Very Large Kitchen Floorcloth

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.274285215944682.68053.149610111745527&type=1

This is a very large, custom  floorcloth for a kitchen. Since the shape is a bit special, I made a paper template to make sure it follows the contours of the cabinetry exactly.

 

It measures about 16 feet  long, so finding a wall to stretch the canvas on was crucial. Luckily I was able to do that!

The design is very simple, however a lot of measuring and precision was part of the process, making a solid pattern I then could go over the top of with a lot of paint and texture.

Lemons are a theme in the Mediterranean style kitchen and adjoining dining room. They make a nice addition to the expanse of painted tile design.

Big Dinnerware Project!

I have been very busy putting together this set of dishes for 12.So much planning goes into a project like this: simply selecting the dish types with the client is very important and takes tremendous concentration and some application of logic.

This particular client was very helpful and clear on what she wanted, so the process went smoothly, but it still took a lot of focus!




Another exciting aspect to this was project was the debut of a new kiln I am now using. It's really big, much bigger than my old friend the Old Kiln (sic),and it took a bit of formal wiring and engineering to get it powered correctly, and more testing from me to make sure it was all OK, before submitting this important dish project to it. Of course, getting the dishes planned and painted has also taken a certain amount of fore thought and mental organisation....I had to pay a lot of attention to keep track of what I was doing, each step, to keep the consistency in the design for each group.The cat is always particularly helpful at this time. (?)All the pieces are specifically designed to match in sets...Lots of variation between sets, but also clear repetition of the design within the set.

Each dinner plate, side plate and mug has its own particular fruit or vegetable.

The bowls are more generic, so they can work with sweet or savoury foods.

The bowls also sit prettily on the plates, for a nice table setting.

The backs of the plates reflect the vine theme on the bowls.

I think these oval "luncheon" plates are very cool.

Still yet to paint are two very large serving platters, one with fruit and one with veggies. And two large serving bowls, one with fruits, one with veggies!

Stay tuned.

Fruit Floorcloth

I have been too busy to keep this Blog updated!
Here is one of the projects I have been working on....a canvas floorcloth. Here is a picture of the paper artwork sketch, held in front of the almost completed floorcloth.




Click on the images to see them larger.


Here is the floorcloth after varnishing.

And here it is with the edges trimmed and sealed.



And on the ground!
This floorcloth will be in an entrance hall in New York City.

Tile Installation Day!

The moment of truth!

And the moment of satisfaction for everyone to finally see these tiles on the wall...even though the kitchen itself is not completed. I will try to get back to this post later, and add pictures from a later date showing the finished kitchen.

I am always very appreciative of the care and intuition that a good tile installer brings to the installation of these custom tile jobs. The tiles in a mural, particularly, are irreplaceable, and each tile has to be handled with utmost care. These guys did a great job.

Click on the images to see them bigger!

To see more of these tiles before installation, and even before firing (interesting) scroll down this blog page to December 23 2007, and January 23,2008.

Kitchen Backsplash Continued

Here is an interesting interlude. This is the final section of the back splash yet to be fired!
It will go behind the stove.
This is what under glaze painted ceramic looks like while I am painting...The colours are sort of recognizable, but they are mainly shades of grey and pastel...the ceramic painter has to always keep in mind the colours as they will be when fired! Yikes! Its a knack...I have learned to just plain remember, and I also rely on fired sample tiles I have made that show actual little blobs of the colours, and I have printed stuff from the paint manufacturers- some are more accurate than others...I try to be very accurate! Sometimes its hard not to get fooled by whats in front of your eyes...its easy to forget for a moment that the work isn't going to be all soft and pastel. Some big metaphors for the enigma of human existence there.

Then of course, the firing not only brings up the real colours, it softens and blends them, and can even move them around a little. That's almost the best part: the Chaos. The kiln is a big player here.