FlyingCreatureTiles

I love having my home studio in southwest Michigan, very close to Lake Michigan and not far from Chicago. This great lake has always been a special place of solace and restoration for me as I’m a serious swimmer and somehow the lake just feeds my soul. I've been a professional fine artist for 30+ years and exhibit in galleries, museums, and colleges throughout the US. Although I grew up in Michigan, I've lived in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Indiana. After 27 years away from Lake Michigan, its beauty and power drew me back to the quaint beach town that I can't imagine ever leaving.

Here's some info about my latest series, "Fight or Flight", from which all of the tile images are taken: Fight or Flight...it’s a choice we will make thousands of times in the course of our lives. We will either painfully fight against our struggles or let ourselves ascend into a deep peace within our souls, a place from which we can heal ourselves from the inside out. Each painting has motion that takes you up and out through the top of the work, away from your life struggles. Upward flying creatures that are thought to carry human souls to heaven in many cultures or have another positive connotation, also take you up, out, and back into your inner soul.

I love using bright and muted colors and discovering the many textures and colors that emerge when layer after layer of paint is applied. My hope is that you, as the viewer of my work, can find the way to escape from your life struggles and return to a peaceful place in your inner soul.

To begin making a tile, I first digitally crop out a small detail portion of a large acrylic painting. Original paintings sell for between $670 and $10,000, so tiles are a way for me to provide you with a much less expensive way to acquire my work. Next, I have the image printed in reverse with a special kind of ink. This print is taped to a tile treated with a special coating that accepts and absorbs the ink. I place the tile on my heat press and the press is clamped down under heavy pressure. The press applies heat that transfers the image to the tile. Then, I hand-twist decorative copper hangers and adhere them to the back of the tile with epoxy. If you'd like to use the tile as a back splash or other grouted situation, please let me know and this step can be omitted. Finally, I hand sign and number each tile, also adding the title on the back.

Thank you so much for checking out my shop and please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions. I look forward to helping you escape from this crazy world and find your own inner place of healing. Be free!