The Running Hare. Ceramic Design by Verdant Tile.

The Indigenous Art Tile Exhibit coming soon!

2012-02-22T09:35:00.000-08:00

The Indigenous Handcrafted Gallery

presents their annual artTILE exhibit again this spring.

www.indigenouscraft.com

I'll be starting making work for this show starting tomorrow.

This is a beautiful gallery in Cincinnati Ohio.

I'll post more information when I hear the date of the opening day!

Getting Ones Ducks in A Row....

2012-02-21T07:11:00.000-08:00

Getting one's ducks in a row. Literally, if not metaphorically (which is a daunting task!)

Carving Some new tiles and making molds, here are some of the New Game Birds and Hunting Tiles

There will be

Teal Duck, Green-neck Mallard, Labrador Retrievers, Marsh Hen-Rail, Pheasants

and A Partridge in a Fruitful Tree.

These were initiated by a customer request.

Here are the first ones out of the molds and now drying... hopefully will have these for the Stratford Garden Festival the first weekend of March.

OH YES! and Irish Wolfhound tile.

I get alot of requests for these, since years ago I made a number of Wolfhounds named HUAN, the Wolfhound from the Silmarilian by Tolkien.

Hunting, fishing, drawing, and music occupied my every moment. Cares I knew not, and cared naught about them. JJ Audubon

2012-02-16T08:51:00.000-08:00

"Hunting, fishing, drawing, and music occupied my every moment.

Cares I knew not, and cared not about them."

John James Audubon

Unloading the kiln today with the new Three Inch Tile Series

and a couple of Eight Inch tiles.

Moonlit Owl Art Tile
8 inch tile

Here are some. More on the website.

Alert Hare Tile.

Crow Tile

Hunting Hound Tile

Owl Tile

Oak Tree Tile

Sleepy Fox Tile

Thistle Tile

Dragonfly Tile

Tree of Life Art Tile
8 inch

Some New Game Birds and Hunting Tiles are being carved today.

This is a full series.

And an Irish Wolfhound!

Look for them in a couple of weeks.

Teal Duck Design by Mary Philpott
copyright Verdant Tile

Hunting Labrador Retriever Tile Design by Mary Philpott
copyright Verdant Tile

The Three Pheasants Tile

2012-02-04T12:11:00.000-08:00

The Three Pheasants Art Tile and Perturbed Owl in the Moonlight Tile

Carving a series of new tiles today, and making the press molds.

These should be up on the website in a few weeks, the three inch tiles a bit sooner.

The Three Pheasants in the Field Art Tile

Hand carved Porcelain Tile designed by Mary Philpott

10x20 inches

Detail of the Three Pheasants in the Field Art Tile

Snapshot of the new 3 inch tile series in various stages of drying.

What is on the menu:

Oak Tree; PineCones; Acorn & Oak leaf; gingko; Hare Running; Hunting Dog

Hawthorne leaves; Bleeding Hearts; Thistle;

Sleeping Fox; 2 Owls, George and Imelda;

Tree of Life; Crow in Tree; William Morris Fox;

and of course a Poppy!

Redford is my hound dog. This hound is from Gaston Phebus Le Livre de Chasse, but I made him look more like my Redbone Coonhound.

Please ask permission to use.

Thank you. Merci.

Framing the Past

2012-01-31T09:41:00.000-08:00

Medieval Tile Series framed in quarter sawn oak with ebony pegs.
Hand made in Canada.
Hunter with Hound, Medieval Horse, Care of the Medieval Hound tiles
Copyright Verdant Tile.All rights reserved.

The Carpenter Craftsman just dropped off a frame for this set that was custom ordered by a client.

Frame handmade here in Stratford.

Custom Orders always welcome to discuss.

Whenever a Man a Hare Shall meet, The Beast by him Shall Never be Beat!

2012-01-26T07:53:00.000-08:00

Unloading the kiln today with a number of new tiles to add to the Medieval Tile Series...

The Hare Hunt

~"whene'er a Man a Hare shall meet, That beast shall by him ne'er be beat!"

