Treasure Hunt!

Last week we set aside a day to go treasure hunting, which for us is something that makes us say #ilovemyjob. It is so much fun searching out unique items that need a bit of attention and then bringing them back to our studio where we reimagine them into colorful works of art enhanced with our handmade ceramic tiles and semiprecious gemstones.

We create a lot of pieces which are purely decorative in nature, but we also create pieces which are beautiful as well as functional such as entryway coat hangers, mounted key hooks, little jewelry cabinets, shelves, colorful wall brackets, ceramic mosaic side tables, and pottery enhanced mirrors. Oftentimes some of our favorite projects are brought to us by our friends and customers such as this Michigan party barn hutch or this custom cabinet for one of our artist friends or this embellishment of a travel keepsake from Mexico.

If one of the items in the photo speaks to you, please let us know and we can work together to transform it in to a special piece to fit your needs! In the meantime we will be working away and you can check back in our online etsy shop to see some of our new work.

Eastlake Wall Mounted Coat Rack with Handmade Tile Mosaic Art

We are excited to be back in the Louisville area this Saturday and Sunday (10 am- 5 pm) at Art in Speed Park, Sellersburg, Indiana!  We will bring along this wall mounted coat rack that we reimagined from an antique Eastlake children’s bed and some antique hardware.  It is brightened up with one of our cheerful handmade stoneware and semiprecious stone tiles “Happy Landing.” Great for an entryway dropping off point, a natural in a mudroom, or a nice addition to a bedroom. Semiprecious stones included here are jade, turquoise, magnesite, coral, and amethyst. See more of our one of a kind wall art here>>>

Side note… the cowgirl hat in the picture is a treasure recently rediscovered and handed down to Romy by her mother who wore it as a child.  Seems right at home on this piece!

Semiprecious Stone Mosaic Tile

In the studio with the door and windows open listen to the birds chirp on this beautiful day setting in the semiprecious stones to create the mosaic parts of these individually carved tiles. The stoneware tiles we create start as a lump of clay and after about a dozen steps, we have our finished artwork or jewelry component.  This pic shows Romy in the process of adding the semiprecious stones to the tiles.  We especially love using turquoise, coral, jade, carnelian, ruby, cultured pearl, and amethyst.  

Because we are the only two artists creating these pieces in small batches, the length of time to complete a project may vary.  Depending upon work flow, we typically can finish most orders in one to three weeks.  Larger projects may take much longer depending upon the scope and detail of the project.  Each piece is a one of a kind.  We may use the same imagery or patterns, but each piece is hand drawn, hand carved, mosaiced, and finished individually in our Jasper, Indiana studio. Find our handmade ceramic art here>>>

Just getting this Mid Century inspired, mounted clay tile mosaic wall art ready to ship to Australia today!  It’s a great feeling to know that we can share our work, not only in our own neck of the woods, but also worldwide.  We have to give a shout out to etsy here, as etsy is our online storefront which allows us to reach customers all around the world right from the comfort of our small studio in southern Indiana.  

After slab rolling stoneware clay, we hand carve the design into the clay. After bisque firing, glazing, firing and a trip to the raku pit, we then gild the lilly by adding magnesite, coral, jade, amethyst, and cultured pearl.  It is then grouted and mounted so that it may be hung as colorful wall art. This piece is approximately 4.75” x 12.75” x 1.5”

We have never been to Australia but it’s on the list!  We follow a few Australian artists and Tammy Kanat, a weaver, is a standout among them.  Her work is wonderfully colorful with intriguing patterns and textures.  Have a look!

See our Mid Century Blossoms in our etsy shop>>

Travel Treasure from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Upon their travels to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, our clients purchased the then unadorned cutting board for their Louisville area historic home.  They asked us if we could embellish it with one of our handmade ceramic mosaic tiles.  Shown here hanging in their home, this is the end result.  We presented them several sketched ideas, they selected one, and off we went carving in clay. 

The long piece in the photo they purchased from us at a show.   It is a vintage Turkish dough riser which we repurposed into this one of a kind rustic wall art piece.  We love how they look together and feel right at home in this elegant Kentucky kitchen.  Please contact us if you have a custom project you would like to discuss. See similar items in our Global Folk series here>>

Ironically enough, during her time at DePauw University, Clare spent a winter term in San Miguel de Allende where she took a batik class and a jewelry class.  She stayed with a family in a home which had a beautiful courtyard and is looking forward to visiting this colorful colonial city again soon!

Repurposed Vintage Indian Teak Shutters

What a beautiful day today!  We’ve got a breeze blowing through the studio and the birds are whistling while we work!  #ilovemyjob  As we are doing a little rearranging, we set these repurposed shutters outside the studio door. Made a nice pic, we think!

Besides placing these on either side of a window, we find that a lot of customers like to use these in to soften the look of a large flatscreen tv wall.  They also make a great focal point at the end of a hallway.  And we have had several customers use them outside on covered porches. Also great for a bathroom.

We refreshed this set of vintage Indian teak shutters with our hand carved stoneware clay tile mosaics. We are inspired by ethnic patterns and have included some of our favorites here.  Some of the semiprecious stones included in these pieces are cultured pearl, amethyst, jade, magnesite and coral.  Overall Dimensions: 11” x 47” each or put together 22” x 47” They are a one of a kind set. Find them here>>

Custom Handmade Ceramic Mosaic Wall Art

Hello!  Here we are just outside our studio (Clare on left, Romy on right) with a commission we finished a little while back.  Our client particularly wanted to include little blue birds throughout as a reminder of a visit to California.  It’s a very joyful piece and wanted to share it!

If you are interested in creating a custom stoneware clay tile mosaic art piece, it all starts with a simple conversation.  Whether it is one of our clay tile mosaic wall art pieces or bringing new life to an old furniture piece, just reach out to us.  You can see us in person at one of our shows, email us at romyandclare@gmail.com, convo us through etsy convo, or phone us. 

Just let us know what you are interested in creating and include some measurements to help us get started.  To find out more about our custom order process visit http://www.romyandclare.com/custom or click link in bio and select “custom order” from menu.