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Hot Foot to Etsy!

Be so kind to visit Etsy if you wish to buy our tileart online.

• Due to the fact that PayPal is not available for use by South African businesses we have opted for Setcom as a secure payment vehicle.
• On receiving your order we will forward a unique URL to you, directing you to a page where you will find the payment button. By clicking the Buy Now Button you will need to “log in” at the encrypted and secure Setcom portal where you will find your order details.
• As soon as we receive confirmation of your payment via VISA or MasterCard the order will be processed and dispatched.

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Pat Reid commissioned this panel for her beach house. With the first attempt we used terracotta  with pressed seagulls as a one piece tile. This tile was left drying over a period of 8 weeks but cracked after the bisque fire.

With the second attempt we used 4 porcelain tiles, opting to carve the designs into the clay instead of pressing it as in the terracotta example.

I shall add a photo of the final installation to show why Pat is so proud of her house name.

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Christine Suzman, an accomplished ceramic sculptor, walked into our studio over the festive season asking for assistance to fire her Nguni cattle. Christine is gentle and have an aura of dreaminess around her and this very introspective mood can clearly be felt in her tender sculptures.

These cattle embodies our africanness in such a proud majestic way, I see endurance even a look of forgiveness, the cattle seem to be calm, gentle and at peace with their character. Do you relate to this icon?

For any inquiries be so kind to contact us and we shall forward her contact information in London.

I plan to add information of other ceramic artists to our website soon. We prefer to profile artists where their sole income is derived from their passion for ceramics, but also and very importantly that they manage their career for profit. The reason being that Southern Art wish to create a platform where art patrons can view work created by professionals being viable in a business environment . We hope to empower individuals to pay fair prices for work and as such create a viable environment for talented youth to create a future as ceramic artists.

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The Eskom issue was a relevant wakeup call for most businesses and individuals. I believe that an acute awareness regarding the abuse of resources will take hold. Up to date we could manage the power crises and it actually  made us  more resourceful in finding adequate solutions.

[Environmental consciousness]

I think that we will see an acceleration towards a more “green” and healthier environment in the construction industry. The application of our handmade tiles in the home, hospitality or commercial projects will recreate and enhance the feeling of well being that only handmade tiles can achieve.Environmental consciousness will drive producers and ceramic designers to conserve not just energy but materials and water resources.

At Southern Art Ceramics:

RE: ENERGY

• All the kiln furniture got replaced by hollow core kiln shelves that weigh 30% less and the kiln either consume less energy when using the same quantity kiln shelves or for the same consumption the output per kiln can be increased by 30%.
• The average delivery time has been changed from 15days to 20 working days, affording us the opportunity to only fire fully packed “dry” kilns.
• If at all possible the kilns fire at full power at off peak times, saving us money and relieving stress on the power grid.
• All clay products are dried in the roof if possible or close to kilns to ensure the shortest possible kiln cycles to fire the ware. In Hermanus being close to the coast and the resultant high humidity during winter months, drying the wet clay can become problematic increasing our reliance on the flow of warm air and heating.
• At the showroom we only switch on lights for walk-in clients when they need optimum viewing qualities. We aim to open by appointment soon and this will make it even easier to control the perceived presentability of our gallery, regarding the first impression on walking into a dark studio when lights are switched of.
• Looking at our past performance it is clear that energy consumption as a percentage of turnover increases when the business experienced periods of low margins.
• Moving away from mass produced dinner ware and a stock carrying entity towards the production of commissioned and customized briefs was in itself beneficial to the most productive use of energy resources.

RE: WATER

• The contaminated water is recycled in a drum. In the mornings the clear water is siphoned of and the “new dirty” water returned during the day.
• Training staff making them conscious of how easily one can change routines and habits is an ongoing exercise.

RE: MATERIALS

• I have done experiments with the slurry that is left after recycling water for several months and have been successful in creating viable tile products from this clay slurry contaminated by several coloring pigments, plaster of paris, dust, dirt, soaps, etc.

The net effect will be reflected by progressive development of new design elements and the next few years will see us develop tile concepts using the discarded and natural debris found around us. Leather and bamboo tiles are growing in popularity.

Think twice and consume wisely, it is easy, and the gratification huge! The earth is our mother, our provider and safe keeper. We must stay humble as we cannot replace her!

