpt from "Some Heron," by Mary Oliver |
STEPPING INTO SPRING |
The six sculptural tiles above form a new work celebrating Spring. The title of the new piece is "Stepping Into Spring." I've carved images of a quail, hummingbird, mouse, frog, raven and duck. The next step is to allow them to dry completely before bisque firing them in the kiln. When this is done, I will apply glazes and do one last firing before putting them together and grouting them to create a new sculptural wall art piece.
more work in progress
The process of creating a sculptural ceramic wall art piece is lengthy and requires patience. It begins with an idea, a thought about what I want to portray in clay. After the design is completed, the actual work with the clay begins. From start to finish, it may take weeks or months to complete the piece. I have a number of projects in various stages of completion. Some are drying, some have been bisque fired, others have a single coat of glaze and others are ready for final firing. Below are some of the projects I am working on.
"A Rejoicing of Ravens" is a celebration of one of my favorite birds. These clever creatures are noisy, inquisitve, resourceful and funny. I have attempted to capture some of their characteristics in clay-a challenge. Ravens make me laugh. It will be several weeks before this piece is finished.
"Shorebirds of The Salish Sea" is one of my smallest pieces, measuring roughly 9"x9". It is a perfect addition for any room...bath, bedroom, living room, even the kitchen. The tiles are glazed and ready for their final firing in the kiln. I should have photos of them in completion in a week. I had fun making the crab and seastars. They are an example of the "additive" technique used in ceramic sculpture. The water and sand, created by carving away clay, are examples of the "reductive" technique.
"Shorebirds of The Salish Sea" is one of my smallest pieces, measuring roughly 9"x9". It is a perfect addition for any room...bath, bedroom, living room, even the kitchen. The tiles are glazed and ready for their final firing in the kiln. I should have photos of them in completion in a week. I had fun making the crab and seastars. They are an example of the "additive" technique used in ceramic sculpture. The water and sand, created by carving away clay, are examples of the "reductive" technique.