6 inch art tile

6x6 Hare riding a Hound medieval manuscript inspired tile

By Verdant Tile, please ask permission to use, copyright Verdant Tile

Medieval Horse 8 inch tile
by Verdant Tile
please ask persmision to use. copyright Verdant Tile

Care of the Medieval Hound Tile 8x8 inch
By Verdant Tile, After Gaston Phebus
please ask permission to use, copyright Verdant Tile

Medieval Hunters with Hounds Coupled Tile
12x12 inches
By Verdant Tile, after Gaston Phebus
please ask permission to use, copyright Verdant Tile

Medieval Hunt for the Hart, Deer Tile
12x14 inches
by Verdant Tile
After Gaston Phebus
please ask permission to use, copyright

Cathedral Paver Inspired Tiles now on the website in 6x6, 4x4 inches. Repeat patterns, polychrome glazing (multicolour) and also monochrome to pepper the field tile with!

"In the bleak midwinter Frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, Snow on snow, In the bleak midwinter, Long ago. " Christina Rossetti

2012-01-19T07:04:00.000-08:00

Yes. It is a snowy day here in Stratford.

Looking out the windows in my studio office while doing show applications and paperwork, then to press some more tiles for the Winter Sale and perhaps a start to a glaze session.

Out of the Kiln today....

Medieval Noble on Horse with Hunter in search Tile
After Gaston Phebus' Le Livre de Chasse 9 inch tile
(copyright Verdant Tile. please ask permission to use image)

Honey Yellow Glaze

These monochrome tiles are samples of the larger cathedral paver series that shall be out of the kiln next week.

Verdant Green Glaze

Celadon Green glaze

Celadon & Verdant Green glazes

Medieval Huntsman and Noble with Chien de Chasse on Scent Tile
after Gaston Phebus' Le Livre de Chasse 14th Century.
(copyright Verdant Tile, please ask permission to use image)

To all those in the same snow storm, Stay Warm!

Mary

"Winter is on my head, but eternal Spring is in my Heart" ...Victor Hugo

2012-01-13T13:06:00.000-08:00

Medieval hunter with Hounde on scent 8x8 tile.
After Gaston Phebus Le Livre de Chasse.
(copyright Verdant Tile. please ask permission to use and reference it)

Winter in the best of years is a great time to make new work.

'Be inspired' I tell myself, and sometimes it is difficult.

This year, it seems like there just isn't enough time to get all the new tiles made that

I would like, and what about my hare sculptures??? when does mister fiddlefoot get made?

Sigh.

Enough of that...here is some of the new work in progress this week:

After the new Medieval Tile series appeared on the website (and here)

there were a number of requests, and some new tiles will be born of it.

Molds are drying for these new tiles, and if interested, one can look for them here in a few weeks:

~Medieval Horse in Illuminated Landscape 8x8 tile (landscape like that of above tile)

~Care of the Medieval Hound 8x8 tile

~12x14 The Medieval Hunt: Hunting the Hart (deer) (yep, lots of horses in there!)

~"whene'er a Man a Hare shall meet, That beast shall by him ne'er be beat!"

6x6 Hare riding a Hound medieval manuscript inspired tile

I could not help myself. I feel more satisfied to see the hare riding the hound on the hunt for Mankind.

~12x12 tile of Medieval Hunters with houndes coupled, on the hunt for the Hart, with Lymer in front

I like this one because the hunters seem to be carrying on a conversation that appears to have nothing to do with the hunt.

~6x6, 3x3 & 4x4 Cathedral paver style tiles

~Hunt of the Sanglier (wild boar)

Medieval Grey Horse 6x6 tile
copyright Verdant Tile. All rights Reserved

The Medieval Hunt

2012-01-07T09:14:00.000-08:00

Tiles inspired by Medieval Manuscript Illuminations.

Medieval Hunting Scenes.

This series is after Guy de Peyrus Le Livre de Chasse 14th Century Illuminated manuscript

Medieval Hunt: Page and Hound in the Forest Tile 8x8

Medieval Hunt: Noblemand and Page with Hound on Scent

12x16 tile

I think I may do a few detail changes on colour on this above one...

Medieval Hounds waiting for the Hunt 6x6 tile

Care of the Medieval Hound Tile 6x6

Chien de Chasse tile 4x4

Medieval Hunting Dog Tile

Mother Hound and Pups Tile 6x6

Medieval Horse ready for the Hunt

6x6 tile

Medieval Hounds resting after the Hunt Tile

6x6

new rope border! 6 or 8 inch lengths

There will also be another slim border for the tiles in a deep leaf pattern.

New tiles inspired by Cathedral Paver tiles.

These were just carved and will be available end of January.

In either one colour: dark green, white; honey yellow or blue

or polychrome:

~honey yellow and dark green

~blue and dark green
Up Next....PHEASANTS!

Glazing some new Medieval Hunting Tiles

2012-01-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year.