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18 years ago Gillian Greer designed this modern set, a real classic that has not dated at all. The clients who were so fortunate to acquire these sets are still as passionate using it today as the first day they saw it. We used to carry stock in these ranges but presently we only focus on commissioned and/or customized orders.

Gillian received this multi coloured commission the other day. The client envied a family member’s set for years and her husband went through the motions spoiling her with a set of her own. Feeling nostalgic about all these old ranges I felt a post would revive some memories while viewing some of these images.

The design is exuberant, boiling over with life’s positive energies. It demands to be used and shared with happy get-togethers. If you own any of our sets, be so kind to send us some images of you and the family or friends, engaged in lively discussion around our plates or mugs!

These patterns were customized in many ways, patterns were painted with a range of blues, others with browns but a combination of colours were the most glamorous.

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My preferred creative process is to react fearlessly, acting with quick succession to impulses, before any conscious decision-making can contaminate the object in the making. I experience conceptual processes as flawed, and prefer to be shocked by the new object myself. I will view my own creations as unfamiliar, with a love hate relationship, myself inquisitive, for not knowing the reason for creating it.

I am exhilarated when working against accepted wisdom. I invent and create as I go along and the surprise of what is happening in front of me quickly vanishes, as I assimilate the opportunities this new visual surface affords me.

The goal is to have a product coexisting in a client’s house, taking on a life of its own, shadowing conversation, creating dialogue, mirroring the personalities discussing it, and in so doing making your treasured environment warm and inviting. Your home should make you happy and your choices regarding original handmade objects will reflect the truthfulness and fragility of your lifestyle and individuality.

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 Yes, the future demands that new dynamic energies take hold of the creative process:

What do we want to achieve and how?

It is not about what object we want to create, but more importantly what it will make happen. What will the effect of this new relationship with these new creative “tiles” be? Will it stimulate and articulate a personal message when installed as a temporary or permanent artwork? Will this be an expression of your ” personal roadmap”, a journey filled with destinations, discoveries, change, happiness, sorrow…  Will your choice of art relate to all the demands and opportunities contemporary culture offers us?

We aim to reach a self-confident, flexible and dynamic freethinking individual who does not answer to trend slavery.

The tiles we are dedicated to producing, are not to be consumed just to be another clone of consumerism, and are not produced to satisfy the consumers with sheep syndrome personalities or professional teams trapped by fast turn around agendas. Their ambition to beautify and simplify your surroundings and to “improve” everyday life comes to nothing when there is no link between the inhabitant’s sacrosanct need to feel connected with the creation, not by machine but by fragile human craftmanship. Mass consumarism of décor products only leaves you with temporary satisfaction, nothing that will linger on in your childs or families memories, presenting your family with empty promises, a culture in demise, with no hope of surviving.

I am dedicated to providing a platform, that will reflect fair trade, a position of strenght for the artist operating as a dynamic art and design enterprise in a ruthless western economy. Profit, is the nett goal and this will afford him or her the finances for R&D, marketing, bussiness management, … old age and most importantly to have time to feed the creative beast. With time at hand the artist will produce unique and collectable pieces with the desired result where demand will outstrip supply!

Cheap mass produced products and amateurs eroding the economic viability of ceramics have no place in this equation.

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Excitement in the making

The past years we as a team endeavoured to create with endless passion, a new ceramic tile revolution, urging forward to create tile art that is provocative, exuberant and stimulating, defying categorization.

These new original products take on a life of it’s own, it will surprise and then fascinate, it will shadow your emotions, the seasons, and most importantly it will becomes a point of conversation.

The urge to buy, use and give handmade tiles, or anything handmade for that matter, is a spiritual necessity, an anchor within our present day culture to all things personal, a desperate need to reconnect and acknowledging the labour and skill of the individual.

To Share all these excitement with our existing and new clients, needed a new online infrastructure, and this need, gave birth to a new blog, newsletter campaign and website. Having laid these new babies to bed, we will use these new communication vehicles to share the growth, excitement and beauty of handmade ceramic tiles and art.

The newsletter will be informative and the blog will afford you some insight into our thought processes and methodologies. At the blog we shall value your comments and contribution. The website will eventually host several data basisses, all being dedicated to ceramic art and the sale thereof. 

We invite you to register on the website. As a member you will be the first to know when we publish new creative work and of any special promotions.

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