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Tuesday, March 1, 2016

A new kitchen in Washington DC gets a new hearth treatment



I sense a renewed  interest 


in hand painted ceramic tiles.





My tiles are hand painted with Italian powder pigments.

This is how they look before they are fired.  





I begin by painting circles on once fired bisque tiles.
The books are there to steady my arm.

I center the tiles on the Banding Wheel and place the color laden brush on the tile and let the wheel spin.
(keeping fingers crossed that the lines will meet where they began)





There is a shop in Deruta Italy, (Mondo Ceramica) where I purchase my pigments, glazes and brushes. 

There is enough to last a lifetime. 

I recently noticed that I use more yellow than any other pigment. That could be an excuse to head for Deruta on our upcoming trip to Italy in April. 

I might even stop in at the Scuola d' Arte and visit with my favorite teacher.   





Once the images have been completely painted,  2 coats of clear glaze is applied. 

They will now go into my kiln and be fired to 1823 degrees Fahrenheit.  

This is when the pigments fuse with the clear glaze and this is when the magic happens.  





 The firing cycle lasts a little over 24 hours.  
The colors will never fade, they are permanent.  

They are painted in the 600-year-old Italian Maiolica tradition. 

The only difference is that they are painted in Utah, and not in Italy.  

My tiles will last many lifetimes no matter how many times you scrub or clean them. 




 This is my favorite kind of tile to paint.  

They all tell a story. 

Spring is coming to our neck of the woods.  

Hallelujah. 

Gina




6 comments:

  1. Dear Gina,
    These tiles are so very pretty and will greatly enhance any hearth. One of these days I have to get some of them with images of the lovely ladies you paint so beautifully. Spring has arrived here in Texas, but it feels a little early.
    Hugs, Sieglinde

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    1. Dear Sieglinde, I am so pleased that you like my tiles. Yes, one day I will paint some very special tiles for you.
      The sun has been shining and the snow is melting, but slowly. It will be a while before we see Spring flowers.

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  2. Hi Gina, Those tiles are gorgeous! Someone will have the most beautiful hearth to make lots of delicious home cooked meals.

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    1. Hello Darlene, I am so pleased that you like my tiles. How nice of you to stop by and leave a comment.
      Thank you.

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  3. estimada GINA,que bonitos son sus azulejos ,no me canso de mirarlos .sus lineas tan finas y los colores tan suaves .yo soy pintora y ceramista.y me gusta mucho hacer azulejo a mano ,después decorar con óxidos .pero los españoles no lo valoran .
    quiero felicitarla por su trabajo tan maravilloso .un saludo. ROSIM.

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    Replies
    1. Hello Rosa, Thank you for your very nice compliment...means even more coming from a fine artist. as you are.

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