Today the new tiles that are just out of the bisque kiln are being glazed....Medieval Hunting Scene Tiles.

These are just the beginning of this series of Medieval Inspired Tiles,

These ones are specifically about the hunting hounds....these look like Greyhounds, no?

So, here are some without glaze...I'm just starting to glaze them and they'll be on the website and here on Monday.

More images of this series to come!

Mother Hound with Pups 6x6 tile

Care of the Medieval Hunting Hound 6x6 tile

Relaxing Greyhounds Tile 6x6

Le Chien du Chasse en Foret Tile.

Medieval hunting hound on a Scent. Tile 12x16 inches

With colour soon!

The Annual Winter Sale starts on Tuesday.

10% discount on all decorative tiles on the website, made to order or visit the studio.

(excludes field tile orders or custom orders)

Happy Yule. Happy Christmas.

2011-12-19T10:55:00.000-08:00

'Ordinary riches can be stolen: real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.' Oscar Wilde.

With the Winter Solstice arriving in a few days, the studio is a perfect place to start things new, as the Holly King And the Oak King change places.

Some new work in process based on Medieval Manuscript Illuminations and some Old English and Celtic tile designs from Cathedrals I've visited in past travels. Perhaps some french medieval tiles in there from cathedrals and medieval walled cities....

Tile Carving for La Promenade de chien de chasse... Medieval Page and Hunting Hound on the Trail

8x8 inch tile.

Just carved and mold is made.

Look for this series mid to late January.

And the anecdote...

Last year, when I was in Paris waiting for my fiance to arrive, I attended a mass in the evening at the Eglise for Mary Magdelaine, whome is a favorite saint of mine.

As the homily progressed, and I admit, my mind wandered, I watched a mouse run towards me and run over my toes and disappear into the walls of the cathedral.

How wonderful.

All things great and small.

Happy Yule and Happy Christmas. Best wishes for the New Year.

I wonder how the world will change as so predicted for 2012.

Mary

Winter Open House

2011-12-06T07:21:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who visited the Winter Open House! It was a success, and lots of fun. Wintery skies and flighty snowflakes made it more festive. As did the mulled ciders.

Portrait of a Hare. Ornament.

The Annual Winter Open House is this weekend!

Friday 4-8pm & Saturday 10am-4pm

Dec 9th & 10th

Old green wooden doors under the breezeway in the Train Station, Stratford.

The next few days are to be spent cleaning the studio, and organizing what work is available after the Roycroft Show this past weekend, which was a beautiful show.

At this open house, there will be the works of a number of local artisans who work in Ceramics, Fibre and Wood.

...there will also be an 'almost perfect' table of ceramic works....

Here are some photos of the work of the other artisans who will be showing at my studio this weekend:

Sara Hollett, Fibre. Scott Thorburn, Wood

Emma Pawluk, Fibre.

Jay Burn, Ceramics. Jen Graham, Ceramics.

Please stop by and join us! lots of free parking at the train station.

And Yeah! the studio is clean! There is nothing like cleaning out the kiln room.

Unloading Kilns. The new Quatrefoil Tile Series. Some Ornaments.

2011-12-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

Opening the Kiln, getting work ready for the Roycroft Show....

Quatrefoil Series

Just the beginning. Also, quatreroil field tile will arrive soon!

With the field tile one can place a decorative image tile amongst the plain colours.

More images to come.

Laurel Quatrefoil Tile

Tree of Life Quatrefoil Tile

Running Hare Quatrefoil Tile

Reindeer Quatrefoil Tile

Ornaments

Portrait of a Hare in Quatrefoil Frame :: Medieval Tree Ornament

...the hare is kinda my favorite...

Medieval Window Ornament

Roycroft Winter Festival

2011-12-01T04:49:00.000-08:00

Roycroft Winter Festival

Held at the East Aurora Main School across from the Roycroft Campus

December 3 & 4 10am-5pm

Admission of $1 allows for donations to aid in RALA projects in the community.

At the show I'll have new work, the medieval inspired hound and hare tiles, as well

as the first new pieces of the Quatrefoil Series.

And many new ornaments.

If you miss the show, and you would like to see the work, it is available at Roycroft Antiques, and at the Roycroft Copper Shop. I'll be bringing them some new work, so they will have more in stock!

For more information for the show go to Roycrofters At Large Association

The Post Demain: the first few of the Quatrefoil series.

Le Livre De Chasse

2011-11-28T06:51:00.000-08:00

Upcoming New Series

Based on Le Livre de Chasse de Gaston Phébus

&Field tile to match!

