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Stunning new kitchen tiles with a contemporary edge can now be commissioned to match your dream kitchen. A country style kitchen will never be the same with these tiles delicately hand painted with nostalgic farm animals.

For a more extroverted kitchen add a splash of colour and surprise your guests!

I can think of many images that could work with this style… different pots, veggies, utensils, figures….

Do you have any suggestions?

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Hele was commissioned to hand paint this sheep, as a gift to a prominent wool farmer.

Is it not amazing how she could replicate the waxiness of the wool? The eyes glitter with life and it might just step from the frame of the arttile!

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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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My favorite time creating these arttiles with faces seems to be during periods of stress, at times when I need to break the pressure of deadlines!

These were done very late at night and it surprise me that these faces seems to be fresh and wide awake!

But not this one… this face is close to visiting dreamland with the face below waking up with sunrise!

These faces grow and develop their own identity with time and the identities will change from one viewer to the next… it is an ongoing and dynamic process.

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This dynamic tile is one of the tiles mentioned in the “Skydiver” post that I was struggling with and had to be reworked.

I find the suggestive lines of the body and the embracing wings of the cloth enthralling.

The more I look at it the more questions come into being, she seems to be strong and adamant ready and prepared for this future deed. The black clay and shape of the object looks like a hand with fingers… is it pushing her or pulling her back into the darkness? She is running and seems confident that the escape is near!

How do you relate to this piece?

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On view here is some of the latest arttiles with intricate patterns and delicate line work.

Do you agree that these tiles will add character to the floor in front of a fireplace?

Six of these tiles will be a striking panel behind a stove. In the near future I shall load the catalogue with some of these tiles with yellows, greens and other bright colours!

The design implementation and transfer of the design to the tile can take up to 4 hours with masking techniques taking several more. On average Hele will paint two tiles every three days!

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This awesome chunky tile was hand painted by Hele Oosthuizen.

And here is another hand painted 325 x 325mm tile with a sailing boat beautifully  enhanced with  patterns to compliment the water.

These Arttiles can be used in the floor or outside at the pool, or on a deck overlooking the sea, or … do you have any suggestions?

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This client commissioned this special tile to be installed above his fireplace. He bought similar tiles for installation as inserts in between quarry tiles. We hope to feature this floor in the near future!

His first request was for a Cross but changed to using the Doves as his final choice.

These tiles will crack! Using words were quite a risk and unfortunately this is a risk the client must bear… but then again the cracks within this clay body create a character that can not be obtained with a pure commercial clay body.

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The Kwasa Kwasa story changed name and will be known as Tsepe Tsepe Designs from now on. Sim and Goodman opened their bank account and will trade as Tsepe Tsepe Design. As soon as they have a more comprehensive body of work together we shall commence with the marketing and branding off their talents!

Here is some exciting examples … and WOW!

Take note of the “landscape we call home”, the city, the townships, the rural areas….!

Hermanus during holiday periods, the road…? a road leading to the Eastern Cape… a place that a young person will only visit during funeral festivals?

The orange splashes represent the sun, a time of day all of us would like to take a break to entertain ourselves with an ice cream. The umbrellas must b, I think, be for the purpose of protecting oneself from the sun!

This last platter, with a very unusual composition is extremely accomplished regarding the layout and pictorial representation of our land SOUTH AFRICA!

Come on, what do you think, do these platters speak to you?

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At a lecture last week by an art curator of a very prominent art collection it was mentioned that skill without imagination creates craft objects like pottery and woven baskets but that imagination without skill results in modern art! What do you think?

Birdwatcher was sold last week, but to replace it I made Skydiver!

It took me a long time to complete, she look so simple, but my impulsive behavior when applying color and working with awkward ceramic pencils resulted in five other pieces that have to be reworked.

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