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William Morris once commented: “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

Wall paper is a cheap alternative for expensive art tiles, however, these tiles could be very attractive if framed and used as a tool to accentuate the different properties of these two materials.

These luxuriously rich textured tiles were delicately carved by Hele’ , partly painted, then bisque fired, reworked and the final detail hand painted.

The techniques used here are time consuming which make these tiles very expensive. But the price paid will be little compared to the constant joy it will provide for centuries to come.

These initial 200 x 200mm art tiles will be the R&D period and in time we hope to achieve some larger scale work.

Our studio is intend on producing tiles of this quality, but as commodities and collectibles and not as a cheap decor alternative. These art tiles have soul and will endear most individuals who treasure well crafted, one of a kind products.

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This is one of those moments, when certain actions fall impulsively into place.

I was in the process of creating under plates for some bowls I have made, and at the same time having some scrap white clay around. I punched and rolled the white clay into thin flat sheets. The pancakes were rolled up. Why?, It was the first idea, adhering the first roll onto the plate sparked the action to paste another roll. Two round objects, it does not matter where you notice it, it will always be interpreted as eyes! Cutting a mouth formulated the face and for the moment I was happy!

The red glaze is a symbol for passion, and the drama it creates when in contrast with black is intensely powerful.

The white eyes seems to be binoculars, searching the horizon for the unknown. The white face is the glaze before firing. I used the lines around the mouth to accentuate a possible message. The lines have vanished with the melting of the glaze, making the eyes more prominent in the red tile.

I like all three tiles, for different reasons. I enjoyed creating these at each stage, the dynamics happen so fast in succession, that the face actually create itself from what ever impulse surrounding “us” at that time.

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At MyTile we are steadily experimenting with the use of new shapes, testing the market to see what and how they may assimilate this shock of the new in forms and shapes.

At first we test organic shaped tiles, then I did trees or rather landscapes on semi organic shaped tiles. My relationship with these could evolve from rather innocent reactions to cracked tiles but most frequently it is the hunger to discover new parameters and new points of reference instinctively.

When creating the forms in this post, shape was the initial stimulant, and with the use of different tools, materials and design elements of art the artist can then develop and re-develop the form taking shape in front of him or her. These shapes develop their own personalities due to all the different responses to it, and feelings relating to shyness, aggressiveness, awkwardness or confidence can easily be related to the character of these forms.

The technical limitations working with ceramic materials, might inhibit the speed of discovering something fresh, and at times years might pass before I shall re-engage with some knowledge gained long ago.

What will be next? Do you have ideas? Do these shapes excite you?

All that is new was possibly done before, centuries past, we as artist designers just reinvent and place these objects in new environments where different relationships can be shaped.

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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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Recently I read that trend watcher Li Edelkoort has predicted that people will create their own ‘museum houses’. These most avant-garde requirements, resulted in many professional architects, interior designers and individuals designing more individualized spaces and using tiles to fully portray the character of the homes in which the client can reconnect.

Southern Art Ceramic Design has adapted their output to create unique ceramic tiles and art that can be touched, seen and felt because it has shape, colour, gloss and volume, properties that are undoubtedly inherent to ceramic as opposed to other materials that simply cannot compete.

The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. We are encouraged to be consumers, not producers, of our own culture. Our ties to the local and human sources of our goods have been eroded and possibly even lost. Buying handmade helps us reconnect and to express our identity and uniqueness. We will increasingly start living in individualized structures and among all kind of collections. Our collections of, for instance ceramic art, can make our house and ourselves stand out from the crowd. Instead of mass production, our clients want unique and hard to find objects.

The client using handmade tiles feels the satisfaction of supporting an artist or crafter directly, and receives a product, e.g. A custom tile panel behind the AGA, that is one-of-a-kind, and made with care and attention that can be seen and touched. As is the result of the absence of skill and craftsmanship in the world of large-scale manufacturing, one of a kind hand made items are a rare commodity.

Supporting small handmade design studios will make you happier in that you strike a small blow to the accumulating environmental effects of mass production, which are the major cause of global warming and the poisoning of our planet!

Visit http://www.mytile.co.za/ for some examples to get you inspired! The way in which you can assimilate myTILE into your individualized environment will be covered with all the different design elements, re. Colour, texture, matt or gloss, volume, shape, decorative design elements, etc

myTILE at Southern Art Ceramic Design is South Africa’s top ceramic tile design studio.

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It is with great sadness that we decided to give Tess, our beloved Bouvier and dear companion, wings on the 14^th of February. Tess came to us as a 5 weeks old puppy over 11 years ago. She was an immediate hit, and was loved by all, having a wonderful temperament and soft nature.

We will miss Tess terribly. She leaves a huge gap in our hearts and lives.

As an artist, Gillian captured some memories, and the pain, using the ceramic medium.

One naturally tends to leave this visual expression to a time, when one feels the need to recall.

But capturing the character of ones pets, like the drawing by Stefan, my 8 years old nephew, of our Siamese, Mei-ling, brings a smile to ones face, even though she is still tormenting us with her demanding personality!

I feel for all who have experienced the severe void left after the departure of a dear companion, but through committing ones favourite or treasured memories to the clay medium they will live forever. Remember the special, alive and kicking companions around us too, in this way.

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If you look at ways of understanding, interpreting and questioning the possible identities in these faces, you will be embarking on a journey of discovery.

I am sure that the each discovery will be unique, specific to you, and that your choice of bringing this object into your home, will not only relate something about yourself but will become a conversation piece too. You may even find you’ll discover more about your friends, their personalities and what makes them tick through discussion!

You, as the viewer, are the only one who can converse with these faces, and will be evoking personal feelings. Forming your opinions through your memories, values and cultural identities by interacting with the images, and in acknowledging the questions and answers that may arise from your experience, a journey of self- discovery is begun.

By viewing these faces in a group, relating and sharing opinions together, it will enrich the viewers understanding of familiar and different personal and cultural experiences.

All these ceramic faces were made and painted by Gerrit Oosthuizen.

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We all have a need to be surrounded by the beauty of nature, or the interpretation of it and green being reminiscent of nature helps create a calm environment.

These handmade tiles will capture the colours and shapes of nature and add to the mood of a changing day. The vivid to rich velvety greens form the backdrop for a hearty splash of colour harmonizing your daily life offering a comforting embrace.

Helé Oosthuizen, our specialist artist, paints these immaculately realistic fynbos and protea studies. Some of these studies, partly through the structure and colour, are bold and intense, some even extrovert and flamboyant, but always executed with sensitivity and loving skill.

Like bees we are drawn to flowers and are often tempted to touch and cradle these most colourful creations. The tactile qualities Helé uses with some of her techniques, like in the Pincushion studies, will demand the same, to come up close, touch and feel these handmade tiles.

Many clients come back to compliment us, informing us that their quests will ignore the rest of the paintings, but swoon over these ceramic art pieces.    Some friends of our clients came back to visit the studio acquiring their very own artworks.

Our natural heritage must be captured, and the tile designs inspired by nature will always have a historical relevance as the wild disappear all around us at an astonishing pace.

Back to nature is a strong trend and the theme with fauna and flora a popular theme for artists and designers. These examples by Helé are realistic nature scenes but other examples are abstracted and or stylised and will be covered in other posts.

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