This of course is just a Tickler.

Mary

Unicorn Tapestry inspired new tiles....

2011-11-19T05:47:00.000-08:00

Medieval Hunting Hound tile inspired by the Unicorn Tapestries.
New Bowls at the show....

New Unicorn Tapestry Inspired tiles

The hares are not from the Tapestry, but the background and format are designed in the mode of the Unicorn Tapestries from the Cloisters in New York city.

Alert Medieval Hare 4x4 tile

Medieval Hunting Hound 4x4 tile

Medieval Hare 6x6 tile

Tree of Life 4x4

Fleur de Lis Tile 4x4

more to come.

Fair November at the University of Guelph

2011-11-16T07:09:00.000-08:00

Wren vase in the studio on a warm November day....

Fair November at the University of Guelph starts tomorrow.

Today is set up at the show.

I always enjoy doing this show because I am alumni of the Fine Arts Department.

Lots of good memories.

And the campus is really beautiful.

Although it has grown so much, some of it is unrecognizable to me.

The show takes place in the University Centre, and my booth is #20 on the main floor.

Thursday and Friday 10am until 9pm

Saturday 10am until 5pm

Sunday 11am until 5pm

I'll have my new vases quatrafoil series, as well as the new (in the kiln right now...) Unicorn Tapestry series inspired tiles.

And a bunch of little bowls with Hares and Wrens in them.

As usual, I will have ornaments, and brooches as well as the vases, serving vessels, and tiles.

As always, thanks for looking.

Mary

Quatrafoil Vases

2011-11-12T06:51:00.000-08:00

New Quatrafoil Vases

Hand thrown on the wheel, altered and carved, then hand painted with multiple firings.

Selection of the Quatrafoils. More glazing today.

New Great Blue Heron Tiles

6x6 inches

Et Plus.... a whole bunch of 6x6 tiles are in process...

Inspired by the Unicorn Tapestries, and 4x4 tiles inspired by Avignon.

New Vases in November

2011-11-08T07:20:00.000-08:00

New Vases just out of the kiln.

Will be at Fair November at the University of Guelph, November 17-20th.

Thrown and altered and carved.

These are ready for the new glaze session starting today.

The Stuff of It.

2011-11-07T18:19:00.000-08:00

Hello there
This is a new space for *Stuff*
*Stuff* as pertains to Verdant Tile, www.VerdantTileCo.com which is my business which offers handmade carved porcelain tile.

The tile designs are inspired by various sources, but most notably the British Arts & Crafts Movement, headed by such as William Morris and William DeMorgan, as well as Art Nouveau design, and the textiles, flora and fauna of Provence, France. Mix that with Medieval Illuminations and stained glass, and celtic illuminations and there is a rich source of material to draw upon and work into a recipe that is distinctly one's own. Many designs on my website are flora and fauna that I have designed to have the 'look' of a british arts and crafts tile, or an art nouveau tile:

Art Nouveau Inspired Poppy Tile. Original design by Mary Philpott. Signature image of Verdant.

I've been making ceramic work for about 18 years now, and mostly I make tile, but also three dimensional vessels, vases and cups, platters etcetra.

This blog shall be a soundboard I suppose for the work that is being made, a place to show new work, discuss Influences and Inspirations, perhaps a few sidetracked journeys, and to note upcoming shows and the like.

Next up: some new funky vases.... and a few Oiseaux!
Mary

The Running Hare. Ceramic Design by Verdant Tile.

The Indigenous Art Tile Exhibit coming soon!

Getting Ones Ducks in A Row....

Hunting, fishing, drawing, and music occupied my every moment. Cares I knew not, and cared naught about them. JJ Audubon

The Three Pheasants Tile

Framing the Past

Whenever a Man a Hare Shall meet, The Beast by him Shall Never be Beat!

"In the bleak midwinter Frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, Snow on snow, In the bleak midwinter, Long ago. " Christina Rossetti

"Winter is on my head, but eternal Spring is in my Heart" ...Victor Hugo

The Medieval Hunt

Glazing some new Medieval Hunting Tiles

Happy Yule. Happy Christmas.

Winter Open House

Unloading Kilns. The new Quatrefoil Tile Series. Some Ornaments.

Roycroft Winter Festival

Le Livre De Chasse

Unicorn Tapestry inspired new tiles....

Fair November at the University of Guelph

Quatrafoil Vases

New Vases in November

The *Stuff* of It.

The Stuff